Euro-styling lifts '08 Impreza
It's clear Subaru figured early on that the road to success for its third-generation Impreza sedan and five-door runs straight through the heart of Germany.
Hence the abundance of Deutsch in Impreza ads and the compact's crisp, Bimmeresque styling.
The Unmöglich! (Impossible!), etc. may not win that many buyers, but the curvaceous lines surely will.
With AWD and performance vehicles increasingly common, Subaru knows slicker styling is a key asset.
Shoppers seem to like what they're now seeing: Impreza sales rose 94.9 per cent in September compared to that month last year.
Built in Japan, all Imprezas carry a 2.5 L flat-four attached to either a five-speed manual or four-speed (you'd expect five, frankly) automatic. Base horsepower is 170.
The 2008s, which went on sale in July, come as a 2.5i, 2.5i Sport and WRX in both body styles.
Sport adds such attractions as rear disc brakes, dynamics control, aluminum wheels, foglights, heated front seats and upgraded audio.
WRX, evoking the firm's World Rally Championship feats, ups the ante with turbocharging ( 224 hp), 17-inch wheels, skirting, trunk spoiler for the sedan and more.
All Subes have AWD, of course.
The lineup's top trim, the mind-bending STI (Subaru Tecnica International), will return, but Subaru Canada is mum on when. Last year's version boasted 293 hp.
The tester was a 2008 WRX sedan, done in Lightning Red and Anthracite cloth, with the automatic.
Sedan prices start at $20,695 and rise to $34,095. The five-door range: $21,595 to $34,995.
THREE STARS
Turbo's zoom lets you stand tall and safe when passing or merging.
Massive, functional hood scoop signals WRX potency even at rest.
Crystalline steering.
THREE STRIKES
Engine gets gruff when pressed.
Premium fuel only.
I had to lower the manual driver's seat (no lumbar control) almost to the bottom to get good steering wheel clearance of the big tach, despite the tilt-and-telescope feature.
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