Subaru Impreza e-Boxer | Test Drive

29 March 2021 Redazione News, Tested

Words by Andrea Balti / Photos by Bartolomeo Lazzarini

Revealed online during the very first lockdown, we finally managed to drive and touch firsthand the third model that enriches the mild-hybrid Subaru lineup, the legendary Impreza. Actually, about the legendary sports car that made all of us fall in love during the good old WRC days there is just the name, but this new model plays a fundamental role for the brand, collecting all the features that made the XV a global success and gaining a few centimeters in ground clearance, dressing like a perfect meeting point between a hatchback and a crossover.

Obviously we are talking about a model that does not want to remain in the shadows, not even of the updated and phenomenal Forester, even larger and placed higher in the price list of the Japanese brand, but rather a car that hides plenty of character under a seemingly simple image, something of great interest to those looking for safety (active and passive), practicality and usability 365 days a year. The Impreza E-Boxer is in fact a compact 5-door and 5-seater with a still roomy trunk, despite hosting the battery pack of the small electric motor positioned inside the gearbox and capable of producing 12 kW, which in addition to the power of the 2-liter internal combustion engine delivers a total power of 167 hp. The power peak is placed very high, from 5,600 to 6,000 rpm and the fact of only having available the continuously variable automatic transmission – the famous beloved and hated CVT – leads to prefer a relaxed drive approach, appreciating how the transmission works in the city or on the motorway, certainly more than when on a secondary road you need to deal with a sudden overtaking.

The Impreza E-Boxer is not a car designed to satisfy your need for performance, but it still has 222 Nm of torque which, thanks to the work done by the small electric motor, become interesting to limit fuel consumption and not unnecessarily stress the gearbox, which is even equipped with paddles on the steering wheel emulating the passage through the 7 virtual ratios. Exceptionally low in weight with just 1 ton and a half, with four-wheel drive which as always means maximum safety on slippery surfaces and ease on uneven ground, keep in mind that you do not have the ground clearance of the XV crossover or the Forester SUV, but in a bigger picture you could pretty much drive wherever you like.

Inside we find the familiar environment shared with the other models of the company, now also featuring softer plastics and an improved sat-navigation system, without forgetting the countless menus that allow you to monitor the use and reserve of energy – rechargeable when braking or decelerating – the multimedia system and the many safety devices: above all adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, the anti-collision warning and braking system and driver fatigue alert, without forgetting the possibility of recalling preferences for the driver’s seat and climate by recognizing the driver’s face.

At the wheel, the Impreza E-Boxer confirms the good things already tested with the XV E-Boxer, courtesy of an elastic and silent engine that makes the car perfect for an all-round coexistence, with fuel consumption at around 6.5 l/100 km and prices starting at € 32,500 for the Style NAVI spec, while with € 35,000 you go for the Premium package. We are talking about a car that goes straight to the point and puts safety and reliability first, aspects that combined with all the other qualities that its effective all-wheel drive is able to offer in any circumstance, make it one of the most solid proposals available on the market today.