Subaru predicts 50% sales hike for 2012 Impreza

According to Ward's Auto, Subaru brass are expecting the 2012 Impreza to sell around 60,000 units a year, or half again as many as the car's current 40,000-unit total. Subaru executive vice president of North America Tom Doll says the car fills gaps in the company's lineup that prevented it from being as competitive as it could have been.

Subaru claims the new Impreza will return 36 miles per gallon on the highway, a figure that would put the car on the top of the all-wheel-drive pile for fuel economy. The gas mileage figures come courtesy of a new-for-2012 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder reigning in 148 horsepower. The upcoming Impreza will also be lighter than the outgoing model, making fuel-sipping a little easier.

With all the new tweaks, Subaru is hoping Impreza sales can push the brand's overall total from 264,000 vehicles last year to closer to 300,000. That's a heady goal to be sure, but the company is confident enough in the new car's appeal to make a bold prediction. Only time will tell if such hopefulness is well founded.

Live photos copyright ©2011 Jeff Glucker/AOL

[Source: Ward's Auto – sub. req.]