Not sure if this is the final production ready version, but if it is—and being a Subaru fan, I'm disappointed. I guess, Subaru being burned by the controversial 3-piece grille found on the Tribeca and current Impreza, has decided the bland-is-better approach is the way to go...
The funny thing is, while the Tribeca has been a slow seller, the Impreza—which is near the end of its product cycle—is selling like hotcakes. It's setting sales records almost monthly—and this is with the so-called controversial grille...
Usually when a vehicle is in the last two years of its product life, sales slow considerably; not so with the Impreza, which tells me the grille is not the problem most think it is.
So while my initial gut response is "bleh," I'll reserve final judgement until I learn more about the car. Afterall, a car (any car) is far more than just the grille...
The bottom camoed image has been confirmed as the real deal, so you be the judge about the top one. At any rate, you can see the full story here at thehollywoodextra.blogspot.com.
Here's a related story from UK's Auotcar, in which they say the next Impreza will influenced by the Subaru B5 TPH concept of a few years back. Note that most recent rumors dispute that.
So while my initial gut response is "bleh," I'll reserve final judgement until I learn more about the car. Afterall, a car (any car) is far more than just the grille...
The bottom camoed image has been confirmed as the real deal, so you be the judge about the top one. At any rate, you can see the full story here at thehollywoodextra.blogspot.com.
Here's a related story from UK's Auotcar, in which they say the next Impreza will influenced by the Subaru B5 TPH concept of a few years back. Note that most recent rumors dispute that.
c_hunter says:
09:57 AM, 01/29/07
Since we are fairly certain the camo image is the real deal and the clean car is more or less consistent with the camo version (hood scoops are different), I would say this is probably the 2008 Impreza. I am not to thrilled with the grille (Chrysler/Toyota-esque), but the rest looks decent to me.
Craig
ateixeira says:
10:24 AM, 01/29/07
Once bitten, twice shy. It's a shame, really. The press will whine about the boring look but they're the ones that caused it, indirectly.
Too bland for me. Looks like a Kia Spectra5.
trackwrex says:
10:31 AM, 01/29/07
And Toyota replaces the the Camry-Solara with the Camry-Impreza. :)
firstwagon says:
11:17 AM, 01/29/07
It does look a little too mainstream for a Subaru.
Doesn't matter too much though as Subarus have always been about the way they drive and what they can do rather then how they look.
nickel says:
11:21 AM, 01/29/07
Hope not. How a STi fan is going to look in this car when the new Evo is so nice? But I think a better photoshop could be out soon, with the new face of Subaru (the '08 Legacy grille)
estreka says:
11:41 AM, 01/29/07
That top photo really looks like the Town & Country with touches of Corolla.
The bottom photo is a little better, but with all the camo, it's hard to tell. I don't like it. The split-3 grille was far better. Is Subaru growing old? I hope not.
moparbad says:
12:02 PM, 01/29/07
Do not like it.
Nope, don't like it at all.
_wraith_ says:
12:11 PM, 01/29/07
Looks a lot like the Mazda3 5-door.
I actually kinda like the goofy grille on the current-gen Impreza.
la4mead says:
12:46 PM, 01/29/07
I like the rear quarters. The Camry (playing it safe) grille is not needed any more than the Tribecca style grille snout was. Something in between would have been a little better. However I agree with Firstwagon, Subarus are much more about how they feel and drive than their style. As long as they avoid making them really objectionably ugly, they won't turn too many buyers away.
lemontj13 says:
04:34 PM, 01/29/07
It looks like a cross between a Corolla, Camry, and a 335i. I have not been liking recent Subarus at all. Especially the ones with the odd grille. To tell the truth, I can see a little bit of the Vibe in the ad next to the top photo in it
misaniovent says:
05:14 PM, 01/29/07
Really a pity, since the current Impreza is one of the better-looking cars on the road to my eyes.
billt9 says:
09:53 PM, 01/29/07
I love the Tribeca! It's beautiful inside and out.
the INTERIOR on the Tribeca is gorgeous! And very comfortable.
But then I look at the price tag... $39,000 for a 4 seater SUV?
Get out of here. No wonder it looks and feels as good as a Mercedes-Benz.
lemontj13 says:
04:37 AM, 01/30/07
billt,
The B9 Tribeca can seat 5 or 7 people, not 4. Also, it really doesn't feels as good as a Mercedes-Benz. Looks can't compete with anybody exept for Toyota. That's not a good thing.
adeez says:
06:34 PM, 01/31/07
I rather see this bland thing than the current 4 eyed grill disaster. The current version is so ugly to me, its looks were the only thing stopping me from buying one. This design doesn't light the world on fire like the new Evo, but its better than the last one.
rsholland says:
09:27 AM, 02/ 1/07
Latest word is this is not the final version. My guess is that it's close though.
bdri says:
09:14 AM, 03/13/07
it doesn't even look like a subaru... the headlights kind of suck compared to the 07 headlights...