Subaru may have taken away our hot hatch goodness with the WRX and WRX STI, but the down-market Impreza looks to continue with all five doors intact.
In a release on Wednesday, Subaru announced they would show off the next Impreza in hatchback form at the Tokyo International Motor Show.
As per usual when it comes to concept announcements, Subaru offered few details and no powertrain items were specified for the new Impreza. However, you can fully expect the next-generation compact to use a Boxer engine because that’s what Subaru does.
Fuji Heavy Industries states the new Impreza will be the first model to show the world its next generation of design — Dynamic & Solid — that will be applied to other models in the Subaru range eventually.
Joining the next-generation Impreza concept will be the Viziv Future Concept, a near-production SUV wrapped in a more modern silhouette.
The Viziv Future Concept is more so a test bed of future Subaru technology and features than it is a future production model — at least at this point. Autonomous driving and parking are all the rage these days, and the Viziv has both. A downsized turbo engine lifted from the Levorg and next-generation hybrid powertrain provide motivation. Instead of splitting power fore and aft by way of a center differential, the electric motor is mounted on the rear axle and used to power the rear wheels only. Ridding the Viziv Future Concept of space-robbing drivetrain hardware opens up the floor for extra interior space.
The Tokyo International Motor Show begins October 28.
Dynamic & Solid = Anime Tonka Truck
And the case of the Disappearing Greenhouse continues…
you say that as if its a mystery, when the answer is simple.. Just blame pedestrian safety and (to a lesser extent) crash test regulations for the high beltline, thick pillar look. i dont think its particularly ugly, I just mourn the loss of visibility.
How heavy/expensive has glass gotten? Are wondows slated to be a luxury trim item soon? Maybe I need to restomod a Pacer.
There is no replacement for visibility with crash avoidance. You better believe they could deliver the same safety ratings without hiking up grandpa’s highwaters. But they’d rather bury you in a pillbox made of cheap steel than use a smaller amount of the high tensile strength variety.