THE name alone brings images of cars flying over jumps, massive rooster tails, and smoking, sideways drifts. No car in the recent history of sedans and family wagons has evoked so much excitement as Subaru’s WRX does.
Riding on that excitement, Motor Image Pilipinas (MIP), distributor and protector of Subaru’s exciting cars in the Philippines, last week unleashed the fifth-generation Subaru WRX, one a sporty sedan and the other a sports wagon.
“The all-new WRX is here to ignite your senses,” Glenn Tan, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Tan Chong International Limited which operates Motor Image Pilipinas said at the combined media and public launch of the two new vehicles.
From the outside, Subaru’s modern design philosophy “Dynamic x Solid” is felt with both cars, but even more so with the Wagon—considered to be the rocket for dads—has been enhanced to also express “bolder” the one word that guided the complete redesign of the WRX in both notchback-sedan and station-wagon body styles.
The new sedan, simply called the WRX is 75 mm longer, 30 mm wider, and 10 mm lower than before, with an additional 25 mm in the wheelbase (2675 mm). The new WRX Wagon is 65 mm longer, 15 mm wider and 10 mm taller than the previous Levorg, with an additional 20 mm in the wheelbase (2670 mm). This means the Levorg as a variant in Subaru’s lineup is gone, replaced it the simple and unassuming name, “Wagon.”
These new cars are built on the newest iteration of the Subaru Global Platform (SGP), with full inner-frame construction and expanded application of structural adhesive to greatly improve the car’s rigidity, a bedrock of performance driving capability. This move increased the torsional stiffness of the chassis up to 28 percent for the new WRX and 44 percent for the new WRX Wagon. A 4 percent to 9 percent increase in the proportion of high-tensile steel sheets also increases collision safety. The bonnet is still aluminum, like the older WRX, while the front fenders are now made from light yet strong metal, saving 2.3 kg.
The styling came from two Subaru concept cars – the Viziv Performance Concept shown at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show and the Viziv Tourer Concept presented at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. The key design elements of the two related prototypes actually made it to the production of these new WRX variants.
For instance, the Viziv Performance Concept’s “forward-thrusting body with a low center of gravity”, “dynamic flare of the muscular fenders” and “bold glimpse of the exhaust in the rear bumper” have been put into production in the street-legal WRX.
The front has been redesigned with a striking hexagonal grille, with its honeycomb pattern repeated neatly above the fog lamps, and is flanked by sleek LED headlamps with Subaru’s C-shaped light signature.
The classic WRX trademark, a functional scoop cut into the hood, used for feeding fresh air to the intercooler of the turbocharged boxer engine is present and accounted for.
There is so much to desire in the WRX. The athletic design on the bodysides, which are dominated by eye-catching fender extensions to visually convey the all-wheel-drive power and blacked-out lower sections to accentuate the road-hugging stance. Following the sports theme perfectly are the 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 245/40 R18 high-performance tires.
The WRX pays stylistic tribute to rally in an obvious fashion, especially in its flashy special color called Solar Orange, whereas the WRX Wagon is styled as a classy sports tourer, available with a choice of chic white paintwork, either Ceramic White (both body styles) or Crystal White Pearl (wagon only).
Design differences between the WRX and WRX Wagon include the sedan’s dramatic black claddings, more elaborate main grille, and four muffler tailpipes instead of two. The WRX Wagon also rides on less aggressive 225/45 R18 tires.
The new WRX duo are wind-cheating machines like the new BRZ coupe, designed to slip through the air in their own slick ways, and the WRX applies a few more tricks to cheat the wind. The airflow around and below the WRX is cleverly controlled to ensure stability on the move, reduce air resistance and perfect the front-rear balance of the whole vehicle, especially at higher speeds where turbulence can be a challenge for fast cars.
The most noticeable aero measures on the bodywork of the WRX are the side sill spoilers and rear spoiler, along with the air outlets behind the front fenders and on the outer corners of the rear bumper.
The air outlets eject the air vortex from inside the wheel housings and rear bumper respectively, so as to smoothen the airflow in those areas and help to keep the body stable.
At the heart of the high performance is Subaru’s turbocharged FA24 boxer engine, uniquely tuned for the hot new WRX. The 2.4-liter horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder, 16-valve direct-injection unit has been engineered to provide exceptional driving enjoyment, on-road and track alike.
The new boxer motor produces 275 PS at 5600 rpm and 350 Nm at 2000-5200 rpm. It provides ample torque from low crankshaft speeds and vigorous acceleration across the rev range, with the power output tapering moderately as the tachometer needle approaches the 6100 rpm redline.
Two transmissions are available for the WRX. The sedan variant gets a choice of hardcore 6-speed manual or souped-up “8-speed” Lineartronic CVT, while the wagon variant, in keeping with its super cruiser character, is only available as an automatic.
The 6-speed manual gearbox is a proven transmission that has served the earlier WRX well, only needing further refinement of the 2nd and 3rd gears for a better shifting experience in the latest WRX.
This old-school option is paired with a viscous coupling locking center differential to split the torque evenly, 50:50, for Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, unless there is slippage which would make the system transfer the torque to the appropriate wheels for maximum traction.
The Lineartronic CVT, the workhorse of the Subaru model range, has become a racehorse in the new WRX.
The new transmission offers the convenience of an automatic plus the excitement of a quasi-sequential, thanks to “sports shifting control” algorithms and, for drivers who prefer to play with the ratios themselves, paddle shifters.
A major efficiency booster is the air-conditioning system’s new variable-capacity compressor, which can achieve an estimated 3 percent reduction in fuel consumption.
The new WRX engine also requires less engine oil than the old one, and the fuel tank’s material has been changed from metal to resin so as to save weight. Speaking of which, the new manual WRX with all its upgrades is just a few kilograms heavier than its predecessor.
The sport-tuned suspension features geometry optimized for great control and good comfort over all kinds of roads, front-strut rebound springs to mitigate body roll while changing direction, rigid subframes which can resist lateral forces from the tires without resorting to hard bushes, and a rear stabilizer mounted directly to the body for greater stability.
Red-stitched leather also adorns the center console, door panels and passenger-side dashboard, with luxurious leather seats in the CVT WRX and classic fabric seats in the manual WRX. Metallic-colored accents around the instrument panel provide additional decoration. The instrument cluster adopts a classic two-gauge layout, with the tachometer on the left and the speedometer on the right.
Our latest WRX models join the equally fresh second-generation BRZ coupe to make Subaru’s 2022 sports car lineup truly thrilling for petrol heads who wish to drive something special.
The all-new Subaru WRX and WRX Wagon are now available for order in the Philippines, starting from P2.508M for the WRX sedan M/T. The CVT version is P 2.658M and the WRX tS sedan CVT is P2.808M The Wagon CVT is P2.558M and the tS wagon CVT at P 2.708M. Both tS variants are available only on indent-order.
“From its stunning exterior and premium interior to the sporty sound and powerful performance of its new 2.4-liter turbo boxer engine, the invigorating smell of the exhaust, and the exciting handling, the WRX gives a raw driving experience that makes burning rubber fun. I am very confident that both the all-new WRX and WRX Wagon will totally ignite your senses, and remain crowd favorites that are much-loved by Subaru enthusiasts here,” Tan concluded.
Read the complete list of changes to the 2022 Subaru WRX and WRX Wagon here.
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