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Published on November 14, 2007

The Impreza now comes in hatchback form and is sleeker

and more modern-looking than the sedan form of the outgoing model, which was heavily criticised for its uninspiring design.

"The new Impreza will de-finitely boost our sales," said Motor Image's group CEO Glen Tan. "In Singapore, 100 units of the model were sold on the day of the car's launch. In Thailand, we expect to sell 50 units before the end of this year. At the upcoming [Bangkok International] Motor Expo we will have the Impreza 1.5R and 2.5WRX versions on display."

Total sales of Subaru cars in Thailand last year amounted to just 65 units. This year, with the help of the new Impreza and a new showroom, the company hopes to sell 150 units - a 130-per cent improvement.

Next year, Motor Image will open five new showrooms in Chiang Mai, Lampang, Khon Kaen, Phuket and Nakhon Sawan, and aims to sell between 300 and 400 vehicles. All of the new showrooms will have service and spare-parts centres.

For a short while, the Impreza 1.5R will be available in both automatic and manual transmission versions costing Bt1.17 million and Bt1.12 million, respectively.

However, these prices will apply only during the Bangkok International Motor Expo, at which the company hopes for many sales.

Tan did not reveal by how much the price would increase next year, saying it would depend on the economy and demand for the vehicle.

"We are focusing on the 1.5R because we want customers to understand that Subaru is now a more premium car which is lifestyle-oriented," said Tan.

"We do not promote street racing or drag racing. This is not what we want our customers to think of us.

"The basic 1.5R model, which has attracted great sales volumes in foreign markets, allows us to reach a wider customer base because of its cheaper price. However, this does not mean that we are departing from our core values of dynamics and great handling. This is why - for those who want the performance - we still have the STI version."

The STI, which is the high-performance version of the Impreza, was launched at the Tokyo Motor Show only last month and has still to be launched on worldwide markets. It is expected to make its first appearance in Thailand at the Bangkok International Motor Show next April.

This year, Motor Image will focus on the Impreza, but will also give special attention to other Subaru models like the R1 and R2 city cars.

Vijo Varghese

 The Nation