Impreza a big deal and a great deal
There’s no price premium to be paid for the allnew, Japanese Car of the Year-winning Impreza. By Paul Owen.
It’s not often that journalists get to witness a Mexican standoff at a new car launch. At the long-lead introduction of the new Subaru Impreza late last year there was a politely-worded showdown between the mercurial head of Subaru New Zealand, Wallis Dumper, and the heavyhitting board member of Fuji Heavy Industries, Takeshi Tachimori. As they each made their presentations of the undoubted glories of the newest compact from the constellation brand, it was clear that Tachimori and Dumper had yet to come to a deal on the NZ price of the recently-crowned Japanese Car of the Year.
The Kiwi distributor clearly wanted that number to start with a ‘2’ while the Japanese technocrat gave the strongest hints possible that he’d prefer that it start with a ‘3’.
Both could have provided plenty of justification for a price position argument that was obviously about to escalate the following day, when it would be the NZ Subaru dealer network in attendance at the new Impreza preview, rather than the Kiwi motoring press corps.
Dumper could have pointed out that it was only once he negotiated Impreza pricing down to $29,990 back in 2014 that the sales of the current model finally began to gain some traction in this market. He could also have pointed to the transaction prices of the Impreza’s competitors in the compact car class. Cars like Nissan Pulsars, Kia Ceratos, and Toyota Corollas might have prices starting with a ‘3’ in the case of many models, but the actual numbers that eventually get written on the purchase cheques and bank transfers of buyers are far more likely to start with twos. Dumper is an experienced veteran of NZ motor market sales wars. He knew that if the new-gen Impreza price began with a ‘3’, his dealers would have been forced to slash their margins, discounting it down to prices where the real compact car business is done.
‘‘I’d rather they sell Outbacks and Legacys – there’s plenty of margin in those.’’
Given that these larger models occupy attractive recommended retail price positions that have enabled Subaru NZ to set record sales numbers in 2016, the message in the statement is that when new-car prices are set at a level where every member of the feeding chain is happy – distributor, dealer, and buyer – then success usually results.
Yet I could see Tachimori’s argument just as clearly as Dumper’s. While a little less pragmatic about local market conditions, the man who signed off the development of the nextgeneration Impreza is equally in the right when he states that his car is worthy of a higher price. This is no once-over-lightly upgrade. Only five per cent of parts carry over from the current bulbous and clumsy-looking Impreza to its far more sharply-tailored successor. Imagine the expense that results when a new car requires 95 per cent of its components to be developed, tested, and validated, and you have a NZ pricing argument from the factory representative that is more a plea for reason.
Well, Dumper got his way. The just-announced price for the new Impreza is $29,990.
Foremost of the car’s new components is the debut of the new Subaru Global Platform (SPG). The current Impreza has a platform dedicated to lightness as its biggest focus was to reduce fuel consumption and absolve the reputation of compact Subarus for being binge-drinkers. That challenge has been well met these days, so development of the SGP could be targeted at enabling the best crash test scores in the affordable car world. As the SGP trickles on to provide the underpinnings for other Subarus than the coming Impreza, it will improve the structural strength of the cars by between 70 and 110 per cent according to the model.
The cost of crash test scores that will potentially make Subaru the Volvo of the Japanese car world is increased weight, and the weight of the Impreza rises from 1305kg to 1417kg with the adoption of the SGP. Yet fuel consumption is lowered from 6.8 litres/100km over the Combined city/highway driving simulation to 6.6, thanks mostly to the increased efficiency of the MY2017 Impreza’s powertrain.
There’s still a 2.0-litre boxer four under the bonnet and it still develops 197Nm of driving force at 4000rpm; but the new alloy-blocked motor now has a higher compression ratio thanks to direct fuel injection. This output is still passed onto a CVT gearbox for transfer to Subaru’s trademark longitudinal all-wheel-drive system, but, like the new engine, the new gearbox is substantially lighter and it now offers seven manual-shift presets.
With the lighter powertrain components up front, and the increased structural integrity of the car, the coming Impreza has a new driving persona. It’s solid in the way it sits on the road, but never feels stolid to drive. It fully deserves the latest JCOTY title.
Even if that price had started with a ‘3’, the newest Impreza would have been worth the spend.