The new-generation 2024 Subaru Impreza has been confirmed for the Australian market and expressions of interest are open – it’s just a matter of when it arrives now.
Little has been detailed about what to expect for the Australian market in terms of variant line-up and pricing, though we have been given some clues.
Subaru Australia recently confirmed the new Impreza would offer a new 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging.
Further, the latest EyeSight suite of driver assists and the brand’s signature all-wheel drive system will be standard.
News to us? Not really – the related Crosstrek offers the same and was detailed months ago, ahead of an Australian arrival in the coming month.
But, the brand’s home of Japan may give us a clearer picture of what to expect from the local line-up.
A range of three distinct trim levels are offered in the Japanese market, with both regular petrol and e-Boxer Hybrid powertrains offered depending on trim level.
Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options are also available in the Japanese domestic market – despite most of Subaru’s products being AWD-only in export regions.
In Japan there are three distinct trim levels – ST, ST-G and ST-H –which lines up with the outgoing trim walk in Australia which includes 2.0i-L, 2.0i Premium and 2.0i-S versions.
All versions featured LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels, while the mid- and up-spec models get a leather-trimmed steering wheel and the portrait-oriented 11.6-inch touchscreen – the latter should be standard in Australia.
Flagship models in Japan also get a high-spec full-LED headlight with adaptive beam and cornering lights.
The Japan-spec ST-G and ST-H also come as standard with the 2.0-litre e-Boxer Hybrid powertrain, which combines the base model’s 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat four with a 10kW/65Nm electric motor and 4.8Ah lithium battery.
Subaru Australia hasn’t confirmed whether the 2024 model will be the first Impreza to offer hybrid power, given the Crosstrek and larger Forester both offer e-Boxer variants.
As mentioned earlier, both 2.0-litre petrol and 2.0-litre e-Boxer Hybrid powertrains are available abroad.
The standard petrol-only powertrain develops 113kW (6000rpm) and 193Nm (4000rpm), while the hybrid setup makes a little less – 107kW (6000rpm) and 188Nm (4000rpm).
Both engines are teamed with a CVT automatic. The petrol gets eight virtual ratios compared to the Hybrid’s seven; though we assume the e-motor substitutes as the launch gear.
Subaru’s Japanese website doesn’t detail fuel consumption data, but for heavier Crosstrek 2.0 AWD models use 7.2L/100km on the ADR cycle, while Hybrids use 6.5L/100km.
A 2.5-litre engine is available in North America, though this is unlikely to be offered by Japanese production as US-spec models are assembled at the brand’s Lafayette facility in Indiana.
Given the new Impreza is being marketed as a 2024 model by the Australian arm, expect the new small car to arrive sometime during the second half of this year.
The outgoing range was a pretty value-oriented option, starting from $26,490 and topping out at $32,790 despite offering standard all-wheel drive.
Expect a small price rise for the new range compared to the outgoing model. The Crosstrek increased by $1800-$3000 across most variants, so we’d expect the same for the related Impreza. We’re anticipating a price range starting just under $30,000 and topping out just under $40,000.
Should the brand’s local arm be able to secure the Impreza Hybrid for Australia, it would be one of the few electrified offerings in its class. The Toyota Corolla Hybrid basically has the segment to itself, with the Mazda 3 M Hybrid soon to exit the market and the Hyundai i30 Sedan Hybrid not arriving until later in the year.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for the latest, and share your thoughts with us in the comments!
