2017 Subaru Impreza review
Isaac Bober’s first drive 2017 Subaru Impreza review with pricing, specs, performance, ride and handling, safety, verdict and score.
In a nutshell: The all-new Subaru Impreza is the first application of Subaru’s new global platform and delivers a more dynamic drive and more premium cabin feel.
2017 Subaru Impreza
Pricing From $22,400+ORC Warranty three years, unlimited kilometres Service Intervals 12,500km or 12 months Safety 5 star ANCAP Engine 2.0-litre four-cylinder Boxer petrol Power 115kW at 6000rpm Torque 196Nm at 4000rpm Transmission CVT Drive permanent all-wheel drive (default 60:40 split) Dimensions Sedan: 4625mm (L); 1775mm (W); 1540mm (H); Hatch: 4460mm (L); 1775mm (W); 1540mm (H) Turning Circle 10.6m Kerb Weight 1386kg-1438kg Fuel Tank 50L Thirst 6.6-7.2L/100km
Editor's Rating
THE ALL-NEW SUBARU Impreza was launched in Australia this week with Subaru claiming it’s the brand’s most important vehicle in decades. See, the new Impreza is the brand’s first outing for its new global platform which, going forward, will be used under everything from Impreza to Forester and Outback.
More than just being the debut of its new platform, the new Impreza marks, the Japanese car maker says, a step-up in quality and connectivity. Marketing materials claim the new Impreza is only 95% all-new, but the company says the only common bits between this new car and the old one are some nuts and bolts here and there, meaning that everything you look at and touch is brand spanking new.
The new Impreza went on-sale in October with Subaru claiming 700 pre-orders; deliveries are beginning this month. Besides the interest in the new Impreza, it’s worth making note of the new 12,500km/12-month capped price servicing schedule, a program that will surely roll out across all new Subaru models (the next to arrive will be the XV towards the middle of next year). Indeed, according to Subaru, “In the first three years of the CPS, the total cost of servicing new generation Impreza is $1298.19, which is $918.86 less than the superseded model”.
While some might argue there’s little difference between the two cars as far as exterior looks go, I’d argue the new one looks more sophisticated than its predecessor, especially the 2.0i-S variant (pictured) which gets steering responsive headlights and LED daytime running lights and 18-inch alloys. The new Impreza sits 10mm lower and is 35mm wider than its predecessor, and is available in both hatch and sedan variants.
2017 Subaru Impreza key features:
Impreza 2.0i
- New generation touchscreen infotainment system featuring: Apple CarPlay; and Google Android Auto
- Tyre pressure warning light
- 17-inch alloy wheels
Impreza 2.0i-L adds (to 2.0i specification):
- 8-inch touchscreen
- Premium cloth trim
- Dual zone fully automatic air conditioning
- Electric folding mirrors with integrated indicators
- EyeSight driver assist
- Front fog lights with integrated Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
- Leather accented trim steering wheel and gear shift
- Tyre pressure monitoring system
- Upgraded Multi-Function Display
Impreza 2.0i-Premium adds (to 2.0i-L specification):
- Electric sunroof
- Factory fitted SatNav powered by TomTom
Impreza 2.0i-S adds (to 2.0i-Premium specification):
- Active Torque Vectoring
- Automatic head lights
- Automatic front wipers
- Heated front seats
- Heated mirrors
- Leather accented trim
- Power driver’s seat
- Side skirts
- Steering responsive LED head lights with integrated DRLs
- Vision Assist features: Blind Spot Monitoring; Lane Change Assist; and Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- 18-inch wheel – pattern unique to the variant.
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2017 Subaru Impreza pricing – Excluding on-road costs |
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Sedan |
Hatch |
|
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2.0i |
$22,400 |
$22,600 |
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2.0i-L |
$24,490 |
$24,690 |
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2.0i-Premium |
$26,290 |
$26,490 |
|
2.0i-S |
$28,990 |
$29,190 |
What’s it like inside?
The new Subaru Impreza is 35mm wider than its predecessor, has a 25mm longer wheelbase, sits 10mm lower, and gets 29mm more shoulder room in the front and 34mm in the back with 26mm more legroom for backseat passengers. In a nutshell, it means there’s more room inside the new Impreza than the old one, and noticeably so.
