Subaru is either extremely brave or taking a very big risk. With its new hatchback Impreza, it's deliberately moving away from the established and passionate following on which the outgoing model has thrived. So it??s farewell big wings and bonnet scoops and hello sensible hatchback styling and sensible, normally aspirated powerplants. But if it doesn??t cater for Subaru fans who on earth is going to buy it?

After years of providing durable transport for country folk the combination of rally success and the rise of the PlayStation generation introduced Subaru to a whole new audience. And now high streets across the land resound to the thugga-thugga beat of stickered-up Imprezas with dustbin-sized exhausts. Meanwhile a small but loyal band of country vets and farmers pound the lanes in their ever dependable non-turbo Subarus, keeping the brand??s core values alive. Coming up with a car that satisfies such disparate markets while at the same time gaining mainstream acceptance is one hell of a challenge.

Subaru has obviously been wrestling with the problem for some time but the decision has been made and, for now at least, the Impreza is turning its back on its turbo nutter image and attempting to take on the mainstream C-segment. Subaru calls it ??sports casual?? but whether owners are ready to ditch their tracksuits for chinos is another matter.

Source: [url=http://www.newcarnet.co.uk/Subaru_preview.html?id=7171]New Car Net[/url]