As well as a short impression of the JDM S-GT and a full road test of the new 2.0 RX (they were not over impressed) this week's Autocar includes the following bit of news :

"The combination of turbo thrust and frugality has led Subaru UK to push for a diesel engine WRX for the UK market, hopefully stepping in when the limited run of petrol-fired WRXs sells out. A Subaru UK source told Autocar that the firm had just about convinced the factory to build the car."

According to Autocar the flat four diesel engine will first appear early next year in the new Legacy. It puts out 160 bhp with 250 lb ft of torque.

With the prospect of later cars being diesel powered I suspect that the batch of petrol engined 3rd generation Imprezas could sell out very, very quickly!

How do others feel about this?

Personally I'm very, very glad that I took the plunge and bought my new WRX in June ..........

An Impreza which does 0-60 MPH in 4.8 Seconds and returns 65 mpg seems pretty good to me - I'll buy one!!

It has been mentioned before,


A flat four turbo diesel.................that'll make the evo & celica boys giggle

I just hope it's a decent engine. A diesel scooby could work very well IMHO, but only if the engine is up there with the best - and my experience of recent 4 cyl diesels is depressingly poor.

If they'd made a 6 cyl, though, that would be a different matter entirely...

I'm still wondering how the "stroke thing" is done with the Subaru diesel.

Diesels are traditionally long stroke engines. Current Subaru flat 4s are anything but....

A sort of flattish or W-ish 6, 8 or 12 could work.

J.

They have been working on it for centuries so it should be a good one which ever way they design it!

You'd hope so - but the Lexus IS220d's engine was rubbish and I'm sure that wasn't exactly rushed either. The only 4 cyl diesel I've driven and liked was the 2.0 in the Audi A4.

needs to be 200bhp min with 400Nm as a min on wrx, which it wont have and it will be rubbish. 170/320 is my guess.

the lexus lump comes from toyota, japs do not seem to be up to the standard of the german oil burners, yet !

Well this really does top it all off - A diesel WRX? they've totally lost the plot. If looks for the 2008 model are anything to go by, then it will be rubbish!

It gets worse!!! Diesel WRX. Idiots. Bye bye Impreza...

"I just hope it's a decent engine. A diesel scooby could work very well IMHO, but only if the engine is up there with the best - and my experience of recent 4 cyl diesels is depressingly poor.

If they'd made a 6 cyl, though, that would be a different matter entirely"

I'm afraid it looks like 4 cylinder, according to Autocar.

The honda accord diesel is pretty good I thought

i drive busses all day which are diesel, and thats enought. its nice to jump into a petrol car and enjoy the drive!!!! dont do it subaru, it wont work if you make a dirty diesel impreza

I heard there is going to be a 6 cylinder, whether it finds it's way into the Impreza is another matter. A Boxer diesal in any guise should be pretty special in my opinion.

I'll be unusual, certainly, but whether it's inherently any better in terms of NVH or power remains to be seen. I can't say I'm overly optimistic.

A 6 cyl diesel would suit the Legacy (and that pig-ugly SUV thing too) very well - in fact they're both crying out for one. I suspect that a sufficiently powerful diesel for the WRX would be too heavy and would ruin the handling, though.

A lot of diesel cars these days are as good, if not better to drive than the petrol versions. However, 160ish bhp is about the same as a BMW 320d, which is adequate but deffo not what you'd call fast. You will be looking at 45+mpg, though.

As said, you'd need 200bhp (like a 330d) for it to be worthy of a WRX badge.

I don't think it's good idea as diesel engine is much heavier than petrol engine of the same size hence heavy front nose!

More bad news ....

Just read a short piece in this month's Japanese Performance :

"December 2008 - WRX diesel

Don't be surprised if next year's Impreza diesel comes with a WRX badge on its tail. Subaru's first-ever diesel engine is also the world's forst flat four diesel and it will be powerful enough to compete in the lucrative Golf GT TDI class"

It looks like the WRX brand is set for a significant degree of damage if Subaru think we'll be happy to drive around in oil burners with similar performance characteristics to a diesel golf.

My selection of the 07 WRX was based on weighing factors such as performance, appearance and ride quality. I didn't want an STi - too compromised as an everyday car for me and possessing an image which didn't quite fit my (considerable) age.

So it looks as if I'm out of luck with Subaru from now on - my requirement is in the big gap between a Golf TDi equivalent and an STi. and after the 300 08 petrol WRXs are gone I'll have nothing to buy.

You could always get an import S-GT, which is a proper 2.0 petrol turbo.

Or maybe the STI will be a bit less compromised as an everyday car instead?

You don't find diesel engined road cars in Japan, full stop. It's perceived as dirty and a fuel for large vehicles, lorries and buses.

Peugeot and VW really led the diesel revolution in Europe.

That may be, but IMHO it's BMW who have really made it a serious contender. No other engine I've come across has been anywhere near as good as the one in my 330D.

I believe the RangeRover has the 3 litre BMW diesel engine which is OK, but the new Discovery has a much better 2.7 V6. The twin turbo version in the Jag S-type is a stonker. Put this in an Impreza and I'd be interested.

Current RR has the 2.7 or their own V8 TDI. The V8 is meant to be a cracker.

Now if we are talking light weight diesel engines the new 123d is the one to talk about, 203bhp from 2000cc..... Almost the same output as the 3000cc 330d engine! And 50mpg!

Hmmm, a big heavy diesel engine in the front of an Impreza. It would probably stand on its nose.

As a petrolhead I always shuddered at the thought of diesel engines, but having driven a Fabia vRS for a few months now I can see lots of benefits with very few downsides. My little tugboat has 180bhp, with 312 lb/ft (419Nm IIRC) and matches the Prodrive PPP STi quoted figures for 30-70 through the gears. On track I have no problems keeping up with many Scoobs, unless they're very highly tuned, being driven very well or it's very wet. When I'm not 'on it' I can see over 60mpg on the motorway and 40+ 'round town. Torque is the key, and AWD systems will revel in it. Look at the revered rally cars pegged at 300bhp, but often pushing over 700 lb/ft. Get over your prejudices and accept the sound might be pants and they make a great deal of sense. If they get the engine right it could suprise you all IMHO. The VW lump in my car is awesome, but can FHI do any better ?

My next door neighbour demonstrates the landrover to the public interested in buying one on a specila designed off road track/course.

He takes people out in the Range Rover V8 petrol and tells them its a diesel and takes them out in the V8 diesel and tell them its a petrol. They all comment on how slow they think the diesel is compared to the petrol engine

V8 Turbo Diesel, 472lbs/ft torque

At 1500rpm probably also.