2020 Subaru Impreza Delayed for PH Market

The global COVID-19 pandemic has claimed another victim: the refreshed 2020 Impreza. Previewed at the Singapore Motor Show last January (alongside an infamous tricked out Forester), Subaru’s compact car was expected to bow in (or at least previewed) at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS).

But now it comes out that even before MIAS’s postponement, a re-shuffling of production schedules over at Subaru’s Japanese plants meant that the well-loaded Philippine spec model has been pushed down the order list, prompting its launch delay. Even after the lifting of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, it’s understood that the 2020 Impreza may not be readily available as Subaru Japan is halting production until May 1, 2020.

Previously, Motor Image Pilipinas, the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the Philippines confirmed that the 2020 Impreza will only be made available as a 4-door sedan locally, because Subaru Japan does not offer the 5-door hatchback in a trim suitable for the local market. It’s understood that the 5-door hatchback is available as a base trim 1.6-liter model only; not matching Subaru’s premium positioning locally.

Motor Image Pilipinas has confirmed though that once Japan ramps up production of the Philippine spec model, they will make the 2020 Impreza available on an indent order basis, similar to the Legacy executive sedan. The refreshed compact sedan is expected to carry a higher level of equipment, including Subaru’s trademark EyeSight driver assist system. However, no indicative pricing has been announced yet.

The Refreshed 2020 Impreza Finally Gets One Feature That Subaru Owners Really, Really, Really Want

For all of Subaru’s advanced set of features—from its direct-injected Boxer engine to its EyeSight driver assist system most owners lament one thing: the lack of speed-sensing door locks. Well, the seemingly eternal wait is over as this feature’s finally coming to Subaru models starting with the 2020 Impreza.

To be shown at the Singapore Motorshow 2020 first, the revised Impreza gets door locks that lock as the vehicle goes past 20 km/h. Impressive, huh? Yeah, this feature’s been around in other brands for some time, but for long-time Subaru owners? It’s proof that the guys in Japan listen.

If the automatic door locks aren’t enough to tickle your fancy, don’t worry. As previewed by its Japanese market launch last August, the 2020 Impreza does receive a breadth of aesthetic upgrades too. It gets new LED headlights, front grille, front bumper and fog lights, alloy wheels, and color: Magnetite Gray. Inside, de rigueur dash stitching finds its way onto the multi-function display while a new high-gloss paneling surrounds the climate control panel.

For comfort and convenience, the 2020 Impreza adds a whole slew of safety features including a front view monitor, rear seat remind feature which alerts the driver to check the rear seats before exiting the vehicle, and a reverse-linked tilt-down passenger side mirror.

Mechanically, the Impreza continues almost unchanged and for that it remains powered by the direct-injected FB20 engine making 154 horsepower and 196 Nm of torque. The sole transmission is the Lineartronic CVT. That said, to give it some pep, it comes with Subaru’s SI-Drive system. This adds two changeable driving modes: Sport and Intelligent. A retuned suspension completes the changes.

For the Singapore market, Subaru’s compact car will be available in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback versions. For the Philippine market, it’s understood Motor Image Pilipinas has plans to add the 5-door hatchback to their roster as well. It’s also understood that the 2020 Impreza will arrive sometime this year, likely at the Manila International Auto Show in April.

Subaru Plans to Combat Boring with More GT Edition Variants

Motor Image wants to combat boring by launching even more GT Edition variants of its popular models. After the Subaru XV, and now the Forester getting GT Editions, soon, the Levorg and Impreza will join them in receiving the same sporty treatment.

The styling kits, designed by former Subaru designer Masahiko “Jack” Kobayashi and manufactured by Giken, an award-winning Japanese company are developed exclusively for Motor Image.

During the launch of the Forester GT Edition, Mr. Glenn Tan, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Tan Chong International, the parent company of Motor Image had this to say, “I am happy to bring Giken and Kobayashi-san back for our second bespoke GT Edition project. Some people feel that the Forester over the years has become a little sedate and mainstream. Now, it no longer is. With its sharpened design all around, we are positive the sporty and stylish Forester GT Edition will stand out wherever it goes. I look forward to working on the next GT Edition with them.”

Later on, Mr. Tan confirmed that the next two GT Edition models will be the Levorg and the Impreza.

And while the GT Edition kits cannot be retrofitted to existing units, Mr. Tan says they’re also working on their very own line of aftermarket body kits as well. These will be different from the GT Edition ones, and will be marketed separately under a different name. In terms of price, it will slot below the Subaru STI, yet they’ll likely be even more aggressive given the prevailing market taste of those in ASEAN.

Three New Recalls Hit Subaru XV, Impreza, and Forester Models

Attention Impreza, XV, and Forester owners: Subaru has just confirmed that three new recalls affect these three best-selling vehicles in the Philippines, and that Motor Image Pilipinas is working closely with Subaru Corporation of Japan to assist all affected customers.

The first recall affects 2017-2019 Model Year Impreza and XV vehicles manufactured before August 6, 2018. Nearly 1,000 units are affected.

