Subaru Impreza Sedan 2012 Review

Subaru Impreza

What we liked
>> Ride and handling balance
>> Refinement and quiet in manual version
>> Added space in cabin

Not so much
>> Engine struggles at times
>> CVT transmission
>> Monochromatic cabin

In its WRX guise it cemented Subaru's now-nascent competition reputation. In sales terms, along with Forester (which has been based on Impreza), it makes up the lion's share of the company's volume. In Australia, where small cars are the largest segment – and likely to get bigger -- it is a 'must-sell' car for the brand.

With its move closer to the mainstream offerings of Toyota, Mazda and the like, the now-superseded G3 Impreza was the best seller yet for the brand. Subaru hopes that will change – it's looking for even more success and more conquest customers with the new car.

Promising up to 22 per cent fuel economy improvements, a better finished and more spacious cabin plus improvements in refinement, Subaru Australia is looking toward the new Impreza to help it win new customers against the growing number of competitors.

The XV high-riding version of the Impreza hatch has already been broken away as a separate model. This new generation of the Impreza also says goodbye to the WRX badge. Though Subaru is tight-lipped about the future of the boy-racer variants, the turbo tearaways will go their own way with bespoke engines and body-styling.

For the time being the current WRX will remain on sale in both standard and STI variants – perhaps for as long as two years.

What hasn't changed in the new generation Impreza is Subaru's local commitment to all-wheel drive. All Imprezas are all-wheel-drive and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Though this essentially places the cars at a price disadvantage compared to their front-drive competitors (an estimated $3K says Subaru boss, Nick Senior), Subaru Australia says it has dispelled any suggestions that AWD can't compete in terms of fuel economy. Thus it remains steadfast in its belief that AWD is core to the DNA of the brand.

PRICE & EQUIPMENT

The 2.0i is priced at $23,990 for the six-speed manual variant and $26,490 for the Lineartronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) equipped automatic version. This start-up price is unchanged from the G3 generation despite, says Subaru, the addition of "thousands of dollars value" in additional technology and equipment.

From there Subaru adds the 2.0i-L midranger – offered in both manual and CVT at $26,990 and $29,490 respectively.

At the top of the new Impreza line-up is the CVT-only 2.0i-S. It is priced at $31,490.

Auto-stop start is standard on all Imprezas, so too seven airbags and Bluetooth audio and telephony. In addition, the 2.0i is equipped with cruise control and single-zone climate-control aircon as standard. Keyless entry with immobiliser is on the list, while seat surfaces are cloth.

Inside there's practical but softer plastic surfaces to dash and door touchpoints, as well as those of the gearlever and tilt/reach adjustable multi-function steering wheel. The rear seats are a 60:40 splitfold design and there's a multi-function display centre-dash. In higher grades this gets various economy-related 'smart' functions.

The 2.0i rolls on 16-inch steel wheels. A space-saver spare is used on all Impreza variants and there are no park sensors or reversing camera on the base grade.

Step up to the 2.0i-L midgrade model and the wheels are alloy (still 16-inch) and the goodies increase. Climate control moves to dual-zone, leather trim is added to wheel and gearlever and the centre-display is upgraded to the abovementioned 'Premium Multi-Function Display' with reversing camera and steering wheel control. Rear glass is tinted; front foglamps and a sliding front centre console are also added.

At the head of the class is the 2.0i-S which gets a dash of chrome here and there, mild body mods (side skirts) and 17-inch alloys. Indicator repeaters are added to the mirrors, while inside the S gets alloy pedals and upgraded trim and combo leather/cloth upholstery.

Two option packs are offered. Available on the L and S is the satnav and sunroof pack, priced at $3000. S buyers can instead opt for a $4000 kit that includes satnav and sunroof but also adds full leather seat surfaces and an eight-way adjustable power driver's seat.

Hatch and sedan variants are priced and equipped identically. And Subaru includes metallic colours in its RRP.

PACKAGING

And it is to a point. In its fourth generation, the Impreza gets a 25mm wheelbase increase for extra room in the cabin but is unchanged in terms of overall length and width in both hatch and sedan body styles.

