If there’s any reason to doubt what motorsports can do for a brand, look no further than Subaru. Despite exiting world rallying some seven years ago as a works team, the connotations remain strong. Whether this is a good thing depends on where the brand is headed, which isn’t always apparent with Subaru. After spending a few days with the WRX, can’t really say I have it figured out either.
Hmmm…a CVT in a WRX
Let’s dive into the most contentious issue – the presence of a CVT in a 268hp, 350Nm, all-wheel-drive performance sedan. Subaru is probably smarter than this, and in a world of infinite resources, I reckon they would have chosen a different type of transmission that better represented the WRX to an audience who can’t or don’t want to live with three pedals. But R&D costs a bomb, since Subaru been working with Continuously Variable Transmission for their mainstream models for a while now, one would have to assume economy of scale prevailed. For fan boys (and girls), you can have your WRX with a six-speed manual.
The fact that Subaru managed to shoehorn a CVT that works with this much power and torque should count as some kind of achievement, I can’t think of another CVT-equipped passenger car in our market that is as powerful as the WRX. That it helps Subaru shift a few more WRX-es out of showrooms isn’t a bad thing (especially in North America), at the very least, having an automatic option help justify the business case and hopefully, the continued existence of the original road-going rally hero.
Does it cut the wasabi?
We hope to be proven wrong one day, but at this point in time, belts and pulleys don’t do a great job replicating the mechanical sensation of gear changes…yet. Not that the WRX doesn’t try hard, offering three powertrain maps with different number of virtual ratios – six in normal (called Intelligent mode) and up to eight in the sportiest mode curiously labelled S#, or Sport Sharp. But put it this way, a dish of vegetarian duck, no matter how close it tastes like the real thing, will always be undone by its texture. With the WRX, you can yank its steering shift paddles to your heart’s content, watch the rev pointer and digital turbo gauge dance around, but there’s little satisfaction in doing so, and this is only after 10 minutes.
It would have helped if the 2.0-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine was more generous with its flat-four soundtrack, but the characterful boxer warble is mostly absent (there’s a hint if you listen hard), with the distinctive idling throb largely AWOL as well. It’s a strong and smooth motor this, with a meaty mid-band that pulls hard to the red line, but next to lag-free turbo fours of European origins, the WRX’s motor feels old school with its peakier and sometimes lumpy power delivery no thanks to the CVT.
Still a rally hero?
Yes, the WRX remains the rally-inspired hero we’ve all come to admire over the years. Wet or dry, its grip and AWD traction are simply prodigious, ably supported by a delightfully neutral chassis balance that defies the WRX’s front-bias weight distribution. Pinning the accelerator to the floor on high-speed off ramps yields the unshakable planted feel unique to its kind, and the harder the WRX is pushed, the closer the limits of tyre adhesion is explored, the more alive it feels.
But in an age where it’s more about accessing rather than extracting performance, you kind of wonder the relevance of a WRX on a day-to-day basis. For around similar money, you can have a Volkswagen Golf GTI with a much more premium interior, goes just as rapidly, but without jarring the kidneys when going over moon-like surfaces otherwise known as Malaysian city roads. The WRX’s almost non-existent body roll might be marvellous, but I’d gladly trade some of that for ride compliance and a lighter steering so that the WRX is more at ease with daily urban commute.
Next chapter: better styling with everyday application?
The crux of the matter then is defining the role the WRX in the post-World Rally Championship glory days. In truth, Subaru doesn’t need to look far for an answer. Think M-Sport of BMW, Audi S Line, or closer to home, Lexus’ F Sport or even Nissan’s Nismo – all largely aesthetically enhanced models with performance optimised for everyday use – a space that the WRX should be occupying instead of being unnecessarily performance-focused, something which the STi model already has down pat.
Nevertheless, it’s reassuring to see that Subaru, unlike its former rally counterpart Mitsubishi, remains committed to the C-sedan segment as seen in the pretty gorgeous Impreza Sedan Concept shown in the recent LA Auto Show. Perhaps, Subaru had already figured out what the WRX (which is based on the Impreza) needs to be in its forthcoming iteration? We can hope.
Subaru WRX 2.0 CVT
Price: RM239,604.80 (OTR incl. insurance)
Engine: 2.0-litre, flat-four, turbo petrol, AWD
Output: 268hp @ 5,600rpm, 350Nm @ 2,400-5,200rpm
Transmission: CVT w/steering shift paddles
Performance: 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds, top speed 230km/h
Fuel efficiency: 11.6 km/l (ADR combined cycle)
Wheels/tyres: 17in alloys, 235/45 R17
Safety: 7-airbags, Electronic Stability Control
Warranty: 5-year or 100,000km