Subaru Impreza: confusion...

[Owain71]

Strictly speaking, perhaps not all that shite but I saw one of these driving through Bicester today:

 

 

And no, before you say it, it 100% wasn't an XV!

 

The UK plates read "VE62???", which leads me to believe it's not a Subaru UK car, as I believe these are on B prefixes (as befits the importer's Midlands HQ location) - plus it's a year old.

 

Any ideas?

[beko1987]

I followed a 62 plater one towards Aylesbury the other night. Thought it was a focus at first, then had a laugh at the 1.5 badge, then overtook the cunt as he was doing 25 in a 60

[chaseracer]

VE = Worcester/Severn Valley

[cort16]

Have they not stopped selling the impreza in the UK now? By all accounts the Impreza started great and got shitter in every new model they released.
I recon this is the last of the miserable bunch.

[overrun]

Turning it into a hatch 'to discourage boy racers' was a stroke of genius*.

 

Cos history shows that most barried toss were saloons, doesn't it?...

 

I saw some horrible new Subaru today. Like a Quashqai thing.

Bleurgh.

[Owain71]

Yes, they stopped selling the old-shape hatchback (the one with the weird, clear rear lights) a year or so ago, elected not to import the "new" Impreza (which is what I saw today) and are now only selling the XV (the Qashqai-like thing which is basically a jacked-up, plastic-clad version of said New Impreza).

 

Which is why I'm curious about how one's made it here, got taxed, insured, navigated type approval etc etc...

[KruJoe]

^ New Impreza.

Same body as the XV, which is effectively an "Impreza Outback" with longer springs and black tat stuck on. Here's one I spotted earlier this year:

 

 

 

 

Previous generation:

 

 

This is Ma_KJ's daily, and none of us particularly like it (except my chav brother, and he never has to drive it).

 

 

It now wears more sensible rimmage.

In front is my old (classic) 2.0 GL, which was shagged, so I replaced it with a facelift shape Sport. That was the best of all the Subarus we've had between us. Proper bo, I tell thee.

[quicksilver]

Could it be a septic-spec one from the USAF base at Croughton perhaps? Or was it RHD?

[overrun]

I thought this plastic-clad turd I encountered today had something of the Impreza about it.

 

TY 4 DA INFO

[Station]

I like the one in the last photo. I think they were all nice before that one in the first pic, if it is an Impreza?

Car makers are trying to beat the Malaysians/Koreans by making cars look like them, but making them uglier and more plastic looking. God the new one is hideous.

[Clevtrev]

A handful of new Impreza's made it to the UK. Initially for evaluation by Subaru UK. Some un-registered examples made it out to a select few dealers. A 'VE' plate is likely to have come from Crossroads Garage at Tredington near Shipston on Stour. As we know, Subaru UK decided not to bring the car in officially, mainly due to unfavourable exchange rates with the yen. I think they also realised that the car would struggle in a very competitive C-segment. 4WD alone just isn't enough, as the rest of the car just isn't good enough.

[406V6]

Strictly speaking, perhaps not all that shite but I saw one of these driving through Bicester today:

Totally shite. These things are not loved at all in today's car market. Neither was the woefully ugly Tribeca - cast iron full size SUV shite.

[Owain71]

A handful of new Impreza's made it to the UK. Initially for evaluation by Subaru UK. Some un-registered examples made it out to a select few dealers. A 'VE' plate is likely to have come from Crossroads Garage at Tredington near Shipston on Stour. As we know, Subaru UK decided not to bring the car in officially, mainly due to unfavourable exchange rates with the yen. I think they also realised that the car would struggle in a very competitive C-segment. 4WD alone just isn't enough, as the rest of the car just isn't good enough.

 

I reckon ClevTrev's on the money here - being mindful of Crossroads (Unity Automotive's) close working relationship with SUK...

[srad34]

Give me an early Impreza WRX any day of the week compared to this shite