With the stretch, Subaru has increased couple distance (the measurement between front and rear seat hip points) by 25mm. Rear legroom has been boosted as a result and there's up to an extra 19mm in usable cabin width claimed. New inner door designs reinforce this impression.

Aerodynamics have been improved – around 10 per cent in the case of the sedan (Cd .306 from .331) though put in perspective this is still well off the best Euro four-doors. Still Subaru attributes 10 per cent of the fuel economy improvements to aerodynamics.

The new styling is sharper edged than the G3 generation and the new sedan looks much like a scaled down Liberty. The largest proportional change is the movement of the A-pillar.

Reversing the trend of heavier and heavier section A-pillars, the Impreza's impressively slim front member has been pushed forward around 200mm at its base. The windscreen is steeper and with a decoupled side mirror and new fixed front quarter light sight lines are considerably improved.

An usually low cowl/dash height adds to the panoramic impression and set the Impreza apart from some of its almost claustrophobic competitors. This impression is despite the fact Subaru has lowered both front and rear seat heights -- the front by 30mm.

Luggage space is listed at 340 litres for the hatch (770/1230 total with the rear seats folded away depending on whether you load to the glass level or the roof!). The 460 litre capacity of the booted version is bordering on large car territory. As noted in PRICE & EQUIPMENT, both variants feature a 60:40 splitfold rear seat.

It's not an adventurous cabin design. Symmetry is valued at Subaru and the cockpit follows the traditional left element, common centre dash element and right element set-up that makes building versions for both sides of the roads cheaper. When competitors have already begun to fully 'hand' their cabins, this may quickly date the G4.

Cabin quality is improved but it's still a very monochromatic experience. The centre-stack features mock black alloy with a brushed finish and there are alloy-look dash spears but the rest is largely charcoal on charcoal.

The FB's longer in stroke than the engine it replaces but features an innovative diagonally-offset conrod design to minimise overall engine width. It gets variable cam timing on both inlet and exhaust sides and also features a more compact combustion chamber design with a narrower included valve angle. Both the longer stroke and tighter combustion chamber are aimed at reducing fuel consumption and improving torque.

While it is substantially more economical, alas there's been no change in torque output save for the peak moving up in the rev range. Max torque of 196Nm is now generated at 4200rpm – 1000rpm higher. Peak power is a modest 110kW at 6200 rpm (G3 6400rpm).

Subaru says the six-speed manual equipped Impreza now returns a combined consumption of 7.1L/100km – a 20 per cent improvement on the G3 generation. Compared to the old four-speed auto, the new Lineartronic CVT equipped Impreza shaves 23 per cent – 6.8L/100km versus 8.8.

New too are the G4's gearboxes. The six-speed manual is based on the unit used in the Liberty and features an improved shift mechanism. Gearing overall has been changed – it's not simply last year's box with an overdriven sixth cog added.

All manual Imprezas get hill-start assist – still an uncommon feature in the small car class.

Most of the effort this generation, however, has gone into the new Lineartronic CVT automatic. The new gearbox is smaller and lighter than the CVT used in Liberty and in comparison to the old four-speed automatic features a much wider gear ratio spread. This should translate to better performance down low and lower engine speeds when cruising on the highway.

The CVT features six 'preset' ratios that are used in its 'manual' mode. All Impreza models get steering-wheel paddles.

The Impreza's USP in the small car class is its all-wheel drive system. The static front:rear torque split differs across manual and auto Impreza models. The manual features a traditional 50:50 split while the CVT-equipped cars are front biased at 60:40. Subaru's system does not require wheelspin to actuate torque apportionment – the system detects low traction conditions and automatically shifts torque as required.

Subaru has carefully avoided the all-new tag on this generation Impreza. Suspension components have been strengthened and retuned but the MacPherson strut (front) and double-wishbone (rear) suspension designs are largely unchanged. Electrically-assisted power steering is new and contributes around 15 per cent of the total fuel savings wrought with this new model, claims Subaru.

Four-wheel antilock disc brakes are used across the new Impreza line-up.

