Road Test: Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan

Subaru has gone back to its roots with the introduction of the Impreza WRX sedan, launched locally in June this year. An Impreza WRX in four door guise sparks memories of the car which set the brand onto the path to local success nearly twenty years ago. Subaru SA’s brand and marketing manager, Grant Bowring, says the new sedan moves the WRX into a new market segment, one where it is clearly recognisable as the “ultimate compact sports sedan”.

We surely don’t need to tell you where Subaru cars have gained their reputation. Their legendary successes on rally stages across the globe has translated to equal success in winning the hearts, and at very least the respect, of motoring enthusiasts and the ‘playstation generation’ the world over. The question is, will the new Impreza WRX sedan keep the legend alive, or is it an attempt to rekindle a flame arguably dulled by the Impreza hatch?

Exterior
Of course the Subaru Impreza has always been an enthusiasts car and the new WRX sedan is no different. And, with a strong macho appeal, throaty rumble and shoot from the hip attitude, ‘different’ is certainly what the new Impreza WRX sedan is, when compared to other cars on the road. From the aggressive front end – with its signature bonnet scoop reminiscent of a whale shark – to the beautiful metallic ‘WR Blue’ painted bodywork riding on anthracite coloured 17-inch alloy wheels, redesigned tail-light clusters and boot spoiler at the rear, this car demands attention – and gets it.
Subtle changes to the new sedan include a bold chrome garnish highlighting the rear numberplate surround, dual exhaust outlets and a front grille now identical to the metallic mesh design of the Impreza STI, including badging to identify the specific model. The Subaru Impreza WRX sedan is a car with bold styling and although it may not appeal to eveyone, those who know the WRX legend look on with admiration and respect.

Interior
The high-backed sports seats, with WRX logo embroidered in the backrests, immediately welcome you to the cockpit of the new Impreza sedan. Their side bolsters make for good lateral support, although not as strongly sculptured as one may expect, and the driver’s seat is also height-adjustable via with a pump-action lever. The second item which caught our attention is the sunroof, now standard on the Impreza WRX, which is fun at slow speeds but quickly elicits much wind roar when leaving suburbia. Combined with road roar from the tyres on coarse tar and the growl of the optional sports exhaust, we were forced to compromise between extra fresh air through the sunroof or listening to the radio. Speaking of which, the WRX sedan is fitted with a Kenwood entertainment system that includes Sat-Nav, Radio/CD/MP3 player and built-in hard disk for storing your music – however, we found it to be less than intuitive in operation. Instrumentation is easily legible with all the necessary switch gear where you’d expect to find it. Updates to the interior of the Impreza sedan are subtle and include a metal-look finish for the centre console, door pull and door lock surrounds in the rear, as well as aluminium pedals and a red tinge for the instrument lighting. Interior plastics, which were once off-black are now jet black and this applies to all trim mouldings. Despite these aesthetic additions, the Impreza WRX retains a no-fuss interior that carries occupants in comfort and which favours practicality over pampering.

Thanks primarily to the dependable symmetrical all-wheel drive system, but also dual front, side and curtain airbags, pre-tensioning front seat-belts with load limiters, ISOFIX child seat mountings, anti-lock brakes with EBD and Brake Assist, the Impreza WRX guarantees all the thrills without the spills.

Boot space is a more than adequate 420-litres, compared to the 235-litres of the previous hatchback model, and can be extended thanks to the rear seats that fold down in the typical 60/40 split. Overall, the new WRX carried us in comfort, marred only by the continual drone from the optional sports exhaust after hours at the wheel on the open road.

The Drive
It’s what’s on the inside that counts, and this statement couldn’t be more true than in the Impreza WRX’s case. Under the bonnet lies Subaru’s trademark horizontally opposed (boxer) 2,5-litre turbocharged engine. More about the performance figures later, but even to the untrained ear it’s a sound unique in the motoring world. Turn the key and the engine barks into life before idling with intent. The weighty clutch pedal adds to the sporty nature that emanates throughout the car. The 5-speed gearbox does not operate with rifle-bolt precision but is accurate enough, which is just as well, because flooring the accelerator pedal launches the Impreza towards the horizon with remarkable pace, and you’d better be ready to grab each successive gear demanded by the heavyweight boxer under the hood. Under full throttle, with the whine of the turbo and induction roar, is when one realises the importance of the front air scoop. Apart from supplying an aggressive look to the car, it also feeds the engine with precious oxygen that is drawn in at increasing volume and pressure as the pace quickens. Once up to speed the WRX is ready to be pointed in any direction you wish, thanks to the legendary Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. Chassis and suspension changes to the new Impreza WRX include larger diameter anti-roll bars at the front and rear (21 mm and 16 mm respectively), slightly stiffer front and rear springs, and steering damper, which Subaru claims reduces kickback on bumpy roads and provides a more linear steering feel.

Despite these improvements to the car’s handling, and admittedly to our own surprise, we would have liked an even stiffer suspension setup than standard. In tighter corners the new WRX provided more body roll and movement than expected, which makes the car feel bigger and heavier than it actually is. Coupled with the V8-esque burble from the sports exhaust, you’d be forgiven for having flashes of navigating a brutish V8 through the corners. However, the mechanical grip provided by the all-wheel-drive is simply amazing and will put the Subaru way ahead of any hot-hatch drivers foolish enough to think they can stick with you through the turns. The WRX sedan is particularly impressive when accelerating through smooth fast sweeps, like a cat with an extra set of claws, the four wheels cling tenaciously to the tarmac as the power builds and slingshots you down the road in search of the next apex.

In short, there are many family sedans that will provide you with greater comfort and refinement but very few as involving, exciting and able to provide the driving experience delivered by the latest Impreza WRX – wow!

Performance
If you aren’t ‘wowed’ enough already then consider the sheer numbers provided by the new WRX. The familiar 2,5-litre turbocharged boxer engine has also been updated in the move from hatchback to sedan and is 26 kW more potent. The 195 kW engine rockets the 1 410 kg car from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 209 km/h. Remove the speed limiter and we have a sneaky suspicion the WRX would not be far behind the it’s bigger STI brother in a straight line. Maximum torque of 343 N.m is delivered in the middle of the rev range from 2 500 to 5 000 rpm. This spread of torque translates into serious drive out of slower corners and power that’s always ready to be exploited. The impressive performance figures have been achieved by tuning in a number of areas. Firstly, the boost pressure of the turbocharger has been increased from 78 kPa to 98 kPa. A revised exhaust system provides a 30 percent improvement in gas flow to deal with the increased boost and engine power, and a key ingredient is the addition of a bigger turbo, which is now the same size as that of the STI. Despite the increased performance, Subaru claim improved fuel consumption and emissions figures over the previous model, with consumption of 10.4 L/100km on the combined cycle and 247 g/km of CO2. We experience an average consumption figure of just over 14 L/100km, but for the Impreza owner it’s a small price for the performance fun. At the end of the day, the WRX is only 12 percent down on power compared to the STI and for two-thirds of the price it delivers serious bang for your buck.

What we like…

• Exciting performance and involving driving experience.
• A punchy saloon with space for family and luggage.

What we would like…

• Although of a high quality, the interior plastics could be tempered with some brushed  aluminium inserts or surrounds.
• Slightly better insulation in the boot to lessen the drone from the exhaust.

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