SUBARU'S Impreza sports hatch is to be made available with a diesel engine for the first time.
Following the introduction of diesel power in the company's Forester, Legacy and Outback models, the Impreza is now to be fitted with Subaru's 150bhp two-litre oil burner.
The flat four engine has carved out a reputation of being one of the best diesels on the market.
It will give the Impreza a range of some 670 miles with an average fuel consumption of 47.9 mpg and CO2 emissions of 155g/km.
Performance is a claimed top speed of 127mph with 0 to 60 acceleration of 9.0 seconds.
The diesel Impreza will be available in two trim levels - RC and RX priced from £20,000 and £22,255.
All versions come with climate control, xenon headlamps, front fog lights and cruise control as standard. They also have electronic stability controls mated to an all-wheel-drive system and six-speed manual gearbox.
Higher specification RX Imprezas feature keyless entry, a sunroof, leather trim and an electrically adjustable driver's seat.
The new diesel models will be towards the top of the Impreza range which is currently priced from £12.725 for a 1.5-litre model to £30,345 for the potent WRX STI 330S.