Ride and Handling improvements, Fuel Economy Improvements, Decent Standard equipment list
Expensive Sat Nav Option,
Subaru Impreza fans have had to wait a little longer for the fourth generation Impreza to arrive in Australia after the company’s production was hit by floods and earthquakes, but the wait is worth it. With the previous generation Impreza being the best selling Impreza to date Subaru Australia had a hard act to follow, Subaru claim they have made the fourth generation 2012 Subaru Impreza hatch and sedan even better with a list of big improvements.
The 2012 Impreza is better looking, comes equipped with a choice of six speed manual or CVT auto, a new interactive Multi-Function- Display computer plus the new generation horizontally opposed Boxer engine that comes standard with Auto Start Stop technology across the range.
2012 Subaru Impreza Overview
The small car market in Australia is a tightly contested segment with 27 different models for car buyers to choose from. Subaru has made a huge effort to entice buyers away from their competitors. The list of standard features across the range is impressive and the entry point in to the range starts at only $23,990 (plus on roads) for the 2.0i manual sedan and hatch and only $31,990 for the range topping Impreza 2.0i-S with CVT.
The Full 2012 Subaru Impreza lineup is:
Impreza 2.0i six-speed manual $23,990
Impreza 2.0i Lineartronic™ CVT $26,490
Impreza 2.0i-L six-speed manual $26,990
Impreza 2.0i-L Lineartronic™ CVT $29,490
Impreza 2.0i-S Lineartronic™ CVT $31,490
Options are:
Impreza 2.0i-L and 2.0i-S: Factory-fitted satellite navigation and electric sunroof +$3000
Impreza 2.0i-S: Factory-fitted satellite navigation, electric sunroof, leather trim and eight-way adjustable powered driver’s seat +$4000
2012 Subaru Impreza Engine
The 2012 Subaru Impreza’s is powered by their new generation 2.0 liter four cylinder engine, the same engine that is found the current model Forster. It produces 110kw at 6200rpm and 196Nm of torque at 4200rpm.
The addition of Auto Start Stop technology has helped the 2012 Subaru Impreza become the most fuel efficient small car the company has released to date, with fuel consumption that can put some of it’s 2wd competitors to shame - the 6 speed manual reduced fuel economy is reduced by 20% from the previous model consuming only 7.1 liters per 100 kilometers, while the CVT comes in at a worthy 6.8 liters be 100 kilometers.
The trade-off for great fuel economy is the lack of power, traveling uphill you may find yourself working back through the gears to keep up your pace. The CVT does some have engine whirring noise but it’s unobtrusive at worst.
2012 Subaru Impreza Interior
Finally Subaru has listened to its customers and focus groups and has produced a car with a great interior. Cabin width and height have been increased giving more room for shoulders, elbows and rear leg room. Front seats offered great support.
Driver visibility has been improved with the A-pillar being moved 200mm forward and the introduction of a small quarter glass panel in the front door instead of the body.
And for car buyers with toddlers the anchor point is now on the back of the rear seat, meaning you no longer lose any cargo space, like previous models. Boot space is now 460 liters on the sedan and 340 liters in the hatch.
The new Multi function Display is also a handy little addition. In the Impreza 2.0i the simple display offers the usual trip computer functions, while the Impreza 2.0i-L and 2.0i-S gains a premium version offering a far more comprehensive range of information.
2012 Subaru Impreza Exterior & Styling
Subaru often gets ridiculed for their designs, some people say the push the envelope to far, some say not far enough. The 2012 Impreza may never win a design award but the evolutionary new look is no ugly duckling.
The Subaru Impreza now looks like it belongs in the Subaru family, the front end now resembles its big brother the Subaru Liberty. The new look sees a more aerodynamic package with coefficient of drag (cd) rating down to 0.306 (sedan) 0.329 (hatch) helping improve fuel economy.
New look rear combination lights are designed to provide both better visibilitiy for traffic following you.
The 2012 models comes in 9 colours– Ice silver metallic, Satin white pearl, Dark grey metallic, Obsidian black pearl, Camellia red pearl, Sky blue metallic, Deep cherry pearl, Marine blue pearl, Sage green metallic.
2012 Subaru Impreza On The Road
The fourth generation Impreza has come a long way from the previous models with improvements in ride, handling and road noise.
With a body structure that is stronger yet 30kg lighter yet 25% stiffer the new 2012 Impreza has very little body roll in the corners. Feedback through the steering wheel was ample. The AWD system provides you with stability mid corner and no hint of tyre slipping, even when pushed at pace through corners.
Driving over a mix of city, freeway and country roads the 2012 Subaru Impreza offered up a comfortable ride that will suit most buyers looking for a premium small car.
2012 Subaru Impreza Challenges
To achieve class leading fuel consumption and emission targets the 2012 Impreza has had to compromise somewhere, and the somewhere is performance. It won’t win many races but that can be left to the WRX or STi when they come out. Also it would have been good to see the extensive standard inclusion list stretch to a Sat nav and reversing camera.
2012 Subaru Impreza Verdict
The 2012 Subaru Impreza is a big step in the right direction for the company. By listening to their customers, focus groups and the media they have delivered a car that has improved on many of the complaints labeled at the previous models.
The 2012 Subaru Impreza delivers comfortable and a sharply styled interior, huge fuel consumption and environmental impact reductions, great ride and handling all wrapped up in a modern exterior that offers good value for money.
2012 Subaru Impreza Competition
With 27 cars already in the small car market consumers are spoilt for choice in this segment. If you are in the market for a Subaru then we can safely assume that you are looking for quality not just price.
The Mazda3 $20,330 to $41,915 was the bestselling car in 2011and is available in both sedan and hatch and with the addition of SKYACTIV technology puts the Mazda3 on par.
We've spent the last 4 weeks driving the Australian built Holden Cruze $20,990 to $30,740 while the price points are sharper the interior feel might turn some buyers off.
Looking for something European? The Volkswagen Golf $21,990 to $52,490 is the euro leader of the pack. It has refinement and handling by the spade load and should be test driven.
Whilst the Mitsubishi Lancer $21,490 to $44,490 (excluding the evo) offers an alternative. The current Lancer is getting a bit long in the tooth now and you might get a good price.
The new 2012 Honda Civic is launched at the end of this month in sedan form. While specs and pricing are not available just yet, you can rest assured that Honda will deliver a fine car.
