Every new vehicle replacing a current model at this year's New York Auto Show either offers the same or more power than the model it replaces — every one except the 2012 Subaru Impreza, which sheds 22 hp. Here's why.
Like every other automaker, Subaru has its bogeys set on improving fuel economy, and for the new Impreza that means swapping the 2.5-liter boxer engine for a 2.0-liter version, churning 148 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque — a reduction of 22 hp and 25 lb-ft from the current model.
Every other piece of the Impreza — electric power steering, a newer continuously variable automatic transmission, a more aerodynamic skin over the same dimensions as the outgoing model — derive from the first choice under the hood. The result is an Impreza that's slightly bigger inside, supposedly about as fast as before, but capable of 27 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
It's also about 110 pounds lighter, which is a step in the right direction, but we may have to wait for the STI to wake up the Snorepreza.
Photo Credit: Olya Bahrynivsky