2015 Subaru Impreza WRX

28 August, 2014   By: Alex Forrest

When this, the long-awaited fourth generation WRX, finally arrived on Australian shores in March this year, it didn’t just have a strong rallying heritage to uphold.

It had to show how it had moved with the times as well.

Along with performing in a manner befitting its sporting reputation, on top of that the new WRX needed high levels of build finish, refinement, fuel efficiency, safety and value – everything consumers expect of a new car in 2014.

Subaru was the first manufacturer in Australia to have five-star ANCAP safety ratings for all the models in its range, and the new WRX contributes to that tradition. Now it has seven airbags including one for the driver’s knees.

The manual WRX is also 11.5 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor, and it also emits 13.8 per cent less carbon dioxide.

At the heart of the WRX, just like all those which came before it, is a turbocharged boxer engine. For 2014, it has been reduced in size down to 2.0 litres. The previous WRX had a 2.5-litre engine.

Despite this, the smaller engine has slightly higher outputs than its predecessor, with 197kW (up 2kW) and 350Nm (up 7Nm).

More significantly, the new engine’s peak torque output arrives much lower in the rev range, from 2,400rpm, a trait which makes the car much more tractable and fun to drive at lower speeds.

There were three other big bits of news that came with the new WRX. Firstly, the manual version now finally has a sixth gear – a well-overdue addition but better late than never.

Secondly, it’s now available with an automatic gearbox. A continuously variable transmission (CVT), to be precise.

This news left many enthusiasts groaning in unison because of the (mostly deserved) reputation for CVT-equipped cars to sound and feel like they have a slipping clutch.

The WRX’s CVT isn’t like that. In fact, it does a largely convincing impression of a normal torque converter auto.

Finally, the announcement of the WRX’s entry level price shocked everyone in the room when it was announced at the car’s launch: $38,990. That’s $1,000 less than when the WRX’s price in 1994.