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June 15, 2007
First Drive: 2008 Subaru Impreza S-GT (ex WRX) 
The Japan-Spec WRX Shows Us the Face of Its New Personality
By Peter Lyon & Edmunds.com
Just before we climbed into the long-awaited 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX at its presentation in Japan, we got some bad news. A Subaru stylist told us, “Our Impreza needs to reach a bigger cross-section of buyers.”
A lot of things have been done to the third-generation Impreza in the name of sales success, and our drive of the new car at the Subaru proving ground at Tochigi, Japan, makes us wonder if a wider audience is really what this car needs.
The 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX (known here in Japan as the S-GT), is really about change. And when the U.S.-specification version of this car arrives soon, we’ll see if Subaru gets the wider audience it longs for.
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Vehicle Tested: First Impressions: Striving for a wider audience, the new Impreza WRX has toned down its styling but still performs like a driver’s car.
By moving the hood scoop forward, the new WRX’s youthful aggression has been downplayed, while driver visibility is better. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
This could well be one of the best angles for the WRX, as the character modeling makes the car look faintly European. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
The well-proportioned taillights are arguably the best feature of the new exterior design. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
The new double-wishbone rear suspension improves the WRX’s composure in the corners. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
Higher-quality materials inside the car make the cabin a more desirable place to be. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
Detail improvements have improved the response of the boxer-4, but power remains the same. (Photo courtesy of Subaru of America Inc.)
The new sheet metal has shorter overhangs, although the front treatment looks a little awkward. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
The new five-door hatchback configuration delivers a huge increase in cargo capacity. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
Design sketches for the new WRX reveal Subaru’s attempt to reinvent itself. (Photo courtesy of Subaru of America Inc.)
The WRX is so well-balanced that minor inputs of opposite lock and throttle control help keep the car on track. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine)
Subaru is looking for a new mainstream audience for the Impreza, but we’ll see if it finds its WRX audience. (Photo by Holiday Auto Magazine) |
Clipping Subaru’s Wings
Now that Subaru has abandoned its flirtation with the big-grille design ethic that has changed the look of so many cars in the last five years, its designers have gone for something more mainstream.
The Impreza’s new front end is bland at best. Its clean lines have been well-executed, but the nondescript headlights and grille clash with the dramatic treatment of the rear end. At least the former tacked-on, aircraft-inspired front grille gave the Impreza a certain distinctive identity, but the new car has the bland look of an overnight collision between a Toyota Camry and a BMW 1 Series sedan.
From the C-pillar back, the WRX actually looks quite sleek. The combination of glass and angular sheet metal culminates in an aesthetically pleasing rear treatment with interesting taillights. Point an inquiring finger at the front end of this car, however, and the design team starts making excuses.
After the overstyled second-generation Impreza and a failed attempt to find some heritage, it might be that Subaru is a little lost between what it has designed in the past and what it wants to design in the future. The hiring and subsequent dismissal of former Alfa Romeo designer Andreas Zapatinas has simply left the company in a creative uproar.
Boy Racer No More
With the new WRX, Subaru wants to exchange the car’s boy-racer image for a more mature, Euro-style vibe. Apart from the front-end treatment, the WRX-signature bonnet bulge has been de-emphasized. The scoop comes forward 6 inches to improve airflow to the turbocharged engine’s intercooler and also give the driver a better field of view. Surely a less bulbous bonnet scoop is one way to tone down the car’s visual aggression.
This concern with reducing aggression has unfortunately affected the new WRX’s performance as well. Subaru feels the car already has the grunt it needs, so there’s not much beneath the hood that you haven’t seen before. So if you’re waiting for a big boost in engine power, you might be let down by the engine specification, which amounts to a collection of pieces from Subaru’s parts bin. The Japanese-spec car we drove at Tochigi featured our local turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer-4, which generates 248 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 246 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm.
Based largely on the 2.0-liter boxer-4 of the current Subaru Legacy GT, the WRX version features a remapped ECU, revised intake ports and combustion chambers, and a significantly modified twin-scroll turbocharger. While this combination develops almost the same power as the engine combination it replaces, more than 95 percent of peak torque arrives at just 2,400 rpm.
Yawning Rather Than Grinning
Now that the WRX’s torque curve is more user-friendly, the car doesn’t deliver the same wow factor when you’re behind the wheel. The progressive build-up of torque from low rpm makes the WRX feel like a far mellower machine. This car is quick when you’ve got your foot to the floor, but it’s as if the volume has been turned down, and we don’t just mean the newly quiet interior environment, thanks to added acoustic insulation.
This Japanese-spec car still sprints to 60 mph in around 5.5 seconds, but you find yourself yawning rather than grinning. Bolted to the 2.0-liter turbo is the WRX’s familiar five-speed manual transmission with double-cone synchros in the first three gears. The shift action is a bit notchy, but the gears engage precisely.
From what we understand from our sources at Subaru, the same story will unfold for the U.S.-spec WRX fitted with a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer-4 that comes from the U.S.-spec Legacy. As with the Japanese-edition car we drove at Tochigi, it will have modified intake ports and combustion chambers plus a new twin-scroll turbocharger. It’s meant to produce better fuel economy and cleaner air emissions, so don’t expect big power gains.
Our source tells us that the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX will generate around 224 hp and 226 lb-ft of torque, but more of that torque will arrive lower in the rpm range. A five-speed manual remains the standard transmission and a four-speed automatic is optional.
