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Forgive me for the flagrant use of boxing analogies but with Subaru cars it's hard to resist. While the fact that the Japanese carmaker's entire model line-up features engines with boxer engines (so named because the pistons in these engines go back-and-forth horizontally, like the fists of a boxer), there's just so much else that its cars have in common with the world of pugilism.
There's also the matter of balance and symmetry which with regards to Subaru, also seems to be part of the brand DNA. Apparently, the horizontal layout of the boxer engine makes for a lower centre of gravity which of course, helps a car handle well.
All-wheel drive is also another Subaru hallmark that can be found in the entry model we tested, the 1.6TS. As if that weren't enough, Subaru's engineers have also worked hard at ensuring that the components which make up this system, the differential, drive shaft, etc, are lined up perfectly and not biased to the left or right as it normally is with most other systems. In other words, it is a symmetrical all-wheel drive system.
This fastidious attention to how a Subaru's weight is distributed might be assuring if you happen to be a rally driver named Peter Solberg, or if you're trying to control a 280bhp road rocket, but in a 95bhp Impreza 1.6TS, it's either overkill or a tasty appetiser to the benefits of all-wheel drive.
Does every car really need four-wheel drive? Subaru seems to think so and it may be onto something. Since many of us love the idea of over-engineered watches that can function at depths no human being can survive, or supercomputers that are only used to read our e-mails, why not a car that can handle an ice-slicked road as well as it could dry tarmac?
Unlike that grand complication on your wrist or quad-processor on your desk, you can justify an all-wheel drive Subaru on the grounds of safety and nobody can argue with that.
What others can argue with you about, though, is whether the Impreza's restyled front end is as attractive as the previous model's. Good or bad, the car's snout-like grille is bound to draw an opinion from anyone, which in my book, beats driving something anonymous hands down.
For good measure, all TS also come with a boot-mounted spoiler as standard. We couldn't tell if the spoiler offered any performance benefits to this car per se, but it does lend the silhouette a more balanced profile.
As with the WRX we drove in issue 42, the TS' cabin remains largely unchanged from the old car's save for the inclusion of an in-dash six-disc CD changer. The dashboard may still be plasticky, but the well-shaped, leather-wrapped steering wheel offers welcome relief and imparts the gratifying impression that the money you pay goes to the bits that actually matter.
Speaking of which, the bits that matter in the 1.6TS are the nice touches that you don't normally find at this mid-$60,000 price level. Bits like frameless windows and a decent drive that offers the reassurance that should the weather turn on you, you've got a boxer on your side...
There's also the matter of balance and symmetry which with regards to Subaru, also seems to be part of the brand DNA. Apparently, the horizontal layout of the boxer engine makes for a lower centre of gravity which of course, helps a car handle well.
All-wheel drive is also another Subaru hallmark that can be found in the entry model we tested, the 1.6TS. As if that weren't enough, Subaru's engineers have also worked hard at ensuring that the components which make up this system, the differential, drive shaft, etc, are lined up perfectly and not biased to the left or right as it normally is with most other systems. In other words, it is a symmetrical all-wheel drive system.
This fastidious attention to how a Subaru's weight is distributed might be assuring if you happen to be a rally driver named Peter Solberg, or if you're trying to control a 280bhp road rocket, but in a 95bhp Impreza 1.6TS, it's either overkill or a tasty appetiser to the benefits of all-wheel drive.
Does every car really need four-wheel drive? Subaru seems to think so and it may be onto something. Since many of us love the idea of over-engineered watches that can function at depths no human being can survive, or supercomputers that are only used to read our e-mails, why not a car that can handle an ice-slicked road as well as it could dry tarmac?
Unlike that grand complication on your wrist or quad-processor on your desk, you can justify an all-wheel drive Subaru on the grounds of safety and nobody can argue with that.
What others can argue with you about, though, is whether the Impreza's restyled front end is as attractive as the previous model's. Good or bad, the car's snout-like grille is bound to draw an opinion from anyone, which in my book, beats driving something anonymous hands down.
For good measure, all TS also come with a boot-mounted spoiler as standard. We couldn't tell if the spoiler offered any performance benefits to this car per se, but it does lend the silhouette a more balanced profile.
As with the WRX we drove in issue 42, the TS' cabin remains largely unchanged from the old car's save for the inclusion of an in-dash six-disc CD changer. The dashboard may still be plasticky, but the well-shaped, leather-wrapped steering wheel offers welcome relief and imparts the gratifying impression that the money you pay goes to the bits that actually matter.
Speaking of which, the bits that matter in the 1.6TS are the nice touches that you don't normally find at this mid-$60,000 price level. Bits like frameless windows and a decent drive that offers the reassurance that should the weather turn on you, you've got a boxer on your side...
Need To Know
Subaru Impreza 1.6TS
Engine 1,597cc 16v flat-four
Max Power 95bhp at 5,200rpm
Max Torque 143Nm at 3,600rpm
Gearbox 5-speed manual
Top Speed 174 km/h
0-100 km/h 12.0 seconds
Price $62,500 with COE
Warranty 3 years / 60,000km
Contact Motor Image Enterprises at 6473-0333
Similar cars we have driven
Mazda3 1.6(A) $61,988 with COE
The 3 is a great package, it's good-looking, well-built and boasts tidy handling. It's also cheaper than the Impreza, but all the Subaru's extra hardware does justify the premium.
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