Subaru Impreza Facelift for 2006

[Kero]

From Carsales.com.au 8th June 2005

Dressed to imprez: facelifted Subaru small car could be here late this year.  

Subaru courts controversy again with Impreza facelift as revealed on US websites  

By NEIL McDONALD 8 June 2005

SUBARU has thrown the radical new front-end styling from its forthcoming B9 Tribeca 4WD on to its 2006 model year Impreza, images of which were posted on American-based internet sites this week.

With memories still fresh of the furore surrounding the bug-eyed, second-generation Impeza introduced in October 2000 – and that car’s premature facelift two years later – these latest photographs indicate Subaru is still not averse to courting controversy.

Plastered across the subarunews.com site and the North American Subaru Impreza Owners’ Club site, the photographs show the new Impreza WRX STi and mainstream Impreza hatchback at a dealer function in Japan.

The styling job is the work of former Alfa Romeo designer Andreas Zapatinas.

The grille is supposed to suggest the wing of an aircraft – an association with Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries’ roots as an aircraft company – and is the new ‘corporate’ look for Japanese brand.

Other front-end changes include headlights cutting into the bumper and arching upwards and toward the mudguard, and new front foglight.

The rear-end remains largely unchanged, save for an aftermarket-style tail-light treatment and a new roof-mounted spoiler on the STi.

The latter model also has some characteristic enhancements in a more sharply defined bumper, larger air-intake and letterbox turbo intake on the bonnet.

In the space of a few short hours yesterday the US Impreza owners’ club website received more than 55,000 hits as enthusiasts checked out the new car.

Subaru Australia would not officially comment on the photos, however, GoAuto understands the new Impreza range will be unveiled in Japan next week, with a likely arrival here in the final quarter of 2005.

Subaru Australia spokesman David Rowley said the car would have “a variety of cosmetic and mechanical tweaks”.

GoAuto understands the biggest specification change will be the adoption of the 2.5-litre boxer four-cylinder engine across most, if not all, model variants in the range.  

[TracidTrax]

that looks bad

[rs73]

from the blue pic's angle it looks a bit Lancer Evo-ish...

from another angle like the silver one looks a bit Altezza (Lexus IS300)

[OKBANANA]

ugly.

[r34_skyline]

that looks like an alfa romeo. come on subaru, u can do better than that. the new look is just as bad as the imfamous bugeyed wrx.

[SuAvE-1]

I agree with rs73 - Sti looks like an evo at first glance while the other looks like an altezza. I think it looks pretty good at first glance, the look of cars is becoming more european and this is no exception.

[Baz]

That is a seriously terrible looking car. I would rather buy an older subaru wrx than that one. I have always hated alfa's and that car seems to have adapted its looks.

[skyline33]

That is one ugly car, for some reason it looks like the 3 or 5 series BMW. I think its the headlights that are doing it

[Ronin 09]

We've had bug-eye.

Say hello to pig-nose.

better pics here:

http://www.cafesydney.net/hyrax/my06_sti/

[Phantom32]

looks like e new pulsar to me...

doens't look great but will prob get used to it when it comes out...just like everything else....

[Silver-Arrowz]

Ewww....

[TTT]

the rear is even worse..

the front has an upside down alfa 156 grill, the rear has slanted 156 tail lights.

worst

rex

eva

[JaFF]

pity, i like the current shape. This new one is U G L Y.

Sif look like a bmw. The bmw 3series is a beautiful car.

[OC]

Thats shockin

[Dahtone Racing]

i said that same thing when i first saw it

but it does kind of grow on you

you sort of learn to like it

looks ok in black

[yaf28f]

I think if there was an aftermarket kit that got rid of the nose it would looks pretty good.

but as always, have to see it in the flesh to judge what it's really like.

[BLK R33 GTST]

i don't rate it at all. Late 90's model still the best shape

[Hiroshima Screamer]

must be another attempt to bring down the number of p platers buying turbo cars

[slow13dude]

I can't believe that something as elegant as the Liberty and something as fugly as the new WRXs can come from the same company! What's going on?

[46n2]

heehee it looks like a Hyandai