On the other hand, Subaru also reports that we can expect a turbocharged boxer-4 diesel for the WRX by early 2009. The company is eager to drop a high-mpg diesel into the Forester and Impreza soon after the Legacy gets Subaru’s first diesel next summer, so the WRX is part of the program. And word from inside Subaru City also confirms that the company is working on a five-speed automatic and a continuously variable transmission, and both these options could be offered as early as mid-2009.
Some Magic Remains
The WRX chassis has lost none of its magic, though. A redesigned rear suspension features a more compact setup with double wishbones that affords a more compliant ride and improves luggage capacity. On the road, there’s far less body roll through the corners, yet the suspension is compliant enough to soak up the bumps, and a new feeling of stability is the result.
But if you provoke this new car, the rear tires will slide. Even so, the well-balanced chassis encourages you to dial in a little opposite steering lock and use throttle control to keep the car on track. And even when you reach the limit of adhesion, the superb Subaru all-wheel-drive system with its viscous-type, limited-slip front differential helps bring the chassis under control. The optional Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) available on our test car also helps maintain a precise arc through the corners, a reminder that this technology should be standard equipment for every Impreza.
This 2008 WRX has floating two-pot front brake calipers instead of the former four-piston design, but they seemed to deliver adequate stopping power in conjunction with the 205/50R17 Bridgestone rubber.
An Upgraded Room With Quality Furnishings
So what’s the deal? Is the new WRX bigger and heavier as well as more refined and mature? Fortunately, no. The new model is 1.7 inches shorter, 1.7 inches wider, 0.5 inch taller, and sits on a wheelbase that’s nearly 4 inches longer. Meanwhile, the 2008 WRX’s curb weight remains almost identical to that of the former car.
These dimensions create a five-door hatchback that has more leg- and headroom than before. Also the seat height has been lowered by more than an inch, so this helps enhance headroom as well. And there’s more rear-seat legroom and more storage space to boot.
Higher-quality materials are used throughout the new WRX’s interior, while the dash design resembles the good-looking layout of the Tribeca. Quicker-ratio steering and a smaller turning radius complement each other.
Still a Driver’s Car
You can’t argue with a turbocharged engine, a tight chassis and exceptional poise on the road. While the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX might not look as aggressive as before, it still drives well, and the upgraded interior package might indeed have a stronger appeal to mainstream car shoppers.
But on the flip side, the 2008 WRX’s lack of identity in the aesthetics department and the shortcomings of its engine enhancements might alienate current WRX owners. Perhaps they’re supposed to move on to the Subaru Impreza WRX STI.
Now there’s a car worth waiting for, although it won’t appear in public until the Tokyo auto show. It will look somewhat different, with a more prominent hood scoop and a bigger grille to enhance airflow to the 300-hp turbocharged boxer-4, and prominent fender flares will accentuate the 18-inch wheels. The hardware underneath will be familiar, however, including Brembo brakes, a more aggressive suspension setup and a recalibrated all-wheel-drive system. Apparently it will not feature a dual-clutch sequential manual transmission with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. Aisin, one of the largest transmission manufacturers in Japan, is developing this technology for Subaru, but it won’t appear until the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI.
Based on our drive of this Japan-specification car, we’d say that the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX has a slightly different personality to match its new looks. It’ll make a lot of new friends, but we’ll have to see if it can keep its old friends, too.
By Peter Lyon & Edmunds.com
And one more mini-review of the ‘08 Impreza S-GT
Because you guys will probably send the boys to do me kneecaps in if I don’t…
Some first impressions from the drivers seat in the new Impreza. This is the Japanese version, of course, as the American car has not been launched yet. Or is even finished yet, for all we know. And as it is the Japanese version, the specifications are likely going to be different from Japan to America. For one, it is a turbocharged 2.0-liter flat four, instead of the turbocharged 2.5-liter flat four that will hit American shores. It also uses a single twinscroll turbocharger, heavily related to the turbocharger in the Japanese Legacy GT.
That is not the only bits that are related to the Legacy. The entire front end looks to have been neatly lifted over and used nearly intact. Not only the engine, but the suspension as well, and likely the steering wheel and rack. So it is unsurprising that it feels much like being behind the wheel of a Legacy, except that it is a lighter and more nimble Legacy. Never fear, that is not a bad thing! It feels much nicer than the outgoing Impreza for this. Turn-in is much better, and is a bit more aggressive than the soft Yokohama tires it comes with stock. The rear end has a lot more bite as well, which leads to a bit of understeer during aggressive maneuvers. Body roll is damped much better than the older car as well.
Power delivery is quite good for a car of this price class. While it does not feel the claimed 246hp, more like 230, it does scoot along quite well. Torque comes in very early and smoothly. Smooth is the name of the game here, with the peaky delivery of the old car eliminated entirely. It removes some of the generic turbo excitement, but replaces it with a much more pleasurable driving experience. Speed builds deceptively and you do find yourself going quite a bit quicker than you thought you ought to be.
Refinement is the name of the game here. It simply feels more refined. There is more space inside, not just in width, but in height. At 6ft high, I still had loads of head space, enough for a full race helmet with room to spare. Priorities, you know. The interior design and materials are much nicer than before, you feel as if you are getting your moneys worth. It’s quieter, no noisy thrashing around from the engine bay. No boxer beat either, which is a bit of a shame.
While it may have lost some of that unique character that the previous car had, a lot of the discarded character is no great loss. In it’s place is a legitimate player in the small, sporty hatch wars.
By Paul Hansen www.sevenphotos.com
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- Posted in : 2008 Subaru, Articles, News, Reviews
- Author : admin
The excellent Ñar! All my friends want to themselves this car.