The Mitsubishi Evo is a high-performance car for ‘our’ generation; an attainable, down-to-earth antidote to supercar elitism, and a car with such a powerful cult following that this boxy Japanese saloon has risen from Far Eastern obscurity to drivers’ deity in little more than a decade.

As for the Impreza, well it doesn't look much, but then that's not unusual with Imprezas – the ‘bug-eye’ Impreza had a hasty restyle almost as soon as it went on sale – and in a few months we’ll all be warming to the slightly gawky face and podgy profile of the newcomer. In fact, let’s all save a lot of heartache and agree right now to give in to the creeping inevitability that pretty soon the new Impreza will look, well, half decent.

How do they stack up? Let's find out.