2024 Subaru Impreza gets sportier with new RS, is hatchback only

LOS ANGELES — The Subaru Impreza has for years now been the basis upon which more interesting cars have been built. First it was the WRX and later the Crosstrek. While the WRX has drifted away from the Impreza to be its own thing, the Crosstrek continues on as a lifted Impreza hatchback and a go-to choice for those who want go-anywhere capability in a smaller, more economical package.

The 2024 Subaru Impreza is an all-new model, and while that’ll certainly mean big things for the future Crosstrek, Subaru has gone to greater efforts this time around to make sure the Impreza is its own thing rather than just a naked, lowered Crosstrek. In terms of philosophy, that means it’ll be sportier, drawing a clearer differentiation with its off-roadish sibling. There are only three trim levels now, and the two top ones, Sport and RS, err on the athletic side with a sport-tuned suspension, bigger wheels, Subaru’s SI-Drive performance management system (basically a sport mode for the engine and transmission), and sportier styling cues than both the base model and what you might’ve expected from stock Imprezas of the past.

And as already mentioned, the Impreza RS makes its return to the lineup after two decades of sitting on the sidelines after effectively being replaced by the WRX in North America as the sportiest Impreza. Mechanically, it’s the same as the Impreza Sport trim with one key exception: the engine. Whereas the base and Sport get a carry-over 2.0-liter boxer-four good for 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet, the RS gets a tweaked version of the current Crosstrek’s engine upgrade. The 2.5-liter boxer-four produces 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 2 lb-ft that comes on 700 rpm sooner. Every Impreza comes standard with all-wheel drive (shocker!) and a continuously variable transmission that lets the driver select among eight pre-set ratios with shift paddles in the Sport and RS.

Visually, the RS (it's in red above, the Sport is in blue) features lots of gloss black exterior trim and upgraded headlights, plus gunmetal interior trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, alloy pedals, blind-spot warning, and heated sport seats covered in black cloth with red cloth bolsters. A sunroof, power driver seat and 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system are exclusive options on the RS.

Sadly, the RS won’t be available as a coupe as it was once upon a time, and you won’t be able to get it as a sedan, either – every 2024 Subaru Impreza is a four-door hatchback. Interestingly, the sedan/hatchback take rate for the current-generation Impreza was 50/50, and Subaru says that if the company had unlimited resources, it probably would’ve built a sedan. It doesn’t, though, and the continued diminishment of sedan popularity probably would’ve meant that take rate wouldn’t have stayed even for long. Besides, when you factor in the Crosstrek, the needle was already skewed way in the direction of hatchback.