Subaru's Impreza has made the great leap into hatchback territory, but tax changes could yet see a rush to buy before a price hike in July, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor
'Give the boot the boot." Excuse the terrible slogan, but it really is time to call time on the saloon car as a symbol of social standing.
For years the social order in Ireland required that the male in the household had to have a car with a boot. Anything else was for "the ladies".
Hatchbacks were just not on for the family guy. Estates were for salesmen (yes, they were all men).
The end result was a nation that bought odd-shaped hatchbacks with boots added on by dismissive designers as an afterthought. Where our more liberal Continental cousins were open to motoring experimentation, with wild motoring dalliances such as crossovers and people carriers, the thought of arriving in a car without a separate luggage area was like wearing your wife's slippers out in the garden.
When criticised at car launches for our nation's small-minded approach to rear storage, we always defended it by standing staunchly alongside our eastern European colleagues, fellow boot fans.
Yet, in reality, our causes were never the same. The Russians love their boot for a completely different reason: you want to limit the exposure of the car's cabin to chill winds of -20 degrees. If someone goes to the boot, the rest of the car's occupants remain relatively warm.
Thankfully, with the aid of global warming, we are living in warmer times. There's no longer any real need to worry about frostbite every time someone open's the tailgate on a hatchback. Besides, if that's really the raison d'être for our boot fetish, then what does it say about the Irish male? Women can cope with the chill winds of hatchback ownership, but men can't?
Into this new enlightened environment comes the latest Impreza, a model that has made the leap from saloon to hatchback. It was never really in doubt. This car was always meant to challenge the likes of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, but in European markets it found itself in something of a quandary.
The Japanese brand has decided it really is interested in becoming more than a wannabe in the family car market. For all the engineering prowess at the brand - and let me assure you those guys and girls at Subaru are top-notch - they've never quite grasped the idea of design. Just look at the current model line-up: a crossover estate called the Forrester, which is wonderful to drive but looks as if it was designed using only a T-square; the Legacy, which is nicely proportioned but rather nondescript in traffic; and the original Tribeca SUV, which makes the Porsche Cayenne look sleek and sexy.
Things are changing, however. A new Tribeca will make its debut in Ireland next year and it looks as distinguished and sharp as any of the other off-roaders on offer. The little Justy looks smart and nimble, while there has never been much wrong with the rugged looks of the Outback model.
Has Subaru suddenly discovered styling? It's too early to tell, but the Impreza is an interesting step in the right direction. That said, it retains many of the quirky styling features that set it apart. The high-set roof in a relatively low-set hatchback is rather odd. There's also the rather "bling" rear light clusters and some inexplicable switchgear issues inside. For a start, there's the enormous petrol flap lever on the floor. The Impreza may be at the upper end of hatchback engine sizes, but you don't need to fill it up that often.
Similarly, there's the large protruding lever next to the handbrake that you often find yourself grabbing when you want to park. This, in fact, is to call up the low-ratio transfer box. In a car that can barely mount the kerb without scraping its underbelly, you are left wondering what sort of lunatic would go off-roading in this Impreza. In its defence, the transfer box will come in handy for those towing trailers and caravans.
Of more use is the four-wheel-drive system, which combines beautifully with a range of petrol engines that must be the envy of their rivals. Subaru has long opted for the boxer engine format - a flat format where the pistons operate virtually horizontally. The beauty of this format, which was first created by Karl Benz, is that it's compact and flat. The latter feature means it has a lower centre of gravity.
In layman's terms, that means the big lump of metal up front is closer to the ground and cornering is far more adept. Match this lower centre of gravity with four-wheel-drive grip and you can see why even on leaf-strewn country roads amid the wind and rain of a November weekend, we still managed to enjoy ourselves behind the wheel.
Subaru wasn't the first to feature boxer engines, but it's one of the few marques to remain loyal to this format. Up next is a diesel-powered 2-litre in boxer format that will enter the market next year, though not initially in the Impreza.
While the lack of a diesel option will undoubtedly limit sales and keep the brand well off the sales pace compared to mainstream European rivals, the good news is that the 2-litre 148bhp normally aspirated engine is a blast. While it drops 10bhp on the outgoing version and lacks turbo power, it does offer plenty of punch all the way up to 7,000rpm.
We initially drove it during car of the year testing in Denmark, but it was really only when we got it back here on Irish roads that we appreciated the breadth of its talent. Perhaps it's the raspy engine note that won us over, or the snappy mid-range acceleration. Either way, we were won over.
That said, this fondness didn't blind us to some flaws. A 2-litre hatchback in our book is aimed at the performance market and they appreciate touches, like short-throw gearboxes and impressive 0-100km/h statistics. Neither is a feature on this Impreza.
As for emissions, if, as expected, the Minister for Finance Brian Cowen changes the tax rules and turns towards emission levels, then the Impreza is not going to have an easy time of it.
While this 2-litre is putting out 199g/km, hatchback rivals with similar power output are offering emissions levels closer to 170g/km. Even BMW's 2-litre petrol engines are turning out emissions levels below 150g/km.
Depending on how the new tax system is introduced, it could prove particularly punitive to the Impreza's larger engines.
In terms of living with the Impreza, it's not the thing of beauty we would have hoped for when the manufacturer makes a great leap into hatchback. The engine is impressive, but others offer similar sporting credentials for relatively the same money. What it has going for it is headroom and a fair degree of rear seat legroom.
For potential buyers, the first point is to decide exactly where the Impreza fits. The range-topping rally-bred STI version will undoubtedly be targeting the likes of the Mitsubishi Evo and hot hatches such as the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R or VW Golf GTi. We'll have to wait and see how it compares.
This 2-litre model, however, is more difficult to place. You can get more power, lower emissions and better performance from the new VW Golf 1.4 GT, for example.
At €28,995, this Subaru is relatively well priced, particularly considering that sort of money will get you a 1.6-litre Toyota Auris.
It's a roomy, spacious, reliable Japanese rival to the mainstream European brands, a welcome addition to the fight against our national obsession with storage boxes on the back of cars. It's not the prettiest car on the market and nor is it the best laid out in terms of ergonomics. It scores well in handling and mid-range performance, but lacks the killer punch to see off rivals such as the Golf GT or the gorgeous Seat Leon 2-litre.
Overall, a welcome addition, but not quite the winner we were hoping for.
ENGINE:A 1997cc flat-four boxer style petrol engine, normally-aspirated and putting out 148bhp @ 6,400rpm and 195Nm @ 3,200rpm
SPECIFICATION:ABS with electronic brake-force distribution; driver and front passenger airbags; curtain airbags; side door protection beams; Isofix child seat mountings in rear; alloy wheels; electrically adjustable door mirrors; front fog lamps; rear roof spoiler; remote central locking; auto air-con; electric windows; radio/CD/MP3 player.
CONSUMPTION:
L/100KM (MPG)
Urban: 11.1 (25.4)
Extra-urban: 6.9 (40.9)
Combined: 8.4 (33.6)
CO2 EMISSIONS:199g/km
ANNUAL MOTOR TAX:€539
PRICE:€28,995