Subaru South Africa has decided to drop the Impreza from its lineup. The new Subaru XV, that will be uveilied at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show will be replacing the Impreza range in South Africa from February 2012.

Designed by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. and described as an “Urban Adventurer”, the XV is a high-riding crossover model that will likely  slot in between the Impreza and the larger Legacy Outback. The XV will be powered by a naturally aspirated 2,0-litre example of Subaru’s new FB-generation flat-four petrol engines. In addition,  A choice of either 6-speed manual or Lineartronic CVT transmissions will be offered.

Subaru is on the verge of launching a new brand philosophy, called ‘Confidence in Motion’ and the company will be announcing the very first concept car from this brand at Los Angeles Auto Show this month.

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Spy photographers have captured a few images of Subaru’s version of Toyota FT-86. The prototype is reportedly undergoing hot-weather testing in an American desert.

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Subaru will take the wraps off of their new Impreza WRX STI Special Edition at the LA Auto Show next month. The car is going to be produced in limited quantities, and only 125 units will be offered in the beginning, all of them white with custom 18-inch rims — which by the looks of it, has a lot in common with its Japanese counterpart, the WRX STI Spec C model. Featuring a new performance suspension, hardened sub-frame bushings and a thicker rear stabilizer have been included with the new model, while the engine stays — the same 2.5l turbo Boxer engine, producing 305 hp with 393 Nm of torque. Actual sales for the Subaru Impreza WRX STI will begin next spring.

The Subaru Impreza WRX STI Carbon has broken cover in Tokyo but to everyone’s surprise the engine is mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox to spoil the fun of driving on the back of a monster. Based on the A-Line special edition, the STI Carbon chooses a carbon fiber roof instead of the normal panel which lowers the centre of gravity and simultaneously reduces the weight of the vehicle. As far as the interior goes, unlike the standard STI, the STI Carbon is lined in suede. Under the hood is a 2.5L four-banger that produces 296 hp. The manual gearbox version slated for the US will render 305hp. Subaru is calling it the display model but the A-Line derivation for the automatic gearbox will be a part of the production facility rolled models as well.

Subaru have done a bit of work on their new range of Impreza’s. Initially there was just a hatch version, but now there is a sedan version available too.

Subaru Impreza WRX

Sadly, the sedan doesn’t come in an STI version, but the WRX with 195kW should keep you busy around the corners. The WRX comes standard with a scoop on the front, while the standard 110kW Impreza looks more like the car you’ll see Grandad driving.

The price is a bit on the steep side too. The WRX comes in at a hefty R360k, but that’s nothing compared to the R520k for the STI hatch. I’d be hard pressed between the STI hatch and a 2 year old M3.

Subaru Impreza

I’d suggest giving them a drive anyway, well worth the fun, which really is what sets the Subaru’s apart. They seem to capture a level of excitement and fun in the diving experience that few cars have manged to really capture properly.

One of the best example of this, is what Ken Block manages to do with his STI Hatch. He’s got tons of clips on YouTube, but few of them really capture what he’s able to do. It’s one of my all time favorite clips, and just goes to show what the car is really capable of.

by Shawn Jooste

Subaru Impreza WRX STI Carbon as the name implies is an STI based A-Line hatch that comes with a carbon fiber roof to ensure weight reduction and hence lowered gravity centre oand increased performance. Currently announced for Tokyo, the hatch is an A-Line baby with a 5 speed automatic gearbox and this helps the car reach out to more customers. It will be offered with two engine choices, either a 2.0L turbo option that produces 308hp with 422Nm of torque or a 2.5L turbo that gets 300hp with 407Nm of torque. To add to the comfort factor, the suede fabric has been used on the inside hence making the hatchback a little more luxurious. The Subaru Impreza WRX STI Carbon Hatch will break cover at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

With the recession choking our throats to the chore and the hunger for new ride insatiable, automobiles with a basic price can be a good alternative. The 2010 Subaru Impreza pricing has been announced and I ma sure that it fits into that credibility bracket. Ask me why and the reason is that all the new-models are price at par with the 2009 option; indeed, the premium model comes with a price reduction of $1,000. But all this, in no way means the technology has been bargained with, as you will find all Imprezas’ now featuring Symmetrical AWD badges. You can fetch the base price at an unchanged $17,495, while the premium Impreza 2.5i gets its price slashed by $1,000 to $18,495. The pricing of the 265-hp WRX remains unchanged at $24,995 for the sedan and $25,495 for the five-door.