But it’s likely to be the dashboard and quality of the materials used inside the car that you’ll notice first. Gone are the days when Subaru used to use, or so it seemed, the same plastic as that used in lunchboxes for its interiors.
Feel around the dash and there’s good-quality soft-touch plastics, and even where hard plastics have been used, like on the transmission cover leading into the centre console box (which is nicely padded), and the dials for climate control, it’s all nicely textured and feels good to the touch. Indeed, the quality of the materials used is on-par with anything out of the VW Group which is widely considered the gold standard when it comes to interior quality.
The dash is simply laid out with, thankfully, climate control functions (all models above 2.0i offer voice control for heating and cooling) separated from the infotainment touchscreen. Depending on the model, you’ll get either a 6.5- or 8.0-inch touchscreen that behaves much like a smartphone and features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The layout of the system is very simple; it’s very unlikely you’ll get lost using this system, but we’ll perform a full test of it when we’ve got the thing for longer than a morning.
The screen itself is pushed up towards the top of the dashboard making it easy to glance across at while driving and use on the fly. It was a bright sunny day for the local launch and the screen remained easy to see even in direct sunlight. More than that, the virtual ‘buttons’ are nice and big, making them easy to target on the move and offer a sensitivity that’s just about perfect. There’s a USB and 12V outlet in the centre console.
The front seats are nice and comfortable and there’s plenty of adjustment on them meaning drivers of all sizes will be able to get comfortable behind the wheel. The front seats now slide further, up from 240mm to 260mm, and there’s more space between the seat and the underside of the dash below the steering wheel making it easier to get in and out of the Impreza. The steering offers reach and rake, both of which offer considerably more travel than the old model.
Subaru said it had worked hard to make the back seats, well, the two outboard ones at least, as comfortable on long journeys as the front seats. And it might well have. I didn’t get a chance to travel in the back seat at the local launch but there’s certainly plenty of leg and knee room (thanks to the front seat backs being 27mm thinner). Indeed, the slide rails for the front seats have been pushed further apart by 66mm and seen the height between the floor and the underside of the front seat rise by 12mm, meaning backseat passengers get more foot room than before.
Getting into and out of the back is easy and while the door trim is now thinner, to increase interior space, the arm rests are bigger and more padded than before making them properly usable for both front and backseat passengers.
What about headroom? Well, I’m just under six-feet tall and I found headroom acceptable, and on-par with key competitors in the space, like Mazda3 and VW Golf.
The boot space offers an extra five litres of storage, taking it to 345 litres (for the hatch and 460L in the sedan), but the space is easier to use now thanks to the opening on both the hatch and sedan being wider. Drop the back seats down and boot space grows to 795 litres in the hatch. Quality touches include sturdy eyelets that click back into place when not being used, and a system that allows you to angle up the rear of the boot floor to hide odds and ends away from prying eyes without being obvious about it.
Underneath the boot floor is a space saver spare only, and that’s standard across the range with no full-size option available. That said, looking at the boot floor, it’s obvious that Subaru will be able to include a full-size spare beneath the floor for the XV (all Subaru SUVs get a full-size spare) and only give-away a small amount of storage space. It will also mean that when the 60:40 split-fold rear seats are folded down (there are toggles on top of the outboard seats which you simply lift to fold down the seats) the floor will be flat. On the Impreza there’s a lip up when the seats are folded down.
What’s it like on the road?
The improvements to the interior and connectivity are impressive, but it’s the chassis, thanks to the new global platform, that’s the defining feature.
The local launch of the Impreza was held on some tight and twisting backroads around Canberra that were littered with humps and bumps; the kinds of roads that will very quickly show up a chassis shortcomings. That the Impreza ate up the roads is testament to just how good Subaru’s new global platform is, and just how epic it will be when the all-new WRX hits the road.
For a start, the new platform is an impressive 70-100% stiffer than the chassis under the old Impreza, and thanks to ride and handling work carried out in Australia, we get our own tune which is slightly sportier than other markets, or so Subaru Australia told us.
While most Imprezas will get their hardest workout on the school run and schlepping about in traffic, it’s nice to know that Subaru’s ‘fun to drive’ claim for the new Impreza isn’t just marketing nonsense. On tight and twisting corners, the new Impreza impresses with minimal body roll, improved bump control and stability when flowing from a left- into a right-turning corner.