This recall is a precautionary measure to replace the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve. The PCV valve, which is an oil flow control device, may separate and allow engine oil to enter the combustion chamber. This may result in an excessive amount of smoke. The vehicle may experience a loss of power.

The second recall affects the 2017-2019 Model Year Impreza and XV vehicles manufactured from July 28, 2016 to August 21, 2018.

This is a precautionary measure to replace the brake hoses of affected vehicles. There are no safety concerns with regards to the brake system as braking performance is not affected. Due to insufficient sealing, brake fluid may enter the brake hose, causing it to swell. Nearly 1,000 units are affected.

The third recall affects 2017-2020 Model Year Impreza and XV vehicles and 2019-2020 Model Year Forester vehicles equipped with the 2.0-liter engine.

The recall is a precautionary measure to reprogram the Engine Control Module and inspect the ignition coil. Due to improper programming, the ignition coil may be energized after the engine is turned off. This could cause the internal temperature of the coil to increase and lead to a short circuit. Nearly 5,000 units are affected.

“Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified accordingly,” says Uzzi Asuncion, Head of Marketing Department, Motor Image Pilipinas. “We appreciate the understanding and patience of our customers as we finalize the list of affected units through their VIN (Vehicle Identification Number).”

2020 Toyota Corolla Altis vs Mazda3 vs Honda Civic vs Subaru Impreza vs MG 6

Forget crossovers, SUVs, and pickups for a minute—there’s a compact car war brewing resulting in a wider, more competitive range of choices. Starting with the arrival of the refreshed Civic early this year, the battlefield is now joined by two other compact car stalwarts: the 2020 Mazda3 and 2020 Toyota Corolla Altis. All these tables are high-res, so feel free to download them (please, no cropping of the watermark though...we know who does this).

Until such time when we can bring these compacts for an on-road comparo, here’s how they stack up on paper. In this multi-panel comparo, we first look at how the Corolla Altis, Honda Civic, and Subaru Impreza compare dimensionally.

Here, the Mazda3 shows that it’s slightly longer (with a longer wheelbase) than the rest. However, this doesn’t translate into interior room, where the Civic, and surprisingly, the Impreza beat out the Mazda3 and Corolla Altis in front room. The Toyota though exacts its revenge in rear legroom, beating even the voluminous Civic by 102 mm. Even without a tape measure, the Mazda3’s rear quarters are tight, but getting the exact measurements reveal it’s 35 mm smaller than the next smallest entry (Impreza) and a whopping 160 mm smaller than the Corolla Altis.

Next up, we pit the Corolla Altis 1.6 V against three others in the same price range: the Mazda3 1.5 Premium, Honda Civic 1.8 E, a wildcard, the MG 6 Trophy. Now, while the Corolla Altis shares its price with the Civic, it does manage to outgun the Mazda3 and Civic in almost every department—a clear indication that Toyota’s done their homework this time around. It also shows that, without a doubt, Toyota sees a bulk of Corolla Altis sales in this segment.

As we go higher up to compact cars in the P 1.5 million price range, the Corolla Altis 1.8 V Hybrid finds itself against some healthy competition: the Mazda3 2.0 Premium, Honda Civic RS Turbo, and the wildcard of the bunch, the Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S. Apart from the uniqueness of that hybrid powertrain, Mazda has successfully turned the tables here by being the most loaded in terms of luxury, convenience, and safety features. It’s the only one in the bunch to offer a premium sound system (a 12-speaker Bose system), a full-featured infotainment system, and even a full suite of driver assist tech. Sadly for Honda, it also shows how the Civic RS Turbo is simply outgunned in terms of features, beaten even by the Subaru.

Whatever you choose, it’s pretty obvious that buyers will be spoilt for choice. The resurgence in the compact sedan market is very welcome, especially for those who don’t want to ride the crossover or SUV wave just yet.

The 2020 Subaru Impreza Gets a New Face, Added Safety

After getting a minor equipment bump in Japan last year, Subaru has now given its Impreza a much more noticeable makeover. The mid-cycle refresh for Subaru’s compact car, the 2020 Impreza will go on sale later this year in Japan with other markets soon to follow.

Outside, the most noticeable change to the Impreza is its new front bumper featuring more horizontal elements. Nestled in them are LED front fog lights with a large chrome highlight. Over the back, the taillights now have brighter elements. New wheel designs cap off the changes. Inside, the 2020 Impreza gets revised gauges, new silver trims (replacing the high-gloss carbon fiber ones), memory seat function for the driver, and an automatic dipping side view mirror.

For the 2020 update, Subaru’s heavily emphasizing safety. With that, the Impreza gets standard adaptive high beams, a front-view monitor, and an upgraded version of Subaru’s EyeSight system called EyeSight Touring Assist which adds lane tracing (automatic steering) support.

Mechanically, the 2020 Impreza remains powered by the direct-injected FB20 engine with 154 horsepower and 196 Nm of torque mated to a CVT transmission. Active Torque Vectoring is now standard though.