2020 Subaru Impreza Gets Safety Upgrades

The Subaru Impreza is receiving some small but important safety upgrades for the 2020 model year, along with a modest $100 price bump at the bottom end of the trim hierarchy.

The all-wheel-drive compact car has been around in its current form since 2017, available in both sedan and hatchback body styles.

Perhaps the biggest change for the 2020 Subaru Impreza is the inclusion of Subaru Eyesight Driver Assist technology across all trim levels, so long as the continuously-variable automatic transmission is optioned. This system uses two windshield-mounted cameras to scan the road ahead, and includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and automatic pre-collision braking.

An available Rear Seat Reminder, designed to help keep drivers from forgetting pets or children in the back seat after they park, is also new.

The front bumper cover and grille have been restyled for 2020, as well, and hatchback models get a new-and-improved rear light design.

Pricing for the 2020 Subaru Impreza now starts at $18,695, and for that, you get a four-door sedan with Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive, powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission. You’ll have to spend another $1,300 if you want a transmission that can shift itself.

Standard equipment on all trim levels includes a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Subaru’s Starlink infotainment, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a multi-function display within the instrument cluster, and a security system with an immobilizer. New for 2020, Subaru has given the Impreza automatic door locks with a collision-detection unlock feature, which automatically disengages the locks after the car has been in a crash.

But back to that manual transmission: with each passing year, more and more automakers are ditching their stick-shift options as market share continues to shrink. The Subaru Impreza remains a bit of a standout in that regard, offering the five-speed stick in both the entry-level Base trim, and the more upmarket Sport model. Unfortunately, while the car’s sticker price is lower with a manual transmission, fuel economy suffers; the 2019 Subaru Impreza Base sedan was EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined, vs. 32 mpg for the same car with a CVT.

That’s the price you pay for having fun.