Parts of the road we drove across had massive out-of-nowhere bumps in them that saw the thing get very light indeed, however it settled comfortably and quickly, and without bobbing. And no matter how hard the hit the suspension dealt with it admirably, with almost nothing making it through to the chassis or, thus, into the cabin. Subaru claims a 50% reduction in vibration through the rear suspension, and I’d believe it.
The steering is well weighted, consistent and direct in its action with enough feel to elevate the Impreza from being mere transport. The straight-ahead feel is good at highway speed with weight and response building nicely in the first few degrees off centre.
The brake pedal feels like the pedal’s travel has been reduced but the action remains nice and progressive, meaning it’s easy to bleed speed without having the passenger head-bang the dashboard.
At the launch, I was able to sample both the 2.0i-P and 2.0i-S, the latter gets torque vectoring which shuffles torque away from the side losing grip and applies the brakes to the inside wheels to help keep the car turning into the corner.
Perhaps that’s testament to the inherent grip provided by Subaru’s permanent all-wheel drive system which runs a default 60:40 drive split (front:rear) and the Bridgestone Potenzas it’s shod with. This driver would have run out of talent long before the Impreza ran out of grip.
While the new Impreza is much more agile than ever before, it’s not a whole lot more powerful. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder Boxer engine has been overhauled to make it more efficient and 10% lighter, but the engineers could only liberate an extra 5kW, bringing output up to 115kW at 6000rpm while torque is unchanged at 196Nm at 4000rpm.
All Imprezas are equipped with CVT only, but it’s a brand new CVT that gets simulated seven-gear ratios (up from six) when in manual-shift mode and while CVTs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, Subaru’s is easily the best on the market. Left to its own devices and driven at about seven-tenths, the Impreza’s transmission is smooth and responsive, and only on long, steep hills does it feel like more torque wouldn’t go astray, but we’ll reserve ultimate judgement until we’ve had the car for a longer test and loaded it up with the family.
In manual mode and using the steering-mounted paddles, the transmission is responsive and absolutely does feel like you’re firing through ‘real’ gear ratios.
One thing that particularly stuck out was how quiet the new Impreza is with virtually no wind or suspension noise leaking into the cabin. Sure, there’s some road noise across course surfaces but it’s generally a much quieter place to be than ever before.
What about the safety features?
The new Subaru Impreza carries a five-star ANCAP rating, realising 35.80 out of 37 in testing. Subaru claims the design of its global platform and the strength of it mean the Impreza can achieve a maximum safety score up to 2025.
The Impreza offers standard active and passive safety features, including permanent all-wheel drive, stability and traction control, airbags (dual front, side, curtain and driver’s knee), and reversing camera (with guidelines that move as the wheel is angled – a first for any Subaru model). Both mid- and top-spec models add Subaru’s clever EyeSight system to the mix which uses stereo cameras at the top of the windscreen to monitor the road ahead (they provide a 35-degree field of view to the front and can see out to around 100m). Featuring the third-generation EyeSight system means it can ‘see’ in colour and thus recognise brake lights, when they’re on or off.
The top-spec Impreza gets Vision Assist features, including blind spot monitoring, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert.
Why you’d buy one
Because you want something small-ish to get around town but with the added safety benefit of all-wheel drive. The new Impreza is more expensive than its key rivals, but none of them get all-wheel drive and permanent all-wheel drive, particularly in the wet, is worth its weight in gold. Add to that the fact the new Impreza gets EyeSight, is more agile and comfortable than ever before with the best quality interior it’s ever had. And, now the service schedules have been pushed out to 12 months or 12,500km you’ll save money.
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42 Comments
As always, a well written and balanced article judging it to how it sits in its class.
The fact the new Impreza has beat the Mercedes E Class, Audi A4 and others to win Japanese Car of the Year is quite an achievement already.
The Impreza platform has set a new benchmark for in this class.
We’d all love a 1.6l turbo dropped in it to make an RS model, but we have four models that stack up very well against the competitors, and for around $40k you can buy the WRX.
