The Impreza is another casualty of the new Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) regime. The car comes with a CO2 rating of 199g/km, which pushes it into the F category under the new system, which means a price rise is on the way come July next.

That rating is further confirmed in the fuel economy figures, which show the manual version that I drove to deliver a figure of 8.4 litres/100km (33mpg). That’s a relatively poor performance in economy terms.

The Subaru Impreza deal is different. You are getting a 2.0 litre car, from a niche player in the market, with AWD and excellent road handling for a competitive €27,995 before delivery charges. There is a more competitive 1.5 litre version, with similar looks and AWD for €23,495, your average Focus price.

If you want to drive something that’s a little different then the Impreza can do just that, but it will cost a bit more at the pumps. The overall design effect is not different enough for my taste; I think that Subaru designers should have gone a little further. This is a car that will perform on the road even if it will stand out in the car park.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment