New car news

09 October 2007 - 16:00

Bit of an STI-sore

Ah. Now we see why they kept it in the dark.

This is the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI, which we saw previewed a couple of weeks back by a dark, teasing snap.

And, judging by its daylight appearance, the dark might be the best place for the STI.

OK, it's not that bad, at least in silver. The massively flared arches and fatter bumpers certainly beef up the Impreza, but the oddly unresolved lines of the hatch remain.

Those 18-inch alloys are good news, though, as are the quad tailpipes. But, since the comparison is set to run for the next five years or so, we'll get it out the way now: the Evo's a bit better-looking, isn't it?

Due to be formally unveiled in Tokyo, the Japanese-spec STI will be powered by a two-litre flat-four engine with a twin scroll turbo, mated to a six-speed manual.

Though there's no word on performance yet, most Japanese insiders reckon the domestic STI will develop some 330bhp and 325lb ft of torque. However, expect the British STI to retain its 2.5-litre flat-four.

Hopefully the STI should drive better than it looks. Double wishbone rear suspension and Subaru's symmetrical four-wheel drive are standard, as are the acronym-tastic SI-DRIVE (Subaru Intelligent Drive) and DCCD (Driver Control Centre Differential) which, in conjuction with the Impreza's much-revised chassis, should improve road-holding and handling.

Subaru has also given us the STI's vital statistics, which unsurprisingly reveal that the new model is some six centimetres longer and three centimetres taller than the outgoing STI, with a wider wheelbase, too.

We'll see the Impreza WRX STI up close in Tokyo at the end of the month. Maybe it's a grower.