Subaru has unveiled the fifth generation, rally-inspired, WRX featuring a fresh design, more power, and new transmissions — including a manual. The 2022 WRX is built on the new Subaru Global Platform, which is shared with its Impreza sibling, so the likeliness is obvious. However, the WRX has a wider front grille and more aggressive wheel well edges by comparison.
The greatest differences come under the hood with a turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer-style engine that outputs 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque starting at just 2,000 RPM. Power can be routed through a six-speed manual transmission or a new Subaru Performance Transmission (automatic CVT) that uses adaptive shift control for rev-matching downshifts. The automatic option has faster shifts than the outgoing model’s automatic, upshifting 30 percent faster and downshifting 50 percent faster. Drive mode controls will further tailor the shifts on the automatic. Plus, there’s an 8-speed manual mode for paddle shifting under driver control.
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and Active Torque Vectoring remain standard. A stiffer chassis, new track-tuned suspension, more accurate steering, weight reduction, and a number of aerodynamic improvements, all suggest that the newest WRX will deliver what fans expect when it arrives in the first quarter of next year.
