More 2009 Subaru Impreeza

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2009-subaru-impreza-wrx-first-steer/

The full assessment of that question will have to wait until we can fully test the two cars back-to-back but the initial impressions are that while the latest WRX, at least in sedan form because that’s all we’ve driven, has a sharper feel and is certainly quicker than the MY2008 model it just doesn’t seem to have the sharp edge of the Lancer Ralliart.



There’s little doubt that at this point the arguments will begin but it needs to be said immediately that this latest iteration of the WRX is, in some respects a very definite attempt by Subaru Australia to get the car back to something closer to the WRX of old, and an acknowledgement by Subaru that it may have gone too far in softening the car with the release of the all-new Impreza range last year.



If you doubt that then in Subaru’s own words it has “put the boot in for Model Year 2009, adding power, torque and a raft of other aggressive ingredients.”



The newly released sedan variants, available in WRX and RS, although we have only driven the WRX version, share the same turbocharged technical advances.
The 2.5-litre turbocharged engine now produces 195 Kilowatts of power at 6000rpm and 343 Newtonmetres of torque at 4000rpm.



While Impreza WRX is meaner, it’s also greener - lower fuel consumption and emissions result from the engineering refinement.

Fuel consumption is improved in the combined cycle from 10.7L/100km to 10.4L/100km, while carbon-dioxide emissions are down from 252g/km to 247g/km.