At some point during your middle school education, your math teacher probably told you that the shortest distance between two points was a straight line. They were wrong. It’s a Subaru.
Specifically, it’s this Subaru, the WRX. Since 2002, it’s been dispatching snow, gravel, rain, dirt, mud and twisty tarmac with aplomb. Kinda makes you wonder whether our mail wouldn’t get there a heck of a lot faster if Canada Post bought a fleet of them.
However, since 2002, it’s also been just a bit flobbery. That’s not really an insult, just that Subaru traditionally set their street-ready rally-rocket up as if it was about to complete a gravel stage: a softness to the springs, a bit more body roll.
Totally redesigned for 2015, this new car is harder-edged, more aggressive, and ready to shred the street.
Design
Well, at first glance, you’d have to say no. The most major design difference of this new WRX isn’t the fancy new corporate grille or the reworked hood scoop; it’s the sedan-only designation. That’s right, no more wagon.
The WRX wagon (later hatchback) was extremely popular in past variants, splitting sales volume with the sedan right down the middle. It provided a tough, weather-proof alternative to the VW GTI and was loved by young families and active folks alike. Sadly, it’s no more.
To its credit, the new WRX looks pretty good, if a bit on the plain side. Like all WRXs, the little details grow on you, and despite the flashy, angular sheet metal, those are entirely reasonable 17” alloys tucked under the wheel-arches.
LED headlights are now available on mid-level trims, and the body’s just flared out enough from a standard Impreza to be sporty — a good start.
Environment
Breaking from Subaru tradition somewhat, the inside of the new WRX is actually pretty good. Make no mistake, the Germanic competition is still probably slightly ahead in terms of premium feel, but there’s much less of that old econobox plasticity you used to see inside the soon-to-be-rattling interior of a WRX.
Even better, the sedan is a little more practical than it used to be. Trunk space is up to 340L and real legroom is up too, meaning adult passengers can actually squeeze back there without issue.
The seats still aren’t quite as heavily bolstered as they were in those first early cars, but the cloth covering looks like it’ll stand up to people who have multiple MEC memberships, and the dials are big enough to be used with your gloves on.
Instrumentation is a mixed bag, with a handy display between the gauges that provides a useful digital speed readout, and gentle coaching on how much gas you’re using.
The centre-mounted display is a little less easy to navigate, and the small standard rearview camera is more a bonus than a reason to purchase.
Performance
The WRX now gets a new direct-injected, 2.0L flat-four. Huffing plenty of boost through a low-mounted turbo, it outmuscles last year’s WRX by a staggering three horsepower, for a total of 268hp.
Okay, hang on a minute: that’s not the whole story. The WRX’s new, smaller four is both considerably more efficient than the outgoing model and much punchier as well. The peak horsepower improvements are only a mild side benefit compared to the improved delivery, which now knocks out a stout 258-lb/ft from 2000-5200 rpm.
Power falls off a little at the top end, but this WRX has a spry responsiveness that even pro-tuned Subies can only dream about. With the six-speed manual, off the line holeshots are excellent. With the optional CVT, it’s still very quick reacting.
Oh right, the CVT. New for 2015, the WRX is now available with an available transmission that seems selected for its likelihood of offending purists. However, it’s actually pretty good. It might not seem like it makes sense to put something as ordinarily economy-minded as a CVT in a car like the WRX, but Subaru has fettled it until it actually drives like a performance machine. Flick the adjustable settings into Sport
Sharp and it even gives you eight pre-set speeds for the paddle-shifters.
But if you don’t want an automatic WRX, nobody’s forcing you to get one — yet. The six-speed manual is a little bit vague, with its cable-operated linkage, but it’s an improvement over past WRX gearboxes.
Regrettably, this is quite a rough-riding car, but the result is a huge leap forward in terms of cornering ability. Subaru seems to have spent their entire research budget on the new chassis, and it’s a corker.
Equipped with a new torque-vectoring front end that can brake an inside wheel to dial in more bite, the new WRX turns in like the old car never did. There’s oodles of grip from those stick summer-only Dunlops, and the car grips like a gecko through the corners.
Forget any dreams of Scandinavian flicks through the twisty stuff — not until the snow starts flying. This new car is a much tighter drive, with good steering, and extremely composed dynamics. Anyone anticipating track day work is going to want to look at more aggressive brake pads, but as-is, it’s a very compelling package.
Features
Now starting at just under the 30K mark, the ‘15 WRX is actually fairly well-equipped from standard. A six-speaker stereo, iPod connectivity, Bluetooth and that rearview camera are all standard.
Moving up to the Sport trim nets you a power seat, sunroof, LED headlights and foglights — this will likely be the volume seller. The Sport-tech trim adds in satellite navigation and nine-speaker audio, while usable, the touchscreen controls for the navi and audio are a bit to small to navigate easily. If you can live without a leather interior, better to skip the top-trim.
Fuel economy ratings score well at 9.8L/100kms city and 7.0L/100kms highway. As these numbers are provided under the new 2015 five-cycle testing method, they’re actually achievable — naturally, premium fuel is recommended.