Absolutely. At the launch, many journos commented on the lack of torque… but driven at 7/10ths, which is probably harder than an owner will ever drive it, it was fine. The chassis has so much depth and potential. I can’t wait for the new WRX. – Isaac
According to Subaru there could be a TS 3.6R coming soon too. Depending on how far they go with this it could be great car. So how does the global platform work exactly as the Liberty and Outback are a significantly larger car so how can that possibly be on the same global platform as the Imprezza for future models?
People are already complaining how gutless the new imprezza is on hills so that is going to affect people’s buying decisions. Especially if they have a family of 4 in the car all the time.
I’m actually collecting one for testing next week and will be able to tell you what it’s like with the family on-board up hills. From the local launch, I can tell you most journos drove the thing like it was a WRX and so were always going to be disappointed with its grunt up hills and out of corners. The road the launch was held on was, perhaps, too demanding for what will be a town-based family car but I know why Subaru chose the roads they did; they wanted to highlight the chassis. That said, yes, some more grunt would be nice 😉 – Isaac
The new Audi A4 is far superior to the Imprezza. Not sure what they were smoking at the time but that has a very sophisticated suspension system that is a whole class above this car not to mention it is significantly quieter with heat sealed windows.
The Audi A4 is double the price of the Impreza, if not more…not sure why you brought that into the discussion….are you saying you have driven the new Impreza and Audi A4 in a comparison?
Sorry no was just responding to this was all.
”As always, a well written and balanced article judging it to how it sits in its class.
The fact the new Impreza has beat the Mercedes E Class, Audi A4 and others to win Japanese Car of the Year is quite an achievement already.
The Impreza platform has set a new benchmark for in this class.
We’d all love a 1.6l turbo dropped in it to make an RS model, but we have four models that stack up very well against the competitors, and for around $40k you can buy the WRX.”
No i was offered a free test drive back in september on the new Imprezza but just not interested in such a slow car. I am not into sports cars either but that is horribly slow at over 10 seconds to 100 km’h. It would feel like standing still.
I just don’t see the point of a whole new platform and then they just put a boring engine it with no power.
Mate, I am not sure why you are rambling on….Still!
Google the SGP and see how it was designed and how it works. Its called modular. Meaning it can be made longer and/or wider not fixed like the VAG have with the MQB platform.
I have driven the car, and suggest you should rather than just mouthing off, and compare to other cars in its class like the 1.8 Litre Civic, the i30 and Corolla, to name a few, not you Liberty 3.6R you speak off.
There is now way you were offered a a “Test Drive” of the new MY17 Impreza in September as 1. They were not here then(released 25 December) 2. The Pre-launch was mid November 3. How would you know it was “slow” if you never drove it or not Australian reviews existed?
I am not sure what you are expecting of a small hatch, but if you want to go fast, buy a WRX, if you want to have a small hatch to drive to work, the occasional trips, and is economical, then thats what the Impreza is for. It has never claimed to be anything but.
An lastly, the point of the new platform is for quicker development of new models, and it will underpin all new AWD models(that means no BRZ) by 2020.
Sheesh!
It was definately september tynan had advanced models for test drive. Fair enough but it is still expensive for the sport model seeing it barely offers any benefit over the base model. Why do we want a global platform where all models will end up looking the same. Subaru was good in that it kept it’s models mostly seperate chasis for different purposes.
Most Subaru models have had shared Platforms. Forester is a variation of Impreza(old one) and XV a variation of Forester and so on.
The S has loads of extra kit over the base car, which is exempt from the Eyesight. Also, the S barely changed in price but gained, Eyesight, Adaptive Cruise, Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, a better Sat Nav with Android Auto. Apple Car-play, LED SRH Headlights, 18″ Alloys….and the list goes on for about $700 more than old 2.0i-S. That is a lot of gear.
By the way, the modular(or any) Platform has no bearing on what a car will look like.
It offers alot of kit but it’s just such a lousy engine. No point bothering with a sports car look unless it has performance to match.
So with what you are saying about a global platform. They were more or less already doing this then at least for most of the smaller cars so in this way it is hardly remarkable. Still can’t see the point of Android auto or Apple play. Steering responsive headlights are only useful if you drive alot on dark back roads in country areas. Pointless in the city.
Heat sealed windows?? What?
I think you should drive an Impreza before you claim an Audi is quieter. At twice the price, it would want to be, but you wouldn’t know, because you haven’t driven either of them!
