The North American Subaru Outback Sport - a strong hint at the Impreza XV?
Subaru are to launch the Impreza XV at the Geneva Motor Show. An Impreza Crossover with a choice of petrol or diesel 2.0 litre Boxer engines.
This is a bit of an odd one. Really. We’re starting to wonder if Subaru really know what they’re aiming at. Maybe they’re doing what Mitsubishi are and trying to redirect themselves away from Playstations with wheels and want us to think of the them as makers of fluffy-bunny cars. Yes, there are already modestly-powered Imprezas, but they don’t enter the thought patterns of car-lovers in the way the Subaru Impreza WRX does.
Subaru recently launched the ‘Impreza Slippers and Pipe‘ which begged the question about Subaru’s thought process. And now we’ve been told that they are to launch a Subaru Impreza XV at the Geneva Motor Show. Sounds good. Lots of go and even more show. But it’s not what you think. It’s a Crossover.
So why launch an Impreza Crossover? There is already cars in the Subaru range – such as the Forester – which do pretty much everything an Impreza Crossover will. And doesn’t it take the Impreza badge even further away from core values than the ‘Slippers and Pipe’? But maybe that’s the point.
Oddly, Subaru sent us no photos of their new Crossover. What they did say was:
The “Subaru Impreza XV”, developed on the basis of the iconic Impreza 5-door model, offers a new crossover styling. Exclusively designed front grille and wheel arch, and specially equipped roof rails and a roof spoiler accentuate the uniqueness of this special Impreza version. The available 2.0-litre Horizontally-opposed petrol engine and the turbo BOXER DIESEL engine comply with European EURO 5 regulations for enhanced environmental friendliness.
And we wonder if this Impreza XV is, to all intents and purposes, a re-vamped version of the Outback Sport sold in the US. It sounds pretty much the same.
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Alan Scholes says
YES, the Subaru Impreza XV will go some way to filling the gap left by the old Forester – Subaru should also make it available with a 2.5 Turbo in the UK, but the 2.0 D Turbo will be the best seller given the rising cost of fuel.
The 2010 new Forester and Outback are now over sized for most people in the UK, it was a sad day when the old forester was replaced. That slightly higher ride hight was just the thing for older drivers and when it snows.
Alan..