WRX to hatch premium image

Ever wondered why you don't see many WRX hatches around the place? Most of Subaru's turbocharged wonder cars are sedans. But that's about to change. When the next generation of Subaru's Impreza hits local showrooms -- around September this year -- you'll be able to choose any WRX you like, as long as it's a hatch.

It seems WRX drivers preferred sedans in the past, but according to Subaru Australia's PR and marketing boss, Dave Rowley: "our own research indicates a trend towards the hot hatch sector of the market."

So Subaru expects the new WRX to sell locally in the same numbers that it did previously -- in a ratio of roughly 130 units of WRX out of 800 units of Impreza sales in a typical month.

Mr Rowley confirmed Subaru's view that the car would continue to sell on the strength of its mechanicals and dynamics, whether or not it's a hatch or sedan.

The company doesn't plan to continue selling the current sedan alongside the new hatch, even though there's a twelve-month hiatus before the new Impreza sedan reaches Australia in late 2008.

Commentators have already opined that the new Impreza (more here) is too conservative in its styling, but there are plenty of reasons to anticipate its arrival. Although Subaru Australia cancelled its mid-June scheduled press preview of the new car, the Carsales Network twisted Rowley's arm to get more details on the car.

The next WRX will continue with a 2.5-litre engine, but "there'll be some variation from what it is now", Mr Rowley said, although he was a little vague as to what that meant, exactly.

Considering the Japanese market S-GT has a 2.0-litre engine that develops more power and torque than the 2.5-litre in the current Australian-spec WRX, expect the next generation 2.5 to up the ante there, at the very least.

Mr Rowley further said "The WRX will continue to be a performance-orientated sporty type car, but with a much greater degree of sophistication than what it currently has."

"We can't stress that word sophistication enough, because it certainly will be a considerably improved car..."

The Japanese domestic market's Impreza S-GT replaces the WRX in Japan and is -- in Rowley's words -- "more of a small Liberty GT"; a substitute for those who aspire to the larger car, but can't accommodate or afford one.

Perhaps not to the same extent as the S-GT, but the local WRX will also move the model name upmarket. You can read a lot into what has been said, but the new WRX will be a different beast from the WRX of yore.

What it loses in sedan sales, it may make up by conquesting sales from the Volkswagen Golf R32 or the recently released Audi S3 (more here).

The WRX will be joined by the STi model, but that won't arrive until around February of next year. Other than the STi, the Impreza range will be launched locally at the end of August and go on sale the following month.

We'll have a first drive report on the Carsales Network at the earliest opportunity.

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