Now I'd be the first to admit that I'm a Subaru fanatic. Ever since I first laid eyes on a Subaru 'L' Series many years ago, I was hooked. I now spend much time devoted to converting my friends and family - even complete strangers - to the benefits they bring. Unfortunately, the car buying public believe Subaru began when Colin McRae won the World Rally Championship in 1995, and that there is only one product in the Subaru range - the 2-litre 'Impreza' Turbo.

With the launch of the new Impreza, maybe now's the time to ask what was so special about the Impreza to bring a quirky Japanese car company from relative obscurity to a name synonymous with high performance motoring, and does the new model have the right stuff to continue the Impreza's success?

Officially launched in 1992, and brought to the UK in '94, the Impreza was designed to fill the gap in Subaru's line-up between the supermini 'Justy', and the flagship 'Legacy'. Initial reviews of the car complained about its dull appearance, and lacklustre interior - but Subaru kept reiterating the benefits of the boxer engine, and AWD. In 1995 it all started to come together…

When Colin McRae drove his Subaru Impreza to 1st place in the World Rally Championship, not only did McRae take the drivers championship, but also it heralded the beginning of a hat trick of manufacturer wins in '95, '96 and '97 for the Japanese car company. Reviews of the Impreza sprung up overnight praising it as a 'supercar' for the masses, and urging people to rush out and buy one now. With the Impreza in the limelight of the performance scene, and Subaru wins in the 'Top Gear' / J.D. Powers UK customer satisfaction survey in '97, '99 and 2000, customer confidence, and awareness are at an all time high. The 'new-age' Impreza has some big boots to fill.

I don't want to repeat a list of specifications that have been published several thousand times over since Subaru's official announcement, so I will just quickly brush over what's changed: (some of these modifications relate only to the WRX model)

On the outside, a radical new body and 17" alloys are accompanied by a 20mm increase in track. The chassis dynamics and roadholding are improved thanks to experience gained from WRC. There is also more low-down torque from the boxer engine, along with a rear LSD and improved clutch and gearbox. The downside - a slight weight penalty over the outgoing model.

Now that's out of the way - what have the people been saying about the new model? Well, it's no surprise that the new body styling has come into question, and although people unanimously agree the new interior is a vast improvement, the same group also believe that it's under-par when compared to the rest of the package. Let's compare this to the original car - see any similarities?

As for performance, the new car is a little less raw than the outgoing model - rather than a family car on steroids, it's more a family car that attends the gym regularly. It has all the good stuff, but it's much more of a package rather than a factory fitted collection of bolt-on extras. Does this subtract from the fun? I guess that's up to the car buying public to decide.

So, this returns us to the question, 'Does the new model have the right stuff to continue the Impreza's success?'

It's a hard call to make, but let me throw an idea at you: The Impreza has been riding off the back of WRC success, but how much longer can that last? In order for the Impreza to stay on top it needs more widespread appeal, and that's exactly what the new car has. Unfortunately this may mean that the Impreza loses a small number of its core supporters, but it could be just enough to turn a cult icon into a long-term success story.