Subaru Oz previews WRX & Sportswagon

SUBARU Australia used the recent media launch of its BRZ sportscar at Sydney’s Motorsport Park to showcase the first examples of its new-generation WRX sports sedan and its WRX Sportswagon variant, which will be introduced in the local market during the second quarter of the year. 

The pre-production units arrived in Sydney a mere two weeks before the BRZ media launch and, although the Shibuya-based firm’s local subsidiary stressed that the cars did not accurately reflect the exact specification that will be offered in the local market upon their introduction in around April or May, the media were allowed to have a closer look at and sit inside the newcomers. 

Whereas the appearance of the WRX has been criticised by some social media commentators, the cars’ designs do look notably more cohesive when viewed in the metal. 

Advancements in LED technology has enabled Subaru to fit smaller, more ornate headlamps and shapelier tail-light clusters; such finer detailing contrasts with the chunkier, more macho elements of the outgoing model, but add distinctiveness and, although the crossover-like cladding (on the bumpers, wheel arches and side skirts) is an acquired taste, it does add eye-catching contrast to the sedan.

“The WRX and WRX Sportswagon are undoubtedly our most important new model introductions for 2022,” Subaru Australia general manager Blair Read told GoAuto News.

“We were delighted by the strong market demand for the outgoing WRX and WRX STI in the final two years of the product cycle (the last stock of which has now been depleted), which augers well for the new range. 

“The new model not only incorporates all of the core ingredients that enabled its predecessors to establish such a rich heritage (and loyal following), but it offers extra elements that will certainly broaden the appeal of the nameplate”, Mr Blair added. 

“The WRX Sportswagon, with the added practicality it offers, has the potential to attract new types of buyers to WRX and the brand.”

In some ways, the imminent arrival of the WRX is even more significant than the anticipation for the unveiling of its top-rung STI variant, because the former has traditionally outsold the latter by about 7 to 3 in Australia, Subaru Australia senior product manager Goran Popov told GoAuto.

As for those extra elements that Mr Read alluded to, the new model raises its predecessor’s game by virtue of being based on the brand’s new global platform, which brings with it improvements in safety and dynamics, as well as reductions in NVH. 

For example, it retains the lauded symmetrical all-wheel drive system, but also rides on a more advanced double wishbone set-up with the physical suspension stroke extended at all four corners to better deal with poor road surfaces.

In other words, the WRX’s raison d’etre – to offer punchy performance and all-wheel-drive dynamism at a fraction of what premium European manufacturers demand for their compact sporty hatchback and sedan offerings – has been enhanced with sophistication and refinement.

When seated in the new WRX’s cabin – even that of a pre-production unit – it’s evident that Subaru has carried over the hewn-from-solid feel of the outgoing model’s interior; all the chunky switchgear and weighty controls are there, but the execution is comparatively more upmarket.

It’s not luxuriously flashy in the way that those aforementioned continental marques lavish their cars’ interiors with strategically placed soft-touch surfaces and myriad metallic finishes… Subaru’s approach is still very restrained; the fascia is dominated by a portrait-style 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment array and, although all-digital instrument clusters were not fitted to the cars shown at SMP, again, local spec has yet to be announced. 

However, dark grey accents, red contrast stitching and carbon-fibre look inserts are all there, but the fundamentals – sporty, figure-hugging leather-trimmed front seats and an engaging driving position – remain unchanged. 

The Levorg – the discontinued station-wagon model that was based on the outgoing WRX – was not nearly as popular as its sedan siblings, so why should the WRX Sportswagon fare any better? Probably because it won’t be marketed as a standalone product with an unfamiliar name, we’d say.

“The new Sportswagon is now clearly designated as a member of the WRX family – in other words, a more practical, life-style oriented variant of the performance sedan,” Mr Popov told GoAuto.

“One of the main things that will distinguish the new-generation WRX and its Sportswagon variant in the marketplace is the raft of new onboard technologies they incorporate, especially in terms of safety features, at their respective price points.  

“Performance-wise, the WRX is benchmarked against some premium models (at the upper end – above $40k segment) of the small-car segment, but, in terms of especially safety tech, the new model will compare favourably with those products’ specifications too,” he added.  

It is widely expected that the WRX and WRX Sportswagon will feature Subaru’s revised EyeSight Driver Assist Technology with an expanded camera viewing angle, software improvements, plus an electronic brake booster to improve braking responsiveness and performance in panic stops.

The safety suite may include an upgraded Lane Departure Prevention system, Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centring technology and Automatic Emergency Steering, which works in conjunction with the pre-collision braking system (AEB) at speeds under 80km/h.

Again, Subaru Australia was tight-lipped about the local specification, although, late last year, certification documents accessed via the Australian government’s infrastructure portal showed approval had been granted for WRX, WRX RS, and WRX tS derivatives in both body configurations.

The direct-injection and turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine under their bonnets is believed to produce 202kW at 5600rpm and 375Nm from 2000-5200rpm. The Boxer mill will be paired with a six-speed manual or ‘eight step’ CVT; the latter standard issue on high-grade Ts variants.

An official 0-100km/h time has yet to be published, however based on the performance improvements shown, we expect a number within the high five-second range.

“Subaru Australia’s challenge for the year ahead was to keep providing customers with the highest support (in challenges circumstances) via the national brand network,” Mr Blair concluded.   

Given ongoing stock shortages throughout the car industry “good communication” between the Baulkham Hills-based “company, the factory in Japan and dealer partners across Australia would be vital, he added. 

“We will continue speaking to our customers. We’ll use their feedback (and relay it to the mother company) to ensure we continue bringing optimised products to market”.