Earlier this year, Motor Image Pilipinas, the distributor of Subaru automobiles in the country, shocked the automotive press when it announced plans to "kill off" the Subaru Impreza because of the success of its crossover sibling, the XV.

However, they seem to be re-considering that position after lengthy talks with Subaru parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI). In an interview with Mr. Glenn Tan, Executive Director of Tan Chong International Limited, the parent company of Motor Image, revealed that he successfully lobbied the introduction of "regionally appropriate" Imprezas with a lower price point to make it better complete with the compact car market.

Mr. Tan said that normally the Philippines would receive European-spec Imprezas. This means the models are nicely speced but very expensive. For the 2014 model year, Mr. Tan will re-introduce the Impreza with a more aggressive price point including the launch of a new entry-level variant, the 2.0 i CVT.

When asked about the specs and pricing for the 2014 Subaru Impreza, he said Motor Image Pilipinas will make the appropriate announcement at a later time. Again, it's safe to assume that the re-freshed Impreza will arrive at the same time as the all-new WRX and WRX STI which could mean a MIAS 2014 debut as well.