Subaru will replace its Impreza after all, even as its sales continue to be dwarfed by the related XV/Crosstrek.
The sixth-generation Subaru Impreza will be revealed at the Los Angeles motor show, which runs from November 18-27, 2022.
The company has released a single teaser of the car’s silhouette in hatchback guise and, unsurprisingly, it closely resembles the upcoming, XV-replacing 2023 Subaru Crosstrek.
While the sedan hasn’t been teased, it’s possible it will continue given this has long been a popular body style in the small car segment in North America.
The current XV, known as the Crosstrek in North America, differs from the Impreza in offering more rugged-looking plastic cladding, a higher ride height, and slightly different front and rear end styling.
The new Impreza is expected to feature updated Subaru Global Platform underpinnings, as well as many of the changes made with the new generation of Crosstrek.
Outputs in the new Crosstrek haven’t been confirmed, but Subaru says “improvements to reduce vibrations and noise in the engine and Lineartronic CVT have also been made”.
It’ll continue to offer a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre Boxer four-cylinder engine, along with an e-Boxer hybrid version.
2023 Crosstrek
Beyond these mechanical tweaks, other headline changes for the Crosstrek include a new 11.6-inch vertically-oriented touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the availability of a wireless smartphone charger.
Subaru also says it rejigged the cabin layout “in collaboration with medical schools”, studying the structure and movement of a human body to deliver “sound ergonomics and an intuitive connection between driver, vehicle and road”.
The latest generation of EyeSight driver assistance systems will also feature, though exact details are again to be confirmed, while no less than nine airbags will be fitted to protect cabin occupants in the event of a collision.
Measuring 4480mm (-5mm) long, 1800mm (unchanged) wide, and 1580mm (-35mm) tall with a 2670mm (+5mm) wheelbase, the new car is smaller on the outside than the outgoing XV – although the longer wheelbase should help free up more interior space.
The 2024 Impreza will likely have the same footprint, albeit with a lower ride height.
The Impreza has become more of a niche player in the small car segment in Australia, though the segment itself has shrunk by more than half since the current Impreza’s first full year on sale in 2017.
Its 3642-unit sales tally last year was dwarfed by that of rivals like the Mazda 3 (14,126) up to the top-selling Toyota Corolla (28,768).
Current Impreza 
Despite the availability of two body styles in contrast with the XV’s one, it was the XV that was the stronger seller with 9342 units – close to three times as many sales.
Our market is hardly an outlier here. According to Carsalesbase, Subaru sold more than three times as many Crosstreks in the US last year than Imprezas. The difference was even more stark in Europe, with the XV outselling the Impreza by more than 13-to-1.
It remains to be seen whether the Impreza will continue here, or if it’ll remain exclusive to North America like the latest Legacy (Liberty).
