[Notorious B.i.G.]

The Subaru Impreza WRX sedan was released at the Sydney Motor Show on 13 October 2008.

I actually quite like the Impreza hatchback that release in 2007. Though i know there was a lot of backlash over the looks. I've seen that there are now Impreza sedans. Is this move back to sedans to replace the hatch Impreza. Or is it going to be sold alongside the hatch?
If so, was the introduction of the hatch always in the pipeline or was it in response to the backlash resulting from releasing the hatch?

[Thunderhawk]

Perhaps the wagon was their attempt to have one car grab two+ segments of the market (sedan and light utility), which seems to be a plan in Canada/USA. That they went back to Sedans might be because the utility of the hatchback had been preempted by the Australian Utes.


P.S.
I know of Utes, but I dont know much about them. They are very rare in Canada.

[Adrien]

Is this move back to sedans to replace the hatch Impreza. Or is it going to be sold alongside the hatch?

The latest generation Impreza was released as hatch and sedan in the US and Europe at the same time in 2007, but the sedan was only available in base trim levels, while the hatch got the WRX and WRX STI badges as well, IIRC. But while the WRX STI was acclaimed, the WRX was really badly received.

So for the new model year, they have given a new powerplant to the WRX, a new bodykit and wheels coming from the STI, and made it available on the sedan as well. But the hatch will remain.

I suppose the Australian release automatically came with the new modifications.

[Notorious B.i.G.]

The latest generation Impreza was released as hatch and sedan in the US and Europe at the same time in 2007

God damn Australia! Sometimes I reckon!! yeash. We get released things in such random ways at random times. I'm fairly sure the hatch was out here before the sedan.

Perhaps the wagon was their attempt to have one car grab two+ segments of the market (sedan and light utility), which seems to be a plan in Canada/USA.

I think it was more to tap into the hot hatch market which was (is) being dominated by the Euro hot hatches.

Its interesting to see the Lancer Hatch now too. I wonder if that was as a response to the Impreza hatch, seeing Mitsu is Subarus closet competitor.
Or was that also released at the same time as the sedan in Europe and the US??

[Adrien]

God damn Australia! Sometimes I reckon!! yeash. We get released things in such random ways at random times. I'm fairly sure the hatch was out here before the sedan.

Don't you ever complain!



The cars you get and we don't get make up in excitement for the early release of some other cars hehe. I think you're right, and that the hatch was released in Australia before the sedan, I recall reading an article about the delayed release of the sedan on CarAdvice.

It's probably due to the shake-up caused by the bad critics.

I think it was more to tap into the hot hatch market which was (is) being dominated by the Euro hot hatches.

I'd say the same. Germany, France and the UK are all into hot hatches, and wagons except for a few high-end German ones are not really seen as exciting. And I think people lust over hot hatches in the US of A too because of that Euro feel precisely, so it helps give the model a little more charm.

Its interesting to see the Lancer Hatch now too. I wonder if that was as a response to the Impreza hatch, seeing Mitsu is Subarus closet competitor.
Or was that also released at the same time as the sedan in Europe and the US??

Hehe not this time don't worry!



The Lancer Sportback (one damn sexy car it's true) just got released worldwide. Mitsu is kind of in trouble these days, so they probably had in the drawer an idea for a second bodystyle for the Lancer, and maybe Subaru releasing a hatch made them go for a hatch too.

I am in lust over the new WRX STI, but I gotta say the Mitsu looks exciting too!