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Original von Moe
Ist das nicht ein getunter WRX von STI @ fast_WRX?

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The Impreza has greater practicality and a higher-quality interior but bland exterior styling.

If you thought that the design of the infamous 'bug-eyed' Impreza back in 2000 was brave, or that the current generation looked too retro, feast your eyes on the car's all-new styling!

Inspired by the Toyota Corolla and BMW 1-Series, the newcomer is not just a radical departure, it's downright ugly, too. Although the bodywork is neatly finished, the nondescript nose and bulbous rear are a world away from what has gone before.

Sadly, the bad news doesn't end with the design. A turbocharged WRX model (expected to account for more than half of all Impreza sales in Japan) isn't even coming to the UK.

So when the car arrives in September, British buyers will be limited to a choice of 1.5 and 2.0-litre non-turbo models. A flagship 2.5-litre will follow soon after, yet fast Impreza fans must wait for the cleaner STi-badged model, due in 2008, to get their turbo fix.

But what's the new Subaru like on the road? The vocal 108bhp 1.5-litre engine is gutless at low revs. The five-speed manual box is slick and smooth enough, while the clunky four-speed auto, with its lengthy ratios, has difficulty making the best of the power.

The 2.0-litre unit is taken from the maker's Legacy. It produces 136bhp, plus 186Nm of torque at 4,400rpm, and when mated to the four-speed automatic, is better to drive than the 1.5. But it still feels underpowered.

Happily, the Impreza's handling has lost none of its magic. Revised suspen-sion means the car remains stable and well balanced even through tight corners. The steering offers a good blend of weight and feel, and is very respon-sive thanks to its quicker rack and the car's smaller turning circle.

The Impreza's disc brakes provide plenty of stopping power, and over uneven surfaces, the chassis displays the same supreme combination of comfort and agility which made the saloon versions so popular.

The seats are comfortable, while telescopic adjustment has been added to the steering wheel tilt control, mak-ing a perfect driving position easier to find. Behind the wheel, you forget about the exterior styling, too. The dash design is similar to the good-looking layout in the Tribeca SUV, with a swooping centre console and polished aluminium-effect inserts.

So, although the latest Impreza is unlikely to scoop any awards for its design, it does remain a good car to drive, while inside, the company has brought about a noticeable - and much needed - improvement.

The question is, will UK drivers still be as keen as ever to get behind the wheel? In the absence of the turbocharged models, we're not so sure. Roll on 2008, and the all-new STi.

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Japan Report: Our Man Nunn Drives The JDM Impreza S-GT

As a warm-up for the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX coming to the U.S. this fall, Japan’s media and buff books have already been out in the home-market version of the car this week.

No, this isn’t exactly the car that Subaru will be shipping to the States. The model that America knows as WRX is badged S-GT in Japan and runs with a 2.0-liter flat-four turbo pumping out 250 brake horsepower. So, a smaller engine than America’s WRX 2.5-liter turbo that’s expected to generate around 225 bhp. But more power and of course that different badge, chosen by Subaru eggheads in Japan to put more distance between cooking Imprezas and the full-on, 300 bhp-plus WRX STi coming this fall.

Your correspondent was fortunate enough to attend the local Japanese media drive, and I had the opportunity to punt five different Imprezas around the wonderfully empty roads beneath (a still snow clad) Mount Fuji…

The base, front-drive 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter all-wheel drive Imprezas show how Subaru has shifted the Impreza mainstream—at once roomier, more refined, sensible and Golf/Rabbit-like.

The quick $20,392 Impreza S-GT, on the other hand, with five-speed manual shifter (there’s also a four-speed auto) is the racer, liberating lots of that whirring, free-revving Subaru flat-four sound, packing the most visual punch and spirit, and proving way faster than the rather stolid, garden variety Imprezas.

At the same time, the new platform with double wishbone rear end brings a whole new composure to the Impreza’s handling and ride. Which is good.

The Impreza’s grown up, no question, showing a new maturity, although happily some endearing old school quirks still remain.

Exactly how all this relates to America’s own WRX remains to be seen, of course, but first time out in Japan, the high-speed Impreza S-GT answers a lot of the right questions.