The XV concept is yet another preview of Subaru’s next-gen Impreza

By Stephen Edelstein March 1, 2016

Subaru continues to hint at its next-generation Impreza compact with a third concept car debuting at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The next-generation Impreza sedan and hatchback have already been previewed by previous concepts, leaving one more variant to tease.

The Subaru XV concept previews the next XV Crosstrek, the pseudo-crossover version of the Impreza. The XV Crosstrek is basically an Impreza with an elevated ride height and some extra body cladding, but like the larger Outback, it’s a legitimate competitor to conventional crossovers because of its standard all-wheel drive.

That pattern will continue with the next-generation Impreza, which is expected to appear relatively soon as a 2017 model. The XV concept features essentially the same styling as the other Impreza concepts, with the requisite extra ground clearance and some added black body bits. The concept’s light blue exterior (Subaru calls it “Glacier Khaki Silica”) and orange trim would make an interesting combination on production cars.

The production Impreza will likely adopt some version of the “Dynamic X Solid” design language seen on the concepts, which itself appears to be an evolution of Subaru’s current styling. The “hawk-eye” headlights and new grille, in particular, will likely be the new face of Subaru. The car itself shouldn’t stray too far from the tried-and-true Impreza formula, with a boxer four-cylinder engine and standard all-wheel drive.

Given that the current generation followed so long after the base Impreza’s launch, it will probably be awhile before we see WRX and WRX STI performance models based on the new-generation Impreza platform. While the outgoing-generation Impreza has been on sale since the 2012 model year, the current WRX and STI were launched as 2015 models.

With three Impreza concepts down, it shouldn’t be long before we see the production car. The 2016 New York Auto Show is coming up in a few weeks, so perhaps we’ll see it there.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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