I have actually but go on thinking what you like. Imprezza is ok for the price but severely let down by the engine. Even a small 2 litre 6 would have been great and punchy
Not the same platform though , would have much preferred they released a new Liberty 3.6R sports model on this platform. That would have been exciting. This is rather boring and i am failing to see how even larger info screens are anything but a health hazard. The more you take your eyes off the road the better chance of an accident and safety features won’t save you from a head on in all circumstances while you are looking at the pretty new info layouts.
The reason we had far less accidents in older cars was far less distractions keeping the driver from focusing.
You can Apple Car-play but then praise it? The idea with a bigger screen is it is easier to read. When you plug you Android or Apple phone in, it renders it unusable unless by voice recognition and limited screen use. I am happy to give you a lesson on how it works an would save lives. No, you cannot play Pokemon go! Even to think that a car maker would allow that, seriously dude!
No i praise siri integration as it is voice only. Car play is next to useless if you already have satnav. It’s not like you can view the screen whilst driving.
Better go an get someone to show you how it works.
I know how it works and in a car it is rather pointless as you should be keeping your eyes on the road not fiddling with apps.
Android auto and Apple car play offer voice interaction for messaging and calls, regularly updated map data (with class leading Google Maps in the case of Android Auto), integrated access to multimedia applications like music streaming, and an interface purpose built for driving – this means a simplified layout compared to a regular smartphone. It also means most apps are limited in functionality or disabled entirely in the interests of safety. So no, you can’t go playing games or watching movies while driving. It even disables your phone entirely while connected to ensure you can’t be distracted by it
Have a look further into Android Auto and Apple car play. It’s not what you think.
You do realise you can use verbal siri satnav in the Liberty? All you do is connect the iphone and say you want to find something and it will offer to activate the navigation. Verbal is far easier than visual as you never take your eyes off the road anyway.
I do, but as I’ve said elsewhere, Siri is terrible. At least on its own it is. It’s simply not reliable or full featured enough to depend on.
Using voice alone to navigate is doable, but not ideal. It’s still far superior to have a large map displayed on the dash with things like traffic congestion and ETA (only possible with a cellular connection), lane guidance, distance to next turn, type of next turn, etc. Glancing at this information is no different to quickly adjusting your air conditioning or music volume.
The benefit of Android Auto and Car Play is that Google Now and Siri, respectively, are augmented by a large touch display. Yes, I share your concerns that people shouldn’t be distracted by digital toys while driving. It’s fair to be sceptical. But as I’ve already mentioned, Android Auto and Apple Car Play don’t just project your phone onto the car’s display. What it does is project a purpose built and massively simplified interface for use while driving. Digital user interfaces are what Google and Apple do best.
You know what’s dangerous? Using an unintuitive and unreliable user interface while driving at 100km/h. The whole point of Android Auto and Car Play is to ensure people spend less time looking at their car’s digital console by making it quicker and easier to use. Car manufacturers know how to make cars but they suck at making user facing software. Their central digital hubs are always unintuitive, janky, inconsistent and unreliable – and rarely updated, if ever. I mean just look at Subaru’s website where they say their built in sat-nav gets three years of updates included in the purchase. Then what? Do you have to start paying for updated maps? Will Subaru even continue to develop map data for older car models?
Because Android Auto and Apple Car Play run on your phone they get updates all the time. New maps data, new features, new functionality. Free. And when you buy a new phone, as many people do every 1-3 years, you can just plug into your car and continue as before. So now, instead of your car’s central digital hub dating in the space of a few years, it’ll remain up to date and modern indefinitely.
However what they don’t make clear is it is going to use your phone data so unless you are on an unlimited plan it is not going to suit everyone to use apple car play for maps etc. I have sat nav in my 3.6R and it’s been perfectly fine and yes it has 3 year updates and yes Subaru continues to support older models dating back from 2012 and before.
I’ll remain skeptical as i just see it as a way to offer inferior quality audio systems in cars. At least subaru still includes Tom tom navigation in the top spec imprezzas which will obviously filter through to newer liberty and outback models anyway. I am not at all impressed with the google maps layout for navigation it just looks far too busy.
However why do we want Apple to dominate every single market anyway?
Maybe if i was married with kids i would see more use in apple car play for things like audio books on long trips etc however i am not and will never be married with kids so it’s just me in the car 90% of the time so i just wouldn’t use any of these so called amazing features.
