stunner: new Subaru WRX

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There it is: the all-new Subaru WRX. It is an extremely sporty sedan that is further away from the Impreza than its predecessor. The youngest WRX is secretly more Levorg than ever.

Since 2014, the WRX is in fact no longer an Impreza. At least, on paper. The Subaru presented that year made good use of the platform and chassis of the now previous generation Impreza. The interior and body of the previous WRX also closely resembled that of the sedan version of that Impreza, although Subaru screwed the more aggressive-looking front of the Levorg onto the car. In the meantime, a completely new generation of Impreza has been at the dealers since 2016, so the WRX is also being revised. What seems? The new WRX has its own body, but what do we see at the front? Indeed, the nose of the new Levorg!

The youngest Subaru WRX looks nothing like its predecessor and shows no similarities with the sedan version of the current Impreza. The interior, including a large tablet-like 11.6-inch screen, is just like the front identical to that of the Levorg presented last year. That suggests that – although the Levorg is on the Subaru Global Platform like the Impreza – the WRX is more Levorg than ever. Is that detrimental? Certainly not, the new WRX has a nice biting front, but that’s not the only thing that stands out about the new sports sedan.

Subaru WRX

Subaru WRX

cross look

For example, Subaru overloads the WRX with black plastic trim. We do not only encounter it at the bumpers, but also the side skirts and wheel arch edges are finished in black as well as the lower part of the rear bumper. With its angular shape, the decoration around the wheel arch edges is somewhat reminiscent of the way in which Subaru has decorated its new Wilderness versions of the Forester and Outback, which are not available here. You will not find a heavy rear bumper on the back of this new WRX. Has Subaru completely lost its way? Well, we’ve got the WRX in front of us here and not the WRX STI, the superlative of the model.

Subaru WRX

Subaru WRX

No WRX ST yet

Under the hood is therefore not a thick 300 hp and 400 Nm strong 2.5 four-cylinder boxer engine as in the last WRX STI that came to the Netherlands, but a 275 hp and 350 Nm strong power source. That petrol engine is now not a 2.0 as in the previous WRX, but a blown 2.4 boxer. That engine is in principle tied to a six-speed manual transmission, but those who choose the GT will get an automatic transmission. You can put it in a ‘manual’ mode, in which it simulates the presence of eight resistances. That GT version also has adaptive dampers, special Recar0 sports seats and specific 18-inch light metal.

Subaru WRX

Subaru WRX

Magma

All variants naturally have Subaru’s permanent four-wheel drive and are equipped with Active Torque Vectoring that distributes the torque between the wheels as efficiently as possible when cornering. According to the Japanese, the new WRX is 28 percent stiffer than its predecessor. In addition, the front screens are made of aluminum to reduce weight, although Subaru does not say exactly how much the WRX weighs. The manufacturer does report that all WRX’s are packed with an extensive package of safety systems. They are also relatively practical, so you can flatten the rear seat in a 60:40 ratio. Fun fact: Subaru says the taillights glow in the same way as magma. Kudos to the creativity.

Subaru will undoubtedly come up with a new WRX STI in the long run, with which subaru tecnica International – Subaru’s ‘M division’ – has interfered. Reportedly, this new bang sedan with a 400 hp and almost 500 Nm strong power station still doubles over its predecessor. It remains to be seen whether the brand new WRX STI will also come to the Netherlands. The last year refreshed Subaru BRZ passes us by.

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