Teaser image of Subaru's LA show concept previews the new Impreza, due in 2016
The Subaru Impreza Sedan Concept has been teased ahead of its public debut at the Los Angeles motor show.
No official detail on the car has been released with the image, but the four-door saloon will be shown on 18 November at Subaru's press conference by boss Yasuyuki Yoshinaga.
It will preview the next generation of Subaru Impreza, which has been spied testing after a five-door concept was shown at the Tokyo motor show.
The new Impreza is described as being the first of a new generation of Subaru models, and is key to the company's Prominence 2020 plan, which was announced last year and aims to enhance Subaru's product offering while also growing the brand.
Central to that plan is the adoption of a new standardised platform, which is intended to underpin every Subaru model from the Impreza to the Outback. The new platform is expected to bring significant weight savings to the Impreza while also being stronger.
Subaru is clearly benchmarking the car against key rivals in the family hatchback market; the test cars, a saloon and a five-door, were spied running in convoy with a Ford Focus and a Mazda 3.
If the finished production model follows the lead of the concept, then the new Impreza will take on more of a conventional hatchback shape than the current car, with highlights including a new grille with large air intakes at the front, and a prominent lip spoiler at the rear. Subaru also says that the look of the five-door concept hints at the look of the company’s future range as a whole - although judging from the spy pics, the headlight treatment is going to be toned down for production.
The five-door concept is 4400mm long, 1880mm wide and 1440mm high, and comes with a wheelbase of 2670mm.
Future Subarus are also likely to come with more upmarket interiors; the WRX S4 Sporvita is a 500-unit, Japan-only special edition with a brown leather interior finish produced in conjunction with Italian specialist Mario Levi. A similarly upholstered Legacy will follow. Such cars are intended to appeal to beyond the loyal 'Subaristas', said a spokesman: "We want to win new customers who measure our interiors against brands such as BMW, Audi and Alfa."
Power is expected to come from a new generation of engines featuring cylinder deactivation technology. The current car is powered by a 112bhp 1.6-litre flat-four engine and is available with either a five-speed manual transmission or a CVT.
Autocar understands the next-generation Impreza will be launched towards the end of next year. Prices aren't expected to rise too far from the £17,495 of the current car.
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