Chosen few eye Subaru Impreza

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

So, what does the all-new Subaru Impreza WRX look like? Nobody outside of Subaru knows, except for a hand-picked group of Japanese journalists who drove the car a couple of weeks ago.

They were sworn to secrecy, unable to write about it until later this month when Subaru releases pictures and details.

New Zealand journalists will drive the Impreza range at its Australia and New Zealand launch on Queensland's Gold Coast early in October. The car will land here later the same month.

The new model has been photographed during testing but on each occasion it was heavily camouflaged. Subaru says computer renditions are nothing like the production model.

The WRX has created such interest that picture agencies have been offering up to $30,000 for an exclusive image of the real thing.

The new Impreza range is the first for six years. It will come as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. The two-door coupe is expected to be dropped.

A stiffer bodyshell means Subaru will be able to stay with the four-door body when the new car makes its World Rally Championship debut in the Monte Carlo round next January.

The Impreza is expected to be slightly wider than the outgoing model and with a longer wheelbase. The interior will make use of high quality plastics and trim material.

The volume models, the RX and Sportswagon, will be powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre flat-four engine, producing about 92kW

The WRX will use a 164kW turbocharged version of the same engine, with intercooler and twin cams. This engine will likely develop more torque to compensate for the car's expected weight gain.

The chassis is expected to be a highly modified version of the current model's and using Macpherson strut suspension on its four corners.

The top-range STi model will develop 206kW, its engine reworked to be more refined to improve driveability and acceleration.