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Subaru is readying its flagship Impreza STi hatchback to go head-to-head with Mitsubishi's Evolution X, right down to the selection of gearboxes. Engineers have been testing the STi and its transmission options on roads in Germany where the pictures here were taken this week.
The STI will come with the choice of six-speed manual and a new sequential unit sourced from specialist company Aisin.
Mitsubishi will also have a paddle-shift sequential option to go with a five-speed manual. The Evolution X sedan is expected here before Christmas. The Impreza STi hatchback will follow in February.
Both models will have similar turbocharged power and torque outputs of around 230kW and 400Nm, the Evo X using a 2-litre engine and the STi a 2.5-litre unit.
The go-faster Impreza gets a range of unique styling additions, including a specially developed bonnet, grille and a wide front bumper with big air intakes. Flared wheelarches house 18-inch alloys, which will hide the existing STi's Brembo brake system.
Expect a revised all-wheel-drive system and handling tweaks, thanks to a more compact double wishbone rear suspension set-up.
The new Impreza hatchback range of 2-litre models and the 2.5-litre WRX will be launched here next month. The sedan line-up will arrive next year. More than 90 per cent of current Impreza sales in New Zealand are hatchbacks.
Subaru is expected to enter a new competitive segment of the market with the 2-litre car. At the moment the range jumps by $7000 from the entry-level model at $26,995 to the mid-level Impreza R at $33,995. The carmaker is aiming its new mid-level model at the $29,000-$33,000 range, which accounts for more than 18 per cent of overall new car sales here.
Around 45 per cent of small car segment sales - hatchbacks and sedans at under $40,000 - are priced between $29,000-$33,000.
