The new breed; Subaru's new designs on family market JONATHAN SMITH drives the Subaru Impreza 2.0R AWD 5door

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), June 20, 2008

Byline: JONATHAN SMITH

MENTION the name Impreza and the image is vivid. A barking great exhaust, fat tyres and a rally driver intent on proving he's king of the forest track.

Well, it doesn't have to be like that.

With the introduction of the new range of Subaru Imprezas last autumn comes a new family-friendly, slightly softer style. For the first time the rally star has a hatchback rather than an uncompromising four-door design.

But boy racers can take comfort in the fact that the performance of the new breed is undiluted with a brace of seriously quick versions that will undoubtedly bring home the rally honours. The latest line-up kicks off with 1.5R at under pounds 13,000 and I've been testing the mid-range pounds 15,495 2.0R, which has a 148bhp, 1,994cc boxer engine - the brilliant horizontallyopposed four cylinder engine is a hallmark of the Subaru range.

Another long-standing feature of the Impreza is its standard ever-present four-wheel drive. Not that the Subaru is an off-roader.

The all-wheel drive deepens the onroad cornering ability, but has the byproduct of making it more secure during poor conditions, aids towing and gives the driver a better chance in snow or ice. You also get a low ratio box easily controlled by a small lever near the gearstick when the going really tricky.

Not everyone will go for the new styling, which is a cross between old Alfa-Sud and BMW 1-Series. But it's an improvement on the previous rectangular Impreza. The cabin is vastly better with quality plastics and easy-toread dials.

With a longer wheelbase and a wider body, there's a greater air of spaciousness and luggage room has been increased to 301 litres with rear seats in place (1,216 litres folded).

The 2.0-litre engine emits familiar sporty growl and gives the hatch a 9.6-second sprint to 62mph and a maximum of 120mph - about average for the class. The extra adhesion afforded by fourwheel drive and strong mid-range torque allow the most to be made of its power. Handling is robust and secure and the suspension is set with an emphasis on comfort. Flat four units, like that of the Subaru, aren't renowned for economy, but modification to the latest engine have produced notable results and the 2.0R notches up a combined figure of 33.6mpg. CO2 is 199g/km. Insurance group is an economical 7E.

Plenty of tasty treats come as standard, including Xenon headlights, 16-inch alloys, heated door mirrors and windscreen-wiper de-icer. Automatic transmission is available as a pounds 1,000 extra.

If you are looking for a car that's a bit different, built as solidly as tank and with a strong driver appeal, the Subaru makes a lot of sense.

What's more, the latest design won't have you accused of being a boy-racer - even if some of the charisma has been sacrificed.

Facts and figures

Make: Subaru

Model: Impreza 2.0R AWD 5 door

Price: pounds 15,495 Mechanical: 148bhp, 1,994cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving four wheels via 5spd manual gear box

Max speed: 120mph 0-62mph: 9.6 seconds

Combined mpg: 33.6 Insurance group: 7 CO2 emissions: 199g/km

BiK rating: 26% Warranty: 3 years/ 60,000 miles, 3 years paint, 12 years anti-rust

CAPTION(S):

LOOKING GOOD - the new Impreza has been given restyling inside and out; CURVES - the Impreza is a hatchback