Subaru just reset the price floor on the only all-wheel-drive compact hatchback in America. The 2027 Impreza starts at $24,595, a $2,000 drop from the 2026 entry price, and arrives at retailers late this year with a simplified two-trim lineup and a single powertrain across the board.
The pricing move also reshapes the lineup’s bottom end. For the 2026 model year, Subaru had trimmed the Impreza to Sport and RS configurations only, dropping the entry-level Base entirely. The 2027 model brings a Base trim back at that $24,595 figure, flanked by the RS at $29,495, which holds the same price as the outgoing RS. Destination is $1,245 for most of the country, with slightly higher charges in Alaska and certain northeastern states.
Both trims share a 2.5-liter Subaru Boxer flat-four producing 180 hp, paired with the Lineartronic CVT and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. That’s a meaningful step up from the 2026 Sport’s 2.0-liter producing 152 hp, which was the entry point to the lineup before this restructuring. The CVT offers an 8-speed manual mode with paddle shifters and dual-mode SI-Drive with Intelligent and Sport settings on both trims.
The base trim is reasonably well equipped for its price. It comes standard with 17-inch dark gray alloy wheels, dual 7-inch touchscreens, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless access with push-button start, and LED steering-responsive headlights. Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assist suite is also standard, covering pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise with lane centering, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and emergency stop assist. Cargo space measures 20.4 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 56.0 cubic feet folded.
The RS at $29,495 steps up to 18-inch wheels, an 11.6-inch infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charger, fog lights, and a roof spoiler. Heated front seats, heated mirrors, a windshield wiper de-icer, blind-spot detection, and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on the RS. An optional package adds a Harman Kardon 10-speaker, 432-watt-equivalent audio system, a power moonroof, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat for $2,070. Citron Yellow Pearl paint, a new color for 2027, carries a $395 premium; the rest of the six-color palette, which also includes Ignition Red as a new addition, is no-cost.
Subaru calls the 2027 Impreza the most affordable all-wheel-drive compact car on sale in the U.S., a claim that’s hard to dispute given how few competitors in the segment even offer AWD as an option. The compact car class remains dominated by front-wheel-drive models from Honda, Toyota, and Mazda, none of which match the Impreza’s standard AWD at any price point.
The Impreza has been a lower-volume nameplate as Subaru’s SUV lineup has grown. Subaru posted 54,909 total sales in June 2026, up 18.1 percent year over year, driven by Forester and Crosstrek rather than the Impreza. Bringing back a sub-$25,000 AWD hatchback is a reasonable play to widen the funnel for buyers priced out of the brand’s SUV entries. The 2027 Impreza is built in Gunma, Japan and is due in showrooms before the end of 2026.
Source: Subaru. Images courtesy of Subaru.
