New profile... Subaru's new WRX sedan is finally balanced, in proportion and now armed with sufficient styling to draw attention. Photo Gallery
The world is full of remarkable coincidences?
Like how a former president of the United States had a father who also did the job and how another ex-president's wife had a big stab for the same job.
And like the thought that one of the world's best car makers is Subaru yet, purely coincidentally, the same car maker is one of the world's most dreary car designers. Remarkable.
I don't know what you think — and really, I do care — but the latest Subaru Impreza hatch just does not do it for me. It doesn't stand out on the road and say: Look at me, I'm the latest and greatest.
It says: Yep, me again.
That's an awful shame. The Impreza is very well screwed together and has the best safety in its class, equalled only by the Mitsubishi Lancer.
The hatch is nice to drive, feels solid on the road, has understated cabin features and though a bit more expensive than others, has the lure of things like the maximum safety star rating and all-wheel drive. It just looks, well, ordinary.
Appearance
Now there's another Impreza. One that doesn't look ordinary and, in WRX trim tested here, actually looks like something you would pleasantly park in your driveway without your boring neighbour starting hee-haw noises over the fence.
This is the Impreza sedan.
Sit inside and it's all the same as the hatch. But walk around the outside and it has a cute tail that balances out the profile.
The WRX gets a rear spoiler atop this boot lid, further impressing the audience.
There is also a STI-look grille that successfully hardens up the almost floral decoration of the one on the standard hatch.
The Impreza is finally balanced, in proportion and now armed with sufficient styling to draw attention. That can only be good.
There is a certain austerity to the cabin but no complaints about the finish.
Inexplicably, the audio system in the WRX is one of the best around in terms of sound quality and the enveloping nature of the speakers.
The touch-screen system (optional) is excellent and sat-nav is appreciated though the buttons are weeney making it awkward for the driver to change the modes.
And the seats are a pleasant compromise between sports and comfort, with sufficient lateral support so tired bodies like mine can plop in and creak out.
Naturally the sedan has a bigger boot than the hatch though it still has a high floor. Combined with the small lid, it will limit the car's cargo-carrying flexibility though some relief is in the split/fold rear seats.
The boot floor hides a space-saver spare and there's precious little room for anything else.
Features
The WRX comes standard with pretty much everything you'll want in a small car.
It seats four adults, has climate airconditioning and electric windows and mirrors. There is a six-disc CD player and iPod jack, trip computer and cruise control.
There is also height and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, height adjustment for the driver's seat, privacy glass for the rear doors and DataDot security technology.
As the penultimate Impreza, the exterior gets colour-coded door handles and mirrors, alloy wheels, the mandatory spoiler and body kit.
Pricing
The hatch and the sedan versions of the WRX start at the same $39,990 — the same as in previous years despite the jump in performance and features.
But the test car added leather upholstery, the sat-nav system — which replaces the six-disc CD player with a single-disc unit to allow room for the DVD map — and sunroof. Subaru bundles these three together and offers the WRX for $45,480.
Drivetrain
The flat-four gets more power but the accent is on its delivery to the four wheels.
That engine is still 2.5 litres and there's a turbocharger to give it a kick, resulting in power rising 26kW to 195kW and torque to 343Nm from 320Nm.
This all arrives at higher revs which is a surprise given how much easier the car gets off the mark. The torque hits its peak at 4000rpm (previously 320Nm at 2800rpm) and power at 6000rpm (previously 169kW at 5200rpm).
A graph (unavailable for viewing) may show a fatter torque band at lower revs.
The flat-four engine drills through a five-speed manual — “no need for a heavy six-speed,” Subaru says — and ends at the front wheels and, via a limited slip differential, the rear wheels.
Disc brakes are all around with ventilated units up front. Spot the WRX models by their red-painted calipers on show behind the spokes of the 17-inch alloys.
Suspension is MacPherson struts at the front and, in a recent move, double wishbones with coils at the back that replace the struts used in previous models.
Subaru has also tweaked the suspension with firmer joints to sharpen steering input and flatten out the bends.
Driving
A decade-old Subaru can be identified just by cranking over its starter motor. You don't have to see the car to know it’s Subaru.
Well, the latest one is less easy to pick by sound. Better body insulation has muffled the dentist-drill starter and a bigger exhaust system has muted the exhaust note. Not killed the note, merely turned the volume down a tad.
The latest WRX gets quieter and has added a bit of softness in the power delivery despite the extra kilowatts and Newton-metres.
From the driver's seat it's nice and simple and a lot like before.
But press in the clutch and engage first and the shifter feels positive with less resistance than the older model.
Drive the machine and the box shows shift improvements especially the downchange into second cog and then into first.
The engine is a winner. Less fussy than before and with almost no willingness to stall off the mark, it displays more low-end guts to make driving so much easier.
That rush still comes on hot from 2000rpm and pushes through 3000rpm with a bit of a thrust at about 4000rpm. There's no harshness about the delivery — it's smooth, linear and easy to control.
The box, also, suits the extra torque. The WRX would run harder with a six-speed unit but, in truth, the five felt fine and given the engine's flexibility, was a no-brainer. It’s lighter and cheaper than a six, too.
Impreza steering is a tad firm but that suits the car and the way it's supposed to be driven.
Subaru has played with the suspension but you'd never call it harsh. It's a good balance between smooth and coarse bitumen with the only bit of nagging aimed at the noisy tyres.
Basically, an easier WRX to drive and own. And, thankfully, prettier.
Snapshot
Subaru Impreza WRX
Price: $39,990 ($45,480 as tested)
Engines: 2.5-litre, flat-4-cyl, turbocharger, intercooler
Power: 195kW @ 6000rpm
Torque: 343Nm @ 4000rpm
Fuel economy (official): 10.4 litres/100km, (tested): 10.8 litres/100km
Transmission: five-speed manual; constant 4WD
