The Subaru Impreza is a compact car introduced in 1992 as the replacement for the Leone. It brought the new EJ series of flat-four engines, offered front- and all-wheel drive, and became famous through its turbocharged WRX and STI versions.
Subaru Impreza at a glance
| Maker | Subaru, Japan |
|---|---|
| Production | since 1992 |
| Class | compact car |
| Replaced | Subaru Leone |
| Engines | 1.5 to 2.5-litre flat-four; turbo in WRX and STI |
| Layout | front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive |
| First generation | GM, GC, GF, from 1992 |
| Bodies | four-door sedan, five-door wagon; coupé 1995–2001 |
| Hatchback | five-door hatchback from 2008 |
| Off-road trim | Outback Sport, North America from 1995 |
| Announced | 22 October 1992 |
| Depreciation | lowest of any American sedan after five years, iSeeCars 2019 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Subaru Impreza; it describes the first generations in most detail.
History of the Subaru Impreza
Subaru announced the Impreza on 22 October 1992 and put it on sale in Japan that November, with a four-door sedan and a five-door Touring wagon and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. The car used a shortened version of the Legacy’s floor pan, and Subaru kept its flat-four engine, mounted in line with the gearbox to lower the centre of gravity, cut body roll and reduce torque steer through equal-length driveshafts.
First generation
Japanese and European naturally aspirated cars had an unusual grille with a small central opening, while the WRX and North American models had a conventional full grille until a 1994 facelift. A two-door coupé joined the range in late 1995; in Japan it was called the Impreza Retna. Engines started at 1.5, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litres without a turbo, and trim levels were LX, GL and Sport.
The Outback Sport arrived in North America in 1994 for the 1995 model year as an upgraded Impreza L Sports Wagon with a slightly raised suspension, two-tone paint and, later, a non-functional bonnet scoop. It was the smaller companion to the Legacy-based Outback, and its Japanese equivalent was the Impreza Gravel Express, dropped with the second generation for slow sales. A limited edition of the wagon, the Casa Blanca, had retro-styled front and rear ends inspired by the Vivio Bistro and Sambar Dias Classic; sales were poor.
Later generations
The Impreza was facelifted for 1997 and given a new interior in 1998 with the dashboard from the Forester. A five-door hatchback replaced the wagon in 2008 with the third generation, and the coupé had gone in 2001. From the third generation some markets used the shorter Subaru WRX name for the turbocharged cars, which became a separate model later. The Outback Sport package was replaced in the fourth generation by the raised XV, sold in North America as the Crosstrek.
Subaru has offered front- and all-wheel drive layouts throughout, although from the late 1990s several markets sold only all-wheel-drive cars, while Japanese buyers could still choose front-wheel drive. In 2019 a study by iSeeCars named the Impreza the slowest-depreciating sedan in the United States over five years.
Design and features
- EJ engine family: introduced with the Impreza and used across the range for years.
- Boxer layout: a low centre of gravity, less body roll and reduced torque steer.
- All-wheel drive: available from launch and later standard in many markets.
- WRX and STI: turbocharged performance versions that became a separate model line.
- Outback Sport: a raised, two-tone wagon trim for North America.
Subaru Impreza versions
- LX: front-wheel drive with a 1.6-litre engine.
- GL: front- or all-wheel drive, 1.6 and 1.8 litres, later 2.0.
- Sport: alloy wheels and the 2.0-litre engine only.
- Outback Sport (1995): raised wagon trim for North America.
- Casa Blanca: retro-styled limited edition of the sports wagon.
- WRX and WRX STI: turbocharged performance models.
The Impreza replaced the Leone and was built on a shortened Legacy floor pan. More Subarus are in the Subaru collection.
Video: Subaru Impreza WRX STI (GRB) with 775 PS
Video by SpeedNationTV on YouTube.
Sources
- Subaru Impreza, English Wikipedia: history, engines, trims, generations
