Subaru's TurboTwin assault!
In March 1994 Subaru Australia launched a car that forever changed motoring enthusiasts' perceptions of the Japanese brand.
The car in question was the now legendary all-wheel drive Impreza WRX turbo. Despite a host of improvements over the years in the areas of performance, handling, fuel efficiency, standard kit, safety, security and overall driving dynamics, pricing for the just released 2011 sedan and hatch versions kicks off at $39,990.
Remarkably, this is exactly the same as its predecessor 16 years earlier.
Since 1994, Subaru's Australian dealers have found homes for 30,000 WRXs and as the company's Australian boss Nick Senior points out, pretenders have come and gone while the Rex has continued to deliver on a number of fronts.
"The WRX is an inspiring 'safety fast' car that delivers a confident drive while ticking all the emotional and rational boxes," he said. Senior describes the new WRX and STI as "bold, mean and agile in every sense of the words" and it's hard to argue with him. And there's even more good news.
Specify the sedan or hatch with satellite navigation, leather trim and a sunroof and those generous Subaru people will let you have one for $43,990 - a $1,000 saving on the equivalent outgoing model's pricing. There is also good news on the pricing front for the Rex's stove-hot sibling, the STI. Its pricing now starts at $59,990 for both the sedan and hatch - a $2000 reduction on the superseded model - and for the first time buyers can now specify a five-speed automatic version with steering-wheel-mounted paddles for the same price.
Subaru Australia claims that the automatic is the fastest in the company's model family and it includes a "blipping" control that speeds up changes. This means for instance, the driver can downshift from fifth to third by simply flicking the left-hand paddle twice.
Out on the Phillip Island track on the media launch program, the automatic sometimes decides that it doesn't do what you tell it to do on downshifts and because of this, the manual STI was a more rewarding and less frustrating high-speed drive.
One good feature is that the driver can select manual mode even when "D" has been selected on the shifter.
STI buyers can also specify additional goodies such as satellite navigation and Recaro seats. The top of the range STI spec R automatic sedan with navigation and the fancy seats tops the pricing chart at $66,990.
So far as the WRX and STI engines are concerned, the former's 2.5-litre double-overhead-camshaft boxer engine is good for 195kW at 6000rpm and 343Nm of torque that is on tap at 4000rpm.
Move up to the manual STI and you can enjoy 221kW at 6000rpm. The automatic's figure is the same but it kicks in 200rpm later. Maximum torque of 407Nm in the manual arrives at 4000rpm and the automatic's 350Nm is available from 3000 to 6000rpm.
The manual STI can sprint to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds while in automatic guise, this slows to six seconds.
The new WRX and STI are wider, with wider tracks and a longer wheelbase. The STI rides 5mm lower and both have aggressively flared guards. The front track has grown by 35mm and the rear by 40mm, and the tyres are also 10mm wider.
The STI's suspension is totally new and a large rear wing really sets the range topping model apart from its entry-level sibling.
Both ride on a coil MacPherson strut-type front set-up and there is a double-wishbone independent rear arrangement.
Roadholding, grip levels, steering and turn-in are noticeably improved on both models and while the WRX comes with 17-inch BBS alloys shod with Dunlop SP1 235/45R17 rubber, the STI gets 18-inch Enkei alloys that wear 245/40R18 Dunlop SP 600s.
In the styling department, all the new models have been treated to sharper bumper corners, new-look foglight surrounds and revised grilles. Another new feature on the STI is a rear bumper diffuser that sits between the dual pairs of exhaust pipes.
Inside the metal-look trim features have been made a bit darker and the instrument clusters on all variants have been blessed with more detailed gauge scales, including a "sweep" function when the ignition is turned on.
Rex aficionados who like to hear the car's exhaust note will be pleased that all models now have four tail pipes and the WRX has been fitted with the STI's exhaust system. It sounds great on both models.
The STI comes with Subaru's SI-Drive system that allows drivers to select their car's performance via a centre-console-mounted control.
The system offers three settings - "intelligent," "sport" and "Sport" - and what the system does is regulate the engine-control unit while fine-tuning the electronic throttle control. Sensibly, the modes can be changed "on the fly."
In terms of their standard kit, the WRX's goodies include four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, ABS and brake assist, six airbags, hill-start-assist, an AM/FM/CD 10-speaker audio system with MP3/WMA compatibility, Bluetooth mobile-phone connectivity, a multi-function leather-wrapped steering wheel, power jacks and a 60/40 split-fold rear seat.
Also on the menu are front fog lights, cruise control, electronic stability control, privacy glass, a rear diffuser, a rear roof spoiler with an LED brake light for the hatch and a boot-mounted spoiler for the sedan, remote central locking and self-levelling xenon headlights with pop-up washers.
Both the WRX and the STI have DataDot security and an immobiliser - features that have helped savagely reduce the theft of the hot Suby.
Step up to the STI and you add standard features such as climate-control air conditioning, sportier, more bolstered sports seats, Brembo brakes and the bigger wheels - not to mention the hotter engine.
During an extensive media launch drive program that included both track time at Phillip Island and country driving on a range of roads the WRX and the STI proved themselves even more as great driver's cars with remarkable handling, serious braking ability, precise turn-in and reduced understeer.
On pot-holed gravel roads the suspension settings, while firm and sporty, are not harsh and the all-wheel-drive system worked a treat adding to the cars' sure-footedness.
Inside they both still have more than their share of hard plastics - albeit plastics with tasteful surface treatments. A bit of soft-touch plastic would improve things.
Ergonomically, both cars are excellent and everything is within easy reach of the driver. Height -and-reach-adjustable steering wheels and the great sports seats make dialling up the perfect driving position a breeze.
In the storage department, there are front-and-rear door pockets, a centre-console bin and two drink holders.
Both the manual gearbox and automatic have five speeds and most of the motoring press who were at the launch agreed that six would be a better number.
Out on the track the STI - especially the manual version - shone as a rewarding and forgiving high-performance car that delivers a great driving experience and more than its fair share of smiles on the driver's face.
To wrap up, the WRX and its STI brother deliver a performance, handling, five-star safety and value-for-money story that continues to cost two or three times less than just about anything with a European badge.
Ian Crawford
Source: JUST CARS, November 2010, Collectors Issue #177
