KEY POINTS:
At first glance the two all-wheel-drive cars are worlds apart: one a petrol-powered sports sedan with a serious go-fast pedigree, the other a modest station wagon ... with a diesel engine.
But spend a hour or so behind the wheel of each and the differences are no longer obvious, not from the inside looking out. The diesel is as much fun to drive as the petrol unit.
The 2.5-litre turbocharged engine in the WRX Impreza sedan is what it is - a lusty 195kW/343Nm unit that offers linear performance before and after about 4000rpm, when the turbocharger's biggest bang kicks in. Same with the hatchback variant.
The WRX Impreza needs no introduction, other than the four-door has just arrived in New Zealand and can be expected to dominate sales over the same-priced $46,490 hatchback when it goes on sale next month. The sedan looks better and the trademark long-travel suspension seems more compliant.
The boosted 2-litre diesel under the bonnet of the Legacy range is what it is too - a smooth and refined 110kW/350Nm newcomer that has been tuned more for economy and emissions than power but revs freely to 4500rpm, indicating Subaru will be able to dial in more oomph at will.
It is this engine, the first boxer or horizontally opposed diesel unit in production, that will add a whole new appeal to the Subaru range.
At the moment it is under the bonnet of the Legacy line-up and priced between $41,490 and $44,990. Within the next 18 months or so it will be an option in the Impreza and Forester range.
By then it will have earned the reputation as the quietest and most refined four-cylinder diesel engine on the market. It is that good.
Unlike most four-cylinder engines it doesn't have balance shafts, so has less inertia and a better throttle response.
It pulls impressively from below its peak torque of 1800rpm and spins freely through to peak power at 3600rpm and beyond.
Power goes to all four wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox.
Subaru NZ are stuck with the five-speeder for the moment. Although the engine doesn't scream out for a six-speeder, such a gearbox will be available later across the diesel range.
Subaru claims town and around fuel consumption for the diesel of 5.6 litres/100km (50.4mpg) and CO2 exhaust emissions of 148grams per kilometre. A taller final drive in a six-speed gearbox will further improve fuel economy.
The diesel opens up an all-new segment for Subaru NZ. Says managing director Graeme Woodlands: "Diesel is becoming an increasingly important segment with sales growing from just under 10 per cent last year to 15 per cent of the total market this year.
"Entry into the passenger car market of diesel models by volume selling brands will only increase the speed of take-up."
