The Littlest Subaru Comes With a Big Array of Amenities: 2024 Subaru Impreza
This popular hatchback has been redesigned for a sportier look, offers a new RS sport trim with more power and features more top tech: meet the 2024 Subaru Impreza.
Connie Peters
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And, the RS trim returns for those who love to drive.
My first car was a little hatchback which I packed full to the brim and drove out West from where I grew up, through the Rocky Mountains and British Columbia. So when I recently had a day in the mountains and lakes north of Whistler, British Columbia, in the 2024 Subaru Impreza. the smallest in the Subaru line-up, this little hatchback made me fall in love with driving hatchbacks all over again.
The 2024 Subaru Impreza, which as been completely redesigned for 2024, brought back many memories but handled about 100 times better than my little car.
Small hatchbacks have gotten better over the years, but also, Subaru has packed the Impreza with so many great features that make it fun and confident on the road.
First, it has all-wheel drive, which is rare for these small cars, which range in price from $22K to about $28K US (or $27K-$32K CAD). And the RS trim I drove had sportier handling and a slightly larger engine.
The winding roads, lakeside curves and towering mountains didn’t hurt the experience either. The Impreza handled a mountain pass like a total champ and I felt confident on all the roads we encountered on our journey.
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What’s New in the Subaru Impreza for 2024?
Well, pretty much everything. The new Impreza now only comes in a hatchback, no more sedan body style left to be had, which I’m not mad about. Hatchbacks offer the convenience and cargo space of a small SUV and yet a much sportier drive feel.
And for 2024 the RS trim returns. Short for Rally Sport, this trim has been a tribute to Subaru fans in the past and was the perfect way to frame the new more powerful engine and sport suspension for those who love to drive.
The new design gives the Impreza a sporty, modern look with sleek LED headlights and a wider front grille. It has a smaller lower air intake grille flanked by fog lights.
Overall the look is much more ‘sports car’ and much less ‘compact wagon.’ Our model came with sporty black wheels, but even the Base and Sport models look much sportier than the outgoing design.
Besides the overall shape change, here are a few more noteworthy standard features:
- A larger updated multimedia touchscreen, the same that is found in the Outback and other models
- More Eyesight advanced driver assistance features. This system is powered by a “stereo” color camera system adjacent to the rearview mirror that constantly scans the road for danger. Systems that are powered by the system include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and pre-collision braking
- “Brake booster,” which provides more power to the brake system
- LED Steering Responsive Headlights that “bend” as you turn the steering wheel
- A Sport-Tech trim (only offered in Canada) with leather, and navigation with What3Words integration
Two Engines Options, for Good, or Great, Power
There are two engine options in the Impreza: the base 2.0L Boxer, which is also found in the previous generation Subaru Impreza, and a new, more powerful 2.5L Boxer Engine for the Impreza RS. Driving the RS, this engine was more than sufficient all day, with the exception of some of the very steep inclines in the mountains.
The Impreza comes equipped with paddle shifters in the Sport and RS trims; gone is the option for a manual transmission.
While the 2.0L generates 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque, the more powerful 2.5L generates 182 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. This is the one I would choose for an extra zesty drive experience.
The sport tuning in this model is a nice compliment to the more powerful engine; it gave me precision to handle the curves and altitude adjustments. The enhanced braking system on the RS also gave me confidence when hilly or curvy roads demanded quicker, more powerful braking.
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Standard Features Make the Impreza Stand Out
Starting with all wheel drive, which you don’t find on many small cars, is standard. But, AWD is standard on – and a hallmark of – all Subaru models. This has always been a feature and is partly what makes this brand so popular in northern climates. I do appreciate that they make your safety a priority.
Then, you’ll find a suite of features geared with your safety in mind, from enhanced Eyesight with adaptive cruise and lane centering to automatic high beam headlights.
One of my favorites was the bending headlights (LED Steering Responsive Headlights) in the Impreza RS. What does that even mean? Well, if you ever drive in the dark, you’ll know that going around turns and winding roads can sometimes be trickier. The headlights aim in the direction you are steering instead of pointing ahead. You can see further around corners and can react sooner if something unexpected occurs. It’s almost magic how the headlights follow the direction of your steering wheel.
What you won’t find in the US editions of the Impreza are options for leather or leatherette seating; all models, even the RS, have cloth upholstery. However, the RS does offer power seats, keyless start, wireless charging and heated front seats. The Sport model offers some of these features either standard or optional; the base model mostly does not.
Advanced Driver Assist and Safety Technology Shine
Subaru has always been consistent in offering value-added features throughout its model line. I love the big multimedia screen offered on the RS Trim in the Impreza, which comes standard on Touring and above trims. It’s an 11.6″ vertically oriented touchscreen with both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . The base trim has dual 7″ screens.
The new Impreza also includes voice recognition, with commands like adjusting the climate control making hand-free control while driving so convenient. You might consider this a convenience feature, but on winding mountain roads it’s definitely a safety feature.
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A Luxe Subaru Impreza Trim? YES – But You’ll Have to Go to Canada!
You lucky Canadians: RS models sold there will have the option of the Sport-tech, which is a luxury! It includes leather seating, an enhanced multimedia system with navigation and a new DriverFocus technology, all standard for Sport-tech.
DriverFocus is a distraction mitigation system that monitors the driver’s facial position and eye movements and notifies the driver on the driver display when you’re not looking at the road.
A Lot of Car For the Price, Especially in the RS Model
Pricing for the Impreza is targeted to Subaru starters; perhaps someone born and raised in a “Subie” family who wants to buy their first car, or the empty nester who wants another Subaru but doesn’t need an SUV. And let’s not forget about the Canadian resident who appreciates a bit of refinement in the cabin – the Sport-Tech trim package is perfect.
The base trim of the Impreza starts at USD $22,995 or CAD $26,795 and tops out at CAD $34,795 for the Canada-only Sport-Tech trim. The RS Trim, as driven and shown here, starts at USD $27,885 or CAD $31,795.
The 2024 Subaru Impreza will be a hit with young professionals settling into an urban lifestyle but want a car that can deliver a fun drive and offer versatility for weekend road trips. Or, those making their first trek to the coast after college to get started on the next era of life.
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