NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: 2017 Subaru Impreza

Subaru has unveiled its all-new fifth-generation Impreza hatch and sedan at the New York motor show.

As the first car from the Japanese brand to be built on the scalable Subaru Global Platform (SGP), the same underpinnings as almost all future models, the new Impreza reveals a smoother, sportier design for the popular AWD small car.

Showing off new 'hawkeye' headlights and a slightly less angular aesthetic than the current Impreza, the new design language will permeate all future models, says Subaru.

Scheduled to launch in the US and Australia in late 2016 , the all-new Impreza will "set a new standard in the compact segment," according to the President of Subaru America Tom Doll, by being "reassuringly safe, confidently capable, and totally connected."

The new Impreza will naturally be AWD and also offered with active torque vectoring and EyeSight safety systems, the latter giving the car semi-autonomy. In other words, adaptive radar cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert and also reverse automatic braking will help reduce collisions.

"It's a car that will keep drivers out of trouble, and protect them should they get into trouble," said Doll. "At Subaru safety is our number one priority."

Front, front side, side curtain and knee airbags are standard on all models too.

Claimed to be some 70 per cent more rigid than the old platform, the new SGP underpinnings also allow the Impreza to grow in size.

The new sedan and hatch are 40mm longer and 38mm wider than the cars they replace which, along with a 25mm longer wheelbase, is said to offer substantially more space inside the cabin.

Meanwhile, a 10mm drop in the Impreza’s height is said to boost its aerodynamics.

Top-spec Impreza cars will be offered with intelligent LED headlights that curve their beams round corners, plus leather seats, push-button start, automatic climate-control, 17-inch alloy wheels and a Harman Kardon sound system.

Inside, a standard new 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system has also been introduced.

Clearly, Subaru is upping the Impreza's game with more features, more luxury and more safety, and although the 2.0-litre petrol boxer engine is not new, it's been "revised" to deliver slightly more power.

Under the skin both Subaru's trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and flat-four engines essentially carry over, but the engine now gains direct fuel-injection that boosts power from the current car’s 110kW to 115kW, ensuring the new model will be slightly quicker than the old Impreza.

Driving through a stepped seven-speed auto CVT, the Subaru's 'FB' engine is also expected to be more economical, although the company is yet to talk about specifics.

"Fuel economy is not yet finalised," said Doll, "but the lighter weight and the design of the new model will improve [fuel efficiency]."

Handling should be better than ever for the new model too. The new platform ensures a lower centre of gravity while sophisticated double wishbone rear suspension and a rear anti-roll bar is said to reduce body roll by 50 per cent.

Perhaps most exciting for performance fans is the anticipation of the faster WRX and STI models that are in the pipeline.

Subaru kept tight-lipped at the show, but both versions will significantly benefit from the stiffer SGP platform. Rumour at the show is the fastest STI version could come with as much as 250kW and ditch its permanent all-wheel drive for a front-wheel drive set-up assisted by a rear electric motor to power the rear wheels.