It's impossible not to notice the black “armor” that surrounds the straight wheel arches and the base of the bodywork that the new Subaru WRX displays, as if it were any crossover.
If it's not the first sedan to inherit the crossover's visual genes — there was a Volvo S60 Cross Country and now we have a Polestar 2 — then seeing it paired with the car whose legacy goes back to the time of the legendary Impreza WRX STi is a strange sight.
The air intake over the hood, on the other hand, is more familiar, but the typical rear wing that used to adorn the WRX and its predecessors is lacking, with a more discreet rear spoiler appearing in its place.
new platform
For the rest, however, the new Subaru WRX remains the same as itself, even bringing with it many new features.
Starting with its platform, the Subaru Global Platform (SGP), debuted by Impreza in 2016 and which already serves as the foundation for practically the entire range of the Japanese manufacturer, such as the SUV Ascent or the Outback.
It stands out for its 28% increase in torsional rigidity and 75% of the suspension anchorage points, which, according to the brand, gives the WRX better characteristics in terms of handling and handling.
Also noteworthy is that the SGP allows a lower center of gravity and that the rear stabilizer bar is attached directly to the bodywork and not to the sub-frame as before, reducing roll rates.
New engine but still boxer
The engine is also new. It still remains faithful to the four-cylinder boxer and is still mounted longitudinally at the front, but it now uses the FA24F, with 2.4 liters of capacity and turbo already used in the Ascent and Outback.
In the case of the new Subaru WRX, it gained some power, delivering a maximum of 275 hp (264 hp in the mentioned models), but lost some torque, settling at 350 Nm (against 376 Nm). The Japanese brand has not yet released data on its performance.
The boxer is coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox – an option increasingly rare these days – or, optionally, to an automatic called Subaru Performance Transmission that guarantees, says Subaru, up to 30% faster passages when changing gears. ratio up and up to 50% faster to reduce.
Of course, the new Subaru WRX has four-wheel drive, using the more than proven Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with Active Torque Vectoring (torque vectoring).
A stiffer base, complemented by a new electric-assist steering and a front suspension with revised geometry and an optimized set-up in circuit, promise to give the new WRX a faster response and greater precision to our orders, while increasing its dynamic performance. like your rolling comfort.
Finally, it is in the interior that we see perhaps the greatest revolution. The dashboard of the new Subaru WRX is now dominated by a generous 11.6″ touchscreen, vertically arranged, integrating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Will you come to Europe?
Despite the sedan format, the biggest rivals of the new Subaru WRX should be hot hatch like the Volkswagen Golf R or even the smallest, and also (very) influenced by rallies, Toyota GR Yaris. If the initial numbers seem modest, the future STi version is expected to increase them substantially.
The new Subaru WRX was introduced in the United States of America, with North America as its main destination. On this side of the Atlantic, it is unlikely to reach the “old continent”, given the “war on emissions” that is taking place here. In Portugal then, it is even to forget, as the brand is not marketed here.