2017 Subaru Impreza breaks cover at New York International Auto Show

MANILA: Subaru has finally brought its most awaited duo to the 2016 New York International Auto Show. The 2017 Subaru Impreza has been launched during the aforementioned show, both in its hatchback and sedan avatars. And the way we see it, the legendary moniker has been significantly overhauled to suit modern needs and requirements.

Since its original debut in 1992, the Impreza has been given regular updates in order to ensure that the product is fresh and appealing to changing customer preferences. The Impreza currently on sale in Philippines is the fourth-generation model, while the one revealed at New York is the 4th generation Impreza's facelift. It remains to be seen when Subaru Philippines introduces the new model in the domestic market, since the Impreza is one of the leading models in Subaru's Philippine sales chart.

The new Impreza 2017 is built on Subaru's new Global Platform, which was recently revealed to underpin a wide range of upcoming models. Dimensionally, the new Impreza sedan is 4625 mm long, 1778 mm wide, and 1455 mm tall, while the wheelbase has been stretched to 2670 mm. This, along with the fact that the new Impreza adorns the company's latest design philosophy, ensures that it can turn heads easily. Major design changes include hawk-eye headlights, new and more upright front hexagonal grille, reshaped hood, sleeker ORVMs, and redesigned taillights.

The dynamism of Impreza's exteriors is carried forward in the interiors too, as the dashboard is a host of prominent cuts and creases, that flow towards the centre console giving a waterfall effect. The all-black theme is complemented by the presence of piano black and silver inserts, which manage to enhance the cabin's sportiness. Connectivity options include advanced technologies like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Near Field Communication (NFC).

Power will be supplied from a revamped version of the famous 2.0-litre boxer-4 unit, which now develops 155 PS of power, 5 more than the preceding model. This engine continues to be mated to a Lineartronic CVT gearbox.

While the North American markets are expected to get the new Impreza sedan and hatch later this year, Asian markets too will follow suit, with launches scheduled in the first quarter of 2017.

Image Courtesy: Newspress USA

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