Subaru has traveled to the biennial Tokyo Motor Show to introduce a close-to-production design study dubbed Impreza 5-Door Concept.
As its name implies, the Impreza 5-Door Concept is an accurate preview of the next-generation Impreza that will likely land in time for the 2017 model year. It looks a lot sharper than the Impreza that’s currently on sale in Subaru showrooms thanks to swept-back headlights, an angular grille, a more rakish window line, sculpted flanks and C-shaped LED tail lamps.
The concept’s overall proportions are closer to those of the third-generation model that was axed in 2011 than to those of the current model. It’s about four inches wider than the 2016 Impreza.
Surprisingly, Subaru hasn’t published technical details and pictures of the concept’s interior.
What’s next?
While official launch information isn’t available yet, the production version of the next Impreza is expected to bow at a major auto show next year. Essentially a toned-down version of the concept that will be shown in Tokyo, it will be lighter and wide than the current model because it will ride on a brand new platform developed to underpin most of Subaru’s next-gen lineup.
Mechanically, the 2017 Impreza will usher in more efficient flat-four engines fitted with direct fuel-injection and Subaru’s fuel-saving cylinder deactivation technology. A plug-in hybrid model might join the lineup a little later in the production run.
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