LA show: Subaru shows second Impreza concept

THE new Subaru Impreza looks set to debut in production form at next year’s New York motor show, after a left-hand-drive concept sedan was unveiled in Los Angeles this week.

The last two Imprezas have made their global debuts in the Big Apple, leading to speculation that the April event will see the covers come off the production version of the standard Impreza.

Locally, this means that the new Impreza will go on sale in the early part of 2017, an estimation not denied by a spokesperson at Subaru Australia.

The next concept, meanwhile, is likely to be the XV, which is based on the Impreza but is a standalone model in the Subaru range. A debut at the Geneva show in March is likely, with local sales set to begin in mid 2017.

Incidentally, the XV beat the last new Impreza to Australian showrooms after production of the sedan and hatch was halted by the Japanese tsunami in March 2011.

Looking further ahead, a concept WRX – another standalone model – is likely to be previewed at Frankfurt in September next year.

Only a few more details were released out of the US about the ruby red metallic Impreza, with the company unusually supplying a set of dimensions for the concept car that may not hold for the production model at 4555mm long and 1880mm wide, the concept is 30mm shorter and 140mm wider than the current sedan.

The wheelbase measurement of 2670mm is, crucially for interior space, some 45mm longer than that of the current car where items such as bumpers can change the overall length of a car, the wheelbase is a hard-point number that is difficult to change.

The US concept again points to the Japanese company’s new Prominence 2020 philosophy announced last year, which will see the entire Subaru line-up follow a more cohesive and unified styling and design direction.

The new Liberty and Forester are the first cars to follow the company philosophy.

Local sales of the Impreza have slowed year on year, with 4173 examples finding Australian homes to the end of October versus 5399 at the same period in 2014.