We definitely don’t want Apple to dominate. That’s why Google’s Android Auto is just as important. But I guess the question you’re asking is: why should tech companies dominate a field typically owned by car makers? Well, I think it’s because that’s what they’re best at. Car makers have had years to get their digital interfaces sorted but they have always sucked. Once Google and Apple have entered the fray, many auto makers went on the defensive and were reluctant to give the tech companies any leverage. But as time has gone by car makers have come to realise people prefer their cars to function like the devices they use every day – it’s just easier for people to get to grips with an interface similar to the one their phone uses.
I think a large display is great because it means less squinting at tiny text, which means more time looking at the road. Obviously there’s a limit (Tesla, I’m looking at you!) but an 8 inch display sounds perfect to me.
As for maps data, you can just download areas to your phone in advance and not worry about mobile data. eg. download the entire city of Melbourne via WiFi and then be done with it.
Expect Siri is terrible.
i have had only one issue with siri in 8 months and that is for some reason it can’t understand Anne when i try to a call a friend i have to say nnn lol. Besides that it has been flawless in note taking and anything else i have asked.
Ok, perhaps in the car it might a bit better because extensive functionality isn’t so important. Generally it’s just simple requests like “navigate here” or “call X”. I guess I’m mainly referring to more advanced interactions for when you’re not in the car… but I’m drifting off topic so I’ll leave it there!
Ah ok fair enough i really don’t use my mobile unless i am in the car anyway other than to just make calls. I really hope they don’t turn the liberty/legacy into having this awful interior design though. It looks like a Hyundai.
Hopefully they’ll have the RS model further down the road since the 2018 WRX is just a facelift.
I find the front of the base model looks more performance oriented than the higher grade. May be it’s because of the lack of fog lights and chrome trim around the grill.
They need something, this is just not going to sell well in Australia at all with a crappy 115 kw powerplant.
Actually, I think you are wrong. ..I think it will sell …Shall we return here in twelve months with a result?
lol maybe if i can be bothered. I just would have loved to see this platform on something decent like the 3.6R liberty in a spec B model or something.
The imprezza always felt claustrophobic inside to me, just too small.
It may sell at first being shiny and new but as soon as people start driving them in hilly areas they are going to end up turning to better engine equipped car. This is still far too expensive to only offer 1 engine option.
For goodness sake. A car is more than kws. The Impreza has a lot going for it. I’m very tempted.
It’s ok for what it is but there are much better options for the money. I just wish they would have started the global platform on something decent like the Liberty/Legacy.
I notice the Impreza requires 95 RON fuel. Is this something typical to all Subarus? A bit of a bummer – every dollar counts at the pump!
Not sure sorry, i only use 98 premium in my 3.6R i’ve never used any other fuel even in my previous car. Don’t really care about fuel prices to be perfectly honest.
It’s swings and roundabouts to me. Some cars cost more per year to insure others cost more at the petrol pump. Some it’s both. I just figure if you can afford a new car you can afford the petrol otherwise why buy a new car in the first place. Just buy a cheap well maintained second hand car instead.
I do only use 1 or 2 petrol stations to fill the car up though which are pretty consistent in their pricing anyway.
What a pity they won’t offer a fullsize spare as an option. The space is there, it seems, as is the demand (small though it may be, it’s not limited to just me).
I used to think that and i have a full size spare in my 2016 3.6R but to be honest i have never had to change a tyre in a Subaru for the past 25 years. They don’t seem to be tough on tyres even back in the 90’s models.
Then you have been very fortunate indeed. A tyre can deflate at any time, for whatever reason, and it rarely has anything to do with whatever car they are under. Leave the city without a spare tyre at your own risk.
Agreed, every new car I have had recently has ended up with a nail or screw in it for the last few years, sometimes more than once and the pissy spare is crap.
I always have a spare tyre as the 3.6r has a full size spare that is also nitrogen filled. In fact all 3 liberties i have owned even since 92 model all had full size alloy wheels. Must be just the imprezza that misses out. Just never had to use it i said. Didn’t say i removed it lol
Such a shame about the engine. Was hoping it would be at least 140 kw or so. Plus no rear vent controls. i think i will stick to my 3.6R Liberty at least until the new model arrives based on this global platform.