Back in 2007 when Subaru introduced the all new, “more mature” WRX, the car wasn’t met with giant grins but with looks of confusion. What had happened to the hard-edged, “rally car for the street” feeling that made the earlier models so popular?
Subaru addressed these complaints by giving the WRX a big power increase for 2009, and for 2011 the car is getting an exterior makeover to match. The new, wide-body looks put the standard WRX much more in line with the STI, and the bulging body work makes an especially dramatic difference on the four-door sedan version.
From the looks of the new car, it seems like a massive improvement. We can expect to see more on the 2011 WRX when it debuts at the New York Auto Show next month.
-Mike Garrett
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Is this just for North American market? I think so. Dont know when I last saw a Impreza sedan here in Vancouver though
Didn't think it was possible to be ugly and plain at the same time.
Guess I was wrong...
Insideline reported a 3k increase, I think it is totally worth the 3k bump
Well..I was, and still am a HUGE fan of the first generation impreza..In my eyes they went the wrong way by losing that original(dont go deep in this word its not the point) look...
Seriously no offence, but I dont like the new ones at all. Something is out of the place. /
@ Bryan: sooooo true. i've all but given up on subaru
man it looks like a Corolla on 'roids.
There's so much stock rice. I'm going to reserve my opinions on this new body until I see more riced out ones.
Don't like it.
Andy,
Not sure if it's only US or what. I know the sedan is sold as the Anesis in the Japanese market, but no word if they will get the hopped up new version.
I am still a fan of the 05 series. I guess that's just where I'll have to live.
not cool, how about that new 216a body? thats a lot better guys
much better than the version currently. Isn't that boddy style similiar to the STI ?
it was weird when the sti made its debut in wagon form... now i know there are sti wagons out there in other markets but not seeing the sti in a sedan form was a bold move for subaru. i wonder if the radical body style = a decline in subaru sales?
sorry no coments.. :/
Don´t like it ! old version are better
wow subaru. u continue to dissapoint us.... please do us all a favor and fire ur design dept.
Late again on the post soeedhunters, why bother post it if autoblog did it 2 days ago.....btw...the car is uglier than catching ur grandma giving your bestfriend a bj
Never thought I was gonna say this, but I prefer the hatchback! The hatchback has really grown on me, think it looks pretty cool now. Looks really mean IRL. This sedan just looks like some random Chinese car, maybe because it's missing the big wing, but the rear lights are dull too. Hatchback is much better.
Is an STi sedan in the cards? If not, at least they have the FT-86 with Toyota.
Is an STi sedan in the cards? If not, at least they have the FT-86 with Toyota.
I gave up on Subaru a while back. I'm not surprised at this one bit.
still ugly.
I duno about you guys but i think this looks a lot better than the previous model sedan. The 08-10 sedan looks like a freakin Corolla...this is a big difference. much more aggressive. I still hate the overall new look ever since they changed to this body style in 08 though...i still prefer the old models over this.
I wish subaru kept with its old tradition of frameless windows for its cars, it was one of my favorite features.
it looks like a freaking beetle with a porche bolted to the front...
@ Vince haha nice. The rear looks like a Kia.
This surprisingly looks better.
The last hatch back STi looked f**king terrible!
@Francis No Subaru doesn't. It's not a true Subaru with AWD and a Boxer engine.
Looks like a Saturn. Always has...Always will.
The Rear Bumper OH MY GOD... Blergh!
3k price increase?! Wow...i dont think thats good at all. Thats going to make it less competetive for sure. Who wants to pay like 30k (after taxes n fees) for a wrx? just buy a used 09 STI by that point! Of course, the 5 door is ugly too..*sigh*..fire their designers already please...they need something sleek.
shame....makes me love my GDB even more
@Bryan got it right. It looks super plain - like the bulges were just afterthoughts and it made it horribly disfigured. DO NOT WANT.
no thank you
LOL at the people who say the hatch/wagon is ugly. It was made to perform and stay competitive. The move back in 2007 to hatch/wagon was because the GDB chassis was getting embarrassed and outdated compared to the rest of the field in the WRC. Subaru needed a new design to compete. The hatch/wagon was the performance based design for competition and the sedan was made for the masses. Although subaru did push the sedan to the back of the bus, I'm glad they are interested in it again. I forget which tuner out of Japan made those exact same fenders and showcased them at TAS 2 years ago, Zerosports?
Finally, dear Subaru, stop with the molded in license plate bracket on the front bumper, that shit sucks and it looks ugly, sincerely, concerned subaru owner.
The last two Subaru models have been total disappointments. Still looks like a Camry to me.
FUGLY :C
OMG!!! KILLL IT, KILL IT NOW!!!
mmmm yeah a pity.. looks very muted... like a once great sportsman who needs to be put out to graze in his last days... such a pity.. but still its probably a good (very good) base to start from. i'm sure some 'builder/modifying' house some where will show the 'corporate numbskulls' how it should be done!!
of course it's uglier than 06 imprezas but there's an enormous improvement that you shouldn't deny guys a billion times better than 08 wrx
Looks more like a legacy sti. and its ugly
Horrible mesh of the GH chassis sti lines with the GE chassis body!
They just keep making the cars a little less "WRX" with each generation.
Subaru has always made ackward-looking cars that worked great. Their Justy was their plainest design, and worst IMHO. Remember the CVT tranny? This new design is probably very functional in real-world usage, and from the cockpit you won't notice the ugly. The wheel gap is worst part (easy fix), and those C-pillars might as well be roman columns. Give me ugly and fun over pretty and plain any day.
Over the years Subaru has gotten fatter, uglier, and stupider. At the end of the day they are just another car company that screws up once they become successful.
I miss my GC8 and the years when only lesbians and mountain dwellers would give me the "wave of approval." Now all i see are Bros driving too fast disrespecting the road and the people on it.
I don't like it.
atleast it probably wont break down like a nice looking volkswagon or audi
looks tuff
great, thanks a lot subaru for watering down the reason why you got so popular. Whats happening to all the driver cars?
we allready have this..
Now that I see the sedan, I appreciate the wagon more. Either way, Subaru does need to step everything up a bit, the Evo X is a far faster and more capable car out of the box. And to everyone complaining about how much better these cars used to be, what you're forgetting is that every car manufacturer is tied down by the same tougher and tougher laws for emissions, crash standards, pedestrian safety. 6 airbags, complicated ABS systems, heavier steel safety cages just keep adding to the curb weight and bloat of new cars.
the only place this subaru looks good is from the inside. the headlights are still awkward looking and i bet the butt is still fugly. i agree with cruelheart, the wagon looks better then the sedan
Pretty sure this is just a photoshop somebody whipped up.
The actual '11 WRX has not been unveiled yet.
It is scheduled to be unveiled this week (end of March).
I don't like the arse. There is something wrong there. Something to do with the swooping lines of the fenders. It seems like the lines of this compete with eachother...instead of compliment and flow. There is an awkwardness...and sorry to get all 'designer'...But the movement of the lines, the direction and overall look just doesn't work. It want's to be bulbous....but at the same time angular. It's a product of too much.
It just doesn't work. The design team needs to research examples that work; and 2 they should look at is the E30 M3 and R32 GTR. Go back to the basics!
meh...hope that when it comes out it they'll change, well, EVERYTHING about the design