Subaru took the covers off of the much-anticipated Impreza WRX at the New York auto show. Two body styles were unveiled, a sporty 5-door hatchback and a more conventional-looking sedan.

It's immediately obvious that the new Impreza WRX has become more civil and comfort-oriented. Our attention focused on the 5-door because that's what we believe will be the foundation for the high-performance WRX STI model. A peek inside the cabin reveals a spacious interior, with ample room for five adults. Although WRX purists may gripe, saying the new car lacks the hard-edge character of past WRXs, it's safe to expect that this car will appeal to a broader audience.

But if you expect the WRX has gone soft, think again, because the car will be quicker than the model it replaces. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-4 that produces 224 bhp and 226 lb.-ft. of torque, which is about the same as the previous car; however, the new WRX is 50 lb. lighter, so expect its 0-60-mph times to be at least a tenth of a second quicker. The new WRX will also ride better than the past model, thanks to a stiffer chassis and retuned suspension.

Prices have yet to be announced, but expect them to be about the same as the current car's sticker, if not a bit higher. The car will be in dealerships this fall.

Roadandtrack.com







IMO, this looks very bad!

Wait, did they say a sedan is also revealed? That might just change my mind about this car...

The previous car wasn't really a beauty but can we say about this crap thing ?

The sedan better look 1000000 times better. That thing is just revolting and doesn't stand a chance if the Mitsubishi Evo concepts are anything to go by.

I see Honda Civic, Toyota Camry/Aurion AND Saab in the front end treatment.

Actually, the profile is not really that bad. It could have been a whole lot worse. But it's the front-end that really puts me off.

I think it could have been worse, not that I find it very attractive either. The shape of the rear lights, especially the part on the trunk door reminds me of Audi A5.

It looks better than those leaked photos. The new exterior design looks a bit dated already, but it definitely looks better than the old model, which isn't hard. I don't actually mind it that much, however i can't stand the interior, it doesn't look like they have put much effort into designing it.

ugly. bööghhh confused:exterior design very bad.old version better the new impreza

You know, I always felt that the Impreza Sportwagon looked a little awkward. As hatchbacks go, competency was never a problem for the Impreza; looks were. Taking this into account then this has to be - by Impreza standards at least - a far better looking car...

It is odd though, that intercooler bonnet scoop sits further forward than what us Subaruists are accustomed to.

Call it bias, call it stupidity but heck I quite like this car. And my connection who's up in Japan to get a first hand preview of the new car says it's awesome. I can't wait to give it a drive.