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Subaru Impreza Sedan Concept previews future four-door in LA

Subaru previewed the next-generation Impreza hatchback at last month's Tokyo Motor Show, and now the appropriately named Impreza Sedan Concept displays how that concept looks in four-door form. Like the five-door, Subie says the styling elements on display here point towards the company's future design direction, not to mention the next-generation Impreza sedan that'll arrive late next year. Other than some darkened trim and slight tweaks to the lower air dam, the sedan and hatch concepts are essentially identical forward of the B-pillar. They even feature the same scalloped character line down the sides. The rear shape echoes the front's angular styling and also shares the five-door's C-shaped taillights. The Impreza Sedan Concept shares a similar footprint as the 2015 Impreza four-door. The wheelbase grows by an inch, to 105.1. However, overall length drops by about the same amount to 179.3 inches. Spy shots already show the 2017 Impreza sedan testing in heavy camouflage, and rumors suggest that it rides on the company's upcoming modular platform. A direct-injected boxer engine is reportedly under the hood, as well. Scroll down for more details in Subie's press blast. Subaru "Impreza Sedan Concept" Makes World Debut at 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show Tokyo, November 19, 2015 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today unveiled the "Impreza Sedan Concept" at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Impreza Sedan Concept is a design concept car previewing the next-generation Impreza which is to be the first one of Subaru's next-generation strategic vehicles envisioned in FHI's Mid-Term Management Vision "Prominence 2020" announced in May 2014. While positioned as an entry model in the Subaru lineup, its compact body features a blend of bold expressions of Subaru's Dynamic & Solid design elements and a quality feel beyond its class - hinting at the design direction not only of the new Impreza but of Subaru's future models as a whole. Main Features of Impreza Sedan Concept The front, sides, and rear are seamlessly joined in the Dynamic & Solid surface structure, creating a three-dimensional and solid body that is a feature of Subaru styling. The dynamism is enhanced by well-placed character lines on the compact sedan style. The design expression of "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind", the value that Subaru provides to its customers, is fully pursued within the limits of the C-segment body size.

Subaru WRX STI might finally get power bump for 2019

Since it arrived in the US, the Subaru WRX STI has hovered around 300 horsepower. That was world-class in the early 2000s, but the 2018 model's 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer-four 305 horsepower output is no longer something to write home about. This week, The Truth About Cars reported that the hottest Impreza might get another slight bump. A NHTSA document lists the 2019 model at all of 310 horsepower, the same output as the limited-run WRX STI Type RA. If you thought the $50,000 Type RA wasn't worth the extra cash, at least the standard model will get the 5 horsepower bump now, too. That's more than the 292 horsepower Volkswagen Golf R or the 306 horsepower Honda Civic Type R, but it's way off the 350 horsepower output of the Ford Focus RS. According to the NHTSA filing, there's no power increase mentioned for the non-STI Subaru WRX. We're hoping the next generation WRX STI will finally shed the old EJ-series boxer-four in favor of a more modern and more powerful engine. The standard Impreza was updated in 2016, and the performance variants usually follow a few years later. Cross your fingers that a new version of the WRX wagon comes along, too. Related Video: Related Gallery 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA: First Drive View 51 Photos News Source: The Truth About Cars Subaru Performance Sedan subaru sti

Subaru BRZ has higher manual take-rate than 86, and other Subaru manual facts

Automakers are continuing to give us a peek at the popularity, or lack thereof, of the manual transmission. Our latest information comes from Subaru, which kindly shared its manual transmission take-rate numbers for 2018. One of the most interesting tidbits was that 78% of Subaru BRZs sold had a manual. What makes that so curious is its stark contrast to its twin, the Toyota 86, where only 33% of those sold in 2018 had a manual. On top of that, the BRZ has a stronger manual take-rate than the enthusiast darling Mazda Miata; the soft top had 76% of buyers going for a stick, and the RF had 52%. If we had to speculate, it seems the Subaru BRZ is attracting the hardcore sports car fans. Although the BRZ manual sales are strong, it isn't the model that sells the most. The Subaru WRX tops it with 90% of buyers picking the manual over the CVT option. We of course suspect that plenty of regular WRX buyers are opting for the manual, though the number is likely partly boosted by the fact the STI version is only available with a manual. Things aren't quite as rosy with Subaru's more mainstream offerings, but that's to be expected. The Impreza follows the BRZ with 8% of Imprezas selling with a manual. The Crosstrek comes in second-to-last at 6%, and the Forester comes in last at 3%. And the Forester has now dropped the manual transmission. One final interesting note to Subaru's manual take rate. Subaru told us it sold over 47,000 manual-equipped cars. That's roughly 2,000 more than Honda sold in the same year. And with Subaru's total sales numbers being less than Honda, that means the percentage of total sales that were manual is larger at 7% versus 2.6% for Honda.