2003 SUBARU Impreza Wagon 2.0L Turbo 5MT AWD (225 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Subaru introduced a much-awaited facelift for the Impreza range in 2003 and got rid of those ugly headlights that earned its name as the “bugeye.”

Let’s face it! The Subaru customers never bought an Impreza for their design, or otherwise, the car would have died after the first generation. They bought it for handling, powertrain, reliability factor, and almost anything else. But not for the look. After the 2003 facelift, Subaru was surprised to discover that the refreshed design attracted more buyers into its showrooms.

The new front fascia was miles ahead of what its non-facelifted version had to offer. Its more sweeping headlamps, deeper grille with a horizontal slat resembled an airplane wing, and the sporty-looking apron completely transformed the car’s look. For the non-turbo version, there was no hood-scoop. That was reserved for the turbocharged versions. The taillights kept a similar design as the non-facelifted version, but with a round lamp for the fog-light.

Subaru tried to play it safe and upgraded the interior as well. It was like an entirely new generation, with bigger turning knobs for the HVAC system. The driver received a three-spoke steering wheel instead of the older, four-spoke one. Like its predecessor, the Impreza Wagon featured a split-folding rear bench.

The carmaker tuned the previously used engines and added a new version with a 2.5-liter displacement that provided 165 hp. For the U.S. market, the carmaker offered the Impreza exclusively with an all-wheel-drive system.