The good news is that this interior is better than the last Impreza’s. The bad news is that it isn’t good enough for the class and certainly not for a car costing £25k.
If Subaru is serious about widening this car’s appeal to drivers less willing to sacrifice everything for the driving experience, it will have to try harder; plenty of superminis costing half the money have cabins that are more appealingly styled, fabricated and finished than this.
But it’s an improvement, and if the sculpture of the main dashboard moulding looks a little odd, it has more substance about it than that of the previous car. The leather and Alcantara sports seats look more appealing than those of lesser Imprezas, the steering wheel is a pleasing thing to grasp and the pre-start dance performed by the instrument needles (which can be programmed out) is a pleasing visual diversion.
There’s also plenty of room up front (notwithstanding a handbrake that can dig at bigger legs), fair room in the back, a large and well shaped boot and plenty of cubbies and cup-holders.
The stereo sounds good too, the climate control is simple but effective and all the major controls are easily manipulated. But despite being practical and well provisioned, the interior of an Impreza remains a disappointing place – especially when Subaru has shown it can do better with the Legacy.
To add to its woes, this will not be a cheap car to buy, insure and fuel (at 18.1mpg), or pay any CO2-based emissions taxes on, what with its 243g/km output. But it’s good value for a powerful all-wheel-drive car; Subarus are legendarily robust and hold their value reasonably well.
The dealer network has a good reputation too, but you may have to travel a distance to find one, while repair costs can be high.