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Road test: Subaru WRX tS

Sunday, 2 October 2022

Back when Subaru of America revealed the all-new WRX we wondered if its manual transmission make it to New Zealand. It has.
It mightn’t look massively different from the last one, but Subaru’s new WRX is every bit as good. And then some.
It mightn’t look massively different from the last one, but Subaru’s new WRX is every bit as good. And then some.
More aggressive intakes and bumpers distinguish the new WRX from the last one. And those black wheel arches.
More aggressive intakes and bumpers distinguish the new WRX from the last one. And those black wheel arches.
The WRX inherits a lot from the rest of the Subaru range on the inside. Meaning it is of an impressively high standard now.
The WRX inherits a lot from the rest of the Subaru range on the inside. Meaning it is of an impressively high standard now.

The Subaru WRX has been one of the go-to affordable performance cars since the 1990s. It’s no longer born and bred on the rally stage, but it’s no slower because of the fact. This year, Subaru has updated the WRX with a new engine, a move to a new platform, and an array of accompanying tweaks to sharpen the drive. It’s probably the last time we’ll get a new WRX in the traditional sense – Subaru has already canned the STI version – so let’s see how it all comes together.

Individual drive mode preferences mean that you can set your WRX up just how you like it.
Individual drive mode preferences mean that you can set your WRX up just how you like it.

OUTSIDE

You’d almost be forgiven for thinking this is just a facelift of the old model, the looks are so evolutionary. The front still looks mean, with angry C-shaped eyes sitting above large corner intakes, the classic WRX bonnet scoop to feed air down into the turbocharged engine, and a raked windscreen.

While it mightn’t be a WRC warrior any more, the latest WRX still does gravel extremely well.
While it mightn’t be a WRC warrior any more, the latest WRX still does gravel extremely well.

**READ MORE:

Yes, it’s got a CVT, but it is an incredibly good CVT. It turns out such a thing does actually exist.
Yes, it’s got a CVT, but it is an incredibly good CVT. It turns out such a thing does actually exist.

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The remarkable amounts of grip and high-end punch available make the WRX an absolute blast on a winding road.
The remarkable amounts of grip and high-end punch available make the WRX an absolute blast on a winding road.

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You can have your WRX in wagon flavour now too, but you lose the black wheel arches. Which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your opinion of them.
You can have your WRX in wagon flavour now too, but you lose the black wheel arches. Which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your opinion of them.

**

I’m not a fan of the plastic guards around the wheels, the previous model looked better without them, but I like the functional vents in the shrouds near the front doors. Should also add here that the WRX GT wagon doesn’t get the arches.

The latest Subaru WRX may be even more refined and advanced than ever, but it is still an absolute weapon.
The latest Subaru WRX may be even more refined and advanced than ever, but it is still an absolute weapon.

Around the back are taillights mimicking the shape of the headlights, a quartet of exhaust outlets and a small bootlid spoiler. Sadly, those exhaust don’t actually make the car any louder, despite all four being functional.

INSIDE

Things will seem very familiar inside the WRX if you’ve driven other new Subarus. There’s that large portrait touchscreen with vertical vents on either side and physical temperature buttons for the driver and passenger along with physical volume and tuner knobs.

Unfortunately the cool upper second readout screen from the old model is gone, a casualty of adding that large touchscreen.

The steering wheel is wrapped in leather rather than the Alcantara of last-gen WRXs but is otherwise the same.

There’s also a tall gear selector, which is connected to one of the more interesting aspects of this car, the new CVT transmission, which I’ll discuss soon.

This is the tS model, which stands for ‘Tuned by STI’, and for the interior means it has some STI badges on the wheel and instrument cluster. If you’re a bit of an oldie, you might still have a bunch of CDs floating around, and Subaru still caters to this with a player hidden beneath the centre armrest. Kinda makes sense really, considering the WRX is a bit of an old-school type of car.

UNDER THE BONNET

A new engine powers the new WRX which doesn’t actually make much more power than before. It produces 202kW, up from 197kW, with the same 350Nm of torque, albeit spread wider across the rev band, from 2000rpm to 5200rpm, partly thanks to a new electronic wastegate control.

The tS is only available with the ‘Subaru Performance Transmission’, or ‘continuously variable transmission’ in other words. While it might seem like sacrilege to put a CVT under the bonnet of something with a WRX badge, this is what the majority of buyers actually choose.

If you do go for the CVT-equipped tS, you get the full Subaru Eyesight safety suite. Manual versions get the non-adaptive sort of cruise control and that’s about it.

Also included in the tS kit are electronic control dampers for the suspension, and drive modes. These include Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport Sharp and Individual, which change the characteristics of the engine, transmission, suspension, AWD system and steering. Individual lets you mix and match the settings between Comfort, Normal and Sport (the standard car only has Normal and Sport settings). You can even adjust how aggressive the Eyesight system is.

ON THE ROAD

As for driving, the WRX is as good as it’s ever been. There’s so much mechanical grip with that AWD system, you can corner at nearly obscene speeds. The low-end thrust is much appreciated too, helping punch out of corners nice and early.

I understand if you’re apprehensive about the CVT, I was as well. But it’s genuinely very good – very close to a dual-clutch, actually. It does still do some CVT things, like a bit of flaring at higher speeds and quite a bit of what you might call slippage when taking off, but otherwise it’s the best of its sort on the market.

It has eight ‘speeds’, and the ‘changes’ are plenty snappy. In Sport mode it’ll downshift under braking, then hold whatever ratio it’s in when you get off the throttle, helping response for corner exit. You can paddle the gears yourself or leave the computer to do its thing.

The steering is incredibly sharp when dialled up, with plenty of feedback and just enough stiffness without it being an arm workout.

I’d suggest avoiding Comfort, as it dulls things a bit too much, and using Normal. Any worries about daily ride quality should be dispelled with this new WRX. I set Individual up with Sport Sharp engine, Comfort suspension and Sport steering which felt great on our roads.

VERDICT

The WRX has always been a weapon to drive, and this latest generation is no different. It might be slightly lacking in the power department, particularly considering the new Honda Civic Type R is right around the corner with more than 220kW at its disposal, and the freshly updated (but considerable more expensive) VW Golf R boasts even more grunt with all-wheel drive as well.

But there’s something special about that WRX badge, and with all the extra refinement in this new one plus the sheer driveability of it at speed, you would be foolish to count it out. If only the STI made it to market…