Ultimate Impreza steals show

At last – Subaru has pulled the covers off and released full details of its new Impreza WRX STI. And with around 300bhp, it’s sure to offer scintillating performance.

Making its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this week, the flagship perfor­mance hatchback goes on sale in the UK in March, starting at around £27,000.

At its heart is a turbocharged flat-four-cylinder boxer engine. Thanks to variable valve timing and a larger intercooler, power and torque have both been boosted. The STI also gets Si-Drive, which allows the driver to select three engine response modes, each providing varying stages of throttle sharpness.

A revised six-speed manual box transfers the power to the road, while the four-wheel-drive system is carried over from the previous model. There are also limited slip differentials front and rear, linked together by a central viscous coupling.

The new STI will cover 0-60mph in five seconds on its way to a top speed of nearly 160mph. Its styling is inspired by the Impreza World Rally Car, with beefy bodywork, flared wheel­arches (making it 55mm wider than the regular model), a mesh grille, roof spoiler and an integrated rear bumper diffuser.

Body colours will include the traditional metallic blue, with gold or silver 18-inch alloys. The cabin gets leather and Alcan­tara suede-clad sports seats as standard, and optional Recaros. For the first time, there will be two trims. The higher spec, with Bluetooth and sat-nav, will cost about £30,000.