All for the Tokyo Auto Salon.
Japanese marque Subaru have tarted up a couple of their more more prominent models, in keeping with the requisites to be present (and correct) at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, which is set to take place in January. As such, a Forester e-Boxer and an Impreza hatchback have been given an STi workover, and been dubbed as concepts that serve only to whet the appetite.
Make no mistake though: While the aesthetic revisions are aplenty and thorough, sans some brake upgrades on the bigger Scooby, they’re just aesthetic with this. As such, the Forester e-Boxer remains powered by a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated flat-four (106kW/188Nm), though it’s augmented by a 10kW65Nm electric motor that’s been placed within the Lineartronic CVT (which remains one of the best such gearboxes available today.
As for the Impreza hatchback, the mechanics at play were not detailed by Subaru, which most certainly means there’s nothing to detail.
On the Forester front, the STi Concept treatment begins with the 19-inch aluminium alloys, fresh bumpers on either end, front dive planes, prominent side skirts, honeycomb-mesh grille, yellow accents, and the demanded ‘STi’ badging dotted everywhere you’d expect to find them. Then of course the whole thing’s been finished in ‘Fighter Grey’ which, against the yellow highlights, looks pretty sweet.
No changes to the interior (we assume, as Subaru told us nothing), but there are Brembo monoblock six-piston brake callipers in the front, while the e-Boxer powertrain has been “further refined.” Don’t know what that means, but we’re going to assume it’s a throttle remap because that’s the easiest thing to do to make a car ‘feel’ punchier than it is.
As for the Impreza hatch, you’ll find a look-at-me bodykit, a fresh grille, sharper alloy wheels and a two-tone paint job which splits at weird angles. Anyway, there’s also a “Bordeaux interior” according to Subaru, but no photos were supplied. Just imagine it’s all red in there.
The Forester STi Concept and the Impreza STi Concept won’t be the only Subarus on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Joining them will be equally-tarty Levorg & WRX STi models, with the WRX rumoured to get 19-inch gold BBS alloys and Recaro seats. True to form, but hardly imaginative, don’t you think?
For the best deals on a non-tarty Subaru, check out our Showroom.
