Subaru will bring the new, 2012 Impreza to the upcoming New York Auto Show.
It’s going to be a busy couple press days at the upcoming New York Auto Show, Subaru the latest to reveal plans for a major launch in the Big Apple.
The automotive arm of Fuji Heavy Industries will roll into Jacob Javits Center with an all-new version of the compact Impreza, both in 4- and 5-door configurations, it promises, the image shown here of the sedan.
The design is modern, if not exactly breakthrough, featuring a coupe-like curved roofline and more muscular flared wheel wells, front and back. Narrower headlamps and a revised grille provide a generally more sporty look. Industry reports have been suggesting the new car should deliver a bit more length and width improving what has been one of the more cramped offerings in the compact segment.
But what could be the real draw is the promise by Subaru that the new Impreza will yield an estimated 36 miles per gallon on the highway. As it stands, that would make the new 2012 model the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive passenger car on the U.S. market.
That will still lag behind the front-drive offerings coming from makers as diverse as Ford, with the new Focus, and Hyundai, with the redesigned Elantra, both of which top the 40 mpg mark on the highway, but AWD does have a strong appeal, particularly in colder climes, that could overcome that modest mileage deficit.
Specific powertrain details have yet to be released, though industry sources have indicated Subaru could migrate from the current 2.5-liter boxer engine to a downsized 2.0-liter package. To maximize mileage, power is reportedly being trimmed from 170 horsepower to 148, torque dropping from 170 lb-ft to 146.