The latest Subaru Impreza range was all-new for 2012, so for the 2015 model year the all-wheel-drive compact has been given a mid-cycle update. Only the Subaru die-hards are likely to recognize the changes made to the exterior of the vehicles. They consist of revisions made to the headlights, grille and front bumper, as well as new side mirror caps. Unfortunately, they don’t do much to improve the look of the rather mundane sedan and hatch, especially when lined up against the latest Ford Focus, Mazda 3 and Volkswagen Golf.

The story gets worse if you're looking for driver excitement. The sole engine for the entire range continues to be a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer, rated at just 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a five-speed manual as standard with the more upmarket Premium and Limited trims getting a CVT as standard. As is the case with all Subarus except the BRZ, all-wheel drive is standard across the range. If you have your heart set on the Impreza's shape, we strongly suggest going straight for the WRX or WRX STI models.

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The good news is that there’s plenty of tech offered on the 2015 Subaru Impreza range. New features include standard cruise control, a reversing camera and a 6.2-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment system. A larger 7.0-inch screen with additional features including navigation is available.

Also available is Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist feature. It includes advanced safety tech such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking and Vehicle Lane Departure Warning. EyeSight also comes with Steering-Responsive Fog Lights; this activates the left or right fog light independently, depending on vehicle speed and steering angle, to provide enhanced illumination in the direction of the turn, and only works when the fog light switch is turned off.

Fuel economy is 28/37 mpg city/highway and 31 mpg combined.

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