The new base Impreza will start at $24,595 when it reaches dealer lots later this year, a figure Subaru is positioning as the lowest price for any all-wheel-drive compact car sold in the United States. The RS trim, meanwhile, holds steady at $29,495, unchanged from the outgoing model, which means the price cut is concentrated entirely at the entry level, the part of the lineup where shoppers are most sensitive to sticker shock and most likely to cross-shop a front-wheel-drive competitor instead.
A Familiar Engine, A Sharper Pitch
Under the hood, little has changed, and Subaru does not seem to think much needs to. The 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER engine, producing 180 horsepower, remains standard across both trims, paired with the brand’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and an eight-speed manual mode carry over as well, along with the dual-mode SI-Drive system that toggles between Intelligent and Sport settings depending on how the driver wants the car to behave.
That consistency is deliberate. Subaru’s engineering story with the Impreza has rarely been about chasing bigger numbers. It has been about reliability of experience: the same all-wheel-drive confidence whether the car costs $24,000 or $30,000, whether it is snowing in Vermont or raining in Seattle. The price reduction reframes that consistency as value rather than routine.
What the Cheaper Trim Still Gets You
Subaru was careful to note that the price cut did not come at the expense of the features shoppers now expect as baseline. The base Impreza still includes EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, Subaru’s suite of active safety features that bundles pre-collision braking, lane departure and sway warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, and emergency stop assist into a single standard package. Keyless access with push-button start, dark gray 17-inch alloy wheels, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility round out the entry trim.
Inside, the base model gets dual 7.0-inch touchscreens, one handling infotainment and the other dedicated to climate and vehicle functions, along with SiriusXM satellite radio with a four-month trial, HD Radio, and Bluetooth connectivity. Tricot cloth upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports fill out a cabin that Subaru has also quietly refined, with updated stitching on the center console and revised door panel materials that suggest the automaker is trying to close the perception gap between “affordable” and “cheap.”
The RS Trim Holds the Line on Style
For buyers willing to spend the extra $4,900 for the RS trim, the pitch shifts from value to character. The RS adds 18-inch alloy wheels, black RS cloth upholstery, fog lights, and a Crystal Black Silica roof spoiler, along with an 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A wireless smartphone charger with improved performance is new for 2027, and the RS now comes standard with a five-year trial of MySubaru Connected Companion services, covering SOS emergency response, advanced collision notification, and vehicle condition monitoring. Buyers who want deeper connectivity can step up to the Companion+ tier, which adds remote engine start with climate control, remote lock and unlock, and geofencing features like curfew and boundary alerts.
The RS also picks up a genuinely practical upgrade in its all-weather package, standard for 2027, which bundles heated front seats, heated mirrors, and a heated windshield wiper de-icer, along with Blind-Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Emergency Lane Keep Assist added to the EyeSight suite. Buyers chasing a more premium cabin experience can opt into a $2,070 package that adds a Harman Kardon 10-speaker system with a 432-watt equivalent amplifier, a power moonroof, and a 10-way power-adjustable front seat with lumbar support.
Cargo Space and Colors Get Quiet Updates Too
Practicality remains a selling point for the Impreza hatchback body style, which Subaru says now offers 20.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats upright, expanding to 56.0 cubic feet with them folded down. The 2027 lineup also introduces Ignition Red as a new exterior color, joining returning options like Crystal Black Silica, Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Magnetite Gray Metallic, and Sapphire Blue Pearl. Shoppers wanting something rarer can opt for Citron Yellow Pearl premium paint for an additional $395.
Built in Japan, Priced for America
The 2027 Impreza continues to be assembled in Gunma, Japan, and Subaru says it will begin arriving at U.S. retailers in late 2026, giving the automaker a head start on the calendar year most competitors associate with the model. Destination and delivery charges add $1,245 to either trim, with adjustments for buyers in Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, and a higher $1,395 charge for deliveries to Alaska.
Whether a $2,000 price cut is enough to meaningfully shift compact car shoppers toward all-wheel drive remains to be seen, particularly in a market where hybrid and electric competitors are also fighting for the same budget-conscious buyers. But Subaru’s bet is a narrow and specific one: that the value of not having to think about traction, in any season, on any road, is worth more to a certain kind of driver than a lower price with a caveat attached.