Subaru UK Kills Off Impreza, WRX, STI
If you read British buff books like EVO, it would be easy to think that the hot versions of the Subaru Impreza are fixtures of the UK’s motoring landscape. Not only are they beloved by enthusiasts, but the WRX is even employed as a police car in certain municipalities. But starting in 2013, British car buyers won’t be able to purchase one of the small Scoobies.
A lack of demand has led Subaru UK to kill off the Impreza, and its more sporting variants. AutoExpress reports that
“The new Impreza has been under evaluation in the UK for 12 months, but the decision has been taken not to bring that car to the UK because of insufficient demand…Subaru is concentrating on what it’s really good at – so we’re concentrating on SUVs and the BRZ – we’re hoping to get more [BRZs] next year to satisfy strong demand for that car.”
That means that going foward, the XV, Outback and Forester will be the staples of the lineup, as well as the BRZ. The Legacy may not even survive. Luckily, UK buyers can still import vehicles from Japan as grey market cars.
More by Derek Kreindler
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The WRX is one of those cars that everyone wants to exist but doesn't want to buy. It's great in theory but when it comes down to putting your hard earned euro's/pounds down people choose a hot hatch or a Saloon that looks like everyone else has.
BR-Z STI... That is all I need to know.
What's wrong with Japanese manufacturers in Europe these days? It seems all tend to do these days is sell SUVs and pickups, and withdrawing from regular car segments (the only notable exception being Toyota).
There are three reasons why the Impreza has expired in the UK. 1.) The demise of the WRC in the UK. Since its highs during the 80's and 90's interest in the World Rally Championship has dropped off a cliff. Especially since the TV rights have been shipped off to various assorted under-exposed stations. But we all want to watch football and running, don't we? 2.) The hatchback design. They might have been trying to get the family market but they committed commercial suicide with regard to their core market, who still wanted a saloon car. The story I heard was that the hatchback shape was cheap and available as it was meant to be a Saab 9-3 replacement but GM decided they'd like the funds and they sold the plans to Subaru but the big one is 3.) Their core market can no longer afford new Subarus. It has always been a blue collar performance car in the UK and the days of their customers being automatically able to get finance are gone and there is no way at the moment anyone can borrow onto their mortgage to fund a car. Especially one which will then drink fuel at 24 mpg when in its approaching £4.75 a gallon plus costs a fortune to insure and in some cases costs over £400 a year in road licence tax. The Average Joe in the UK is in the same state as his namesake in the US. Holidays are gone, stuff is now replaced when it breaks instead of when a new model comes out and your daily runabout has gone from being a car that can make you grin from ear to ear to a diesel shed that gets you from A to B and sips fuel like a French waiter sips wine. Without sounding like a communist, the UK is rapidly becoming a two tier society again and this quite well illustrated when it comes to car purchases. The top tier can still afford to lease or buy outright a BMW, Audi or Merc, the rest of us are downsizing like crazy just to able get to work and still pay to bring up our families. I expect other non-status manufacturers to drop their sporting models in the UK fairly shortly. I would be amazed to see the Nissan 370z last more than a few more months. Why would you buy one when you could get a BMW Z3 for the same monthly cost, less road fund, better MPG and a higher residual? As the GT-86 is outselling the BRZ in the UK by a fairly large amount, I would have thought that the future of Subaru in the UK is doubtful to say the least. Great shame, the Impreza P1 was one of the best cars I have ever driven.