The new car's body-in-white has been trimmed by around 35kg despite increases in rigidity. Alas overall weights have gone the other way. Subaru claims identical weights for the sedan and hatch versions – the differences relate to powertrain options. The new manual is 5kg heavier than the G3 gen at 1345kg, while the CVT equipped car is up 25kg to 1385.

Five stars are a given and the Impreza's score is up at the pointy end of the five-star crop thanks to the use of ultra-high strength steels and, on the pedestrian front, a new energy absorbing bonnet design. All the usual suite of safety systems are in place and some will argue all-wheel drive delivers an added layer of dynamic safety.

Seven airbags – including a driver's knee bag are standard on all models. Rear camera is not – you'll have to opt for L or S variants to get this coverage.

As noted above, the excellent sightlines offered by the Impreza's new glasshouse should have a positive effect on safety.

From the security viewpoint Subaru is one of the few mainstream brands that embraces the Datadot anti-theft marking system. Every Impreza gets its dose of millions of the microdots to help protect against theft, parts substitution, re-birthing and the like.

The new 2.0-litre Boxer four is smooth and in the manual form has a pleasant offbeat engine note – made all the more obvious (and pleasant) thanks to the very quiet cabin. But it is no powerhouse. Peak torque is nothing to write home about either and it is produced high in the rev range.

Performance is leisurely and the Highway 1 climb out of Adelaide had us back to fourth gear as the car would not hold fifth gear on cruise. With a 0-100km/h time that's on the wrong side of 10sec, it's at the slower end of the small car crop. Overtaking from highway speeds needs fourth or even third gear.

Though the engine never feels strained through all of this, nor does it exhibit the comparatively muscular properties of other 2.0-litre models or even the latest crop of turbo 1.4-litres in the class.

The six-speed gearbox requires a deliberate hand as the gate is narrow. That said, the change weighting is good and the precise feel is pleasing. At 100km/h in top you're turning around 2300rpm.

The new generation Lineartronic CVT is intended to extract the best performance from the engine but the 0-100km/h time is even slower – 11.1sec. It may be theoretically quicker in roll-on acceleration and more efficient, but it achieves this with little grace.

At the outset I'll state this writer is no fan of CVTs, but makers like Audi have proven that these gearboxes can be tweaked to emulate conventional autos and dispense with the histrionics that usually define them. Subaru, however, does not have the magic touch.

It takes a very deliberate prod on the throttle to get the Lineartronic Impreza to respond from suburban speeds and the gearbox is slow to stir into action. Once it does so, there is a significant flare in the engine revs and noise levels rise – substantially. Indeed, the discordant whine of the CVT box easily drowned out the engine. On the otherwise commendably quiet 2.0i-S model sedan we drove, by far the most obtrusive noise was the gearbox.

Though we lament the relative softness of the new boxer engine's power delivery in all versions, at least in the manual Impreza there's some sense of driving joy retained. The Lineartronic removes this. Best thing we can say about it – it responds with more urgency when you use the paddleshifts.

And we're still to be convinced about the real-world fuel economy benefits of the set-up. Our Adelaide Hills launch drive was leisurely for the most part and our figures in the CVT Impreza sedan were 1.5-2.0L/100km worse than the manual. A recent seven days in a CVT-equipped XV around Melbourne didn't generate fuel figures to boast about either – 10.2L/100km.

The real shame is that Subaru as an organisation has committed itself long-term to CVT as its technology of choice. Let's hope they can poach some of Audi's Multitronic development engineers.

It's more the pity as there are some strong positives in the way the rest of the Impreza package goes about its business. The auto-stop start system works well in both manual and auto variants and the smart gauge that tells you how much fuel you've saved is a nice touch.

Steering response is a touch dull on centre, but is far from the worst electrically-assisted power steering set-up out there. And thanks to the lower centre of gravity inherent in the boxer powertrain, Impreza can use more compliant spring and damper settings without compromising roll and body control characteristics. In the real world this translates to a more compliant ride than is the norm in the small car class.

The car was quieter and rode better on the 16-inch steel wheels of the standard model (the S get's 17s). As is so often the case, it's therefore this (manual) base level car we'd nominate as our pick.

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