There’s nothing quite like the Subaru WRX. Not anymore. Buyers looking for a compact, dirt-road-fast car with a non-luxury price tag once had several choices to consider. But, while most of them have dropped off the market, the WRX soldiers on alone.
That hasn’t stopped Subaru from improving it. For the 2022 model year, the Japanese automaker has rebuilt its rally legend from the ground up. It’s the first all-new WRX since the 2015 model year, and, on paper, it looks like a fantastic improvement.
The signature style that WRX fans love remains intact. It employs a low-set boxer engine, symmetrical all-wheel-drive, and snarling attitude. But it incorporates them all onto a stiffer chassis with a more powerful engine and new styling.
Subaru hasn’t announced pricing. For reference, the 2021 WRX starts at $27,495, plus a destination fee of $925 (a pleasant surprise in a year when most automakers charge four figures). We expect to see 2022 prices rise, given the new design and the supply problems dogging the automotive industry. But it’s hard to say how much at this point. The new WRX should reach dealerships late in 2021.
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New Chassis
The biggest change comes in the bones it rides on. The new WRX uses the new Subaru Global Platform, boosting torsional rigidity by 28%. The rear stabilizer bar is bolted directly to the chassis, limiting body roll in hard cornering. Subaru says the suspension mounting points are now 75% stiffer as well. All of that should translate to a very stable car.
Subaru assumes drivers will need that stability. Engineers increased suspension travel in the front and rear, assuming that not a lot of WRX’s will live their lives entirely on smooth pavement.
More Power
Under the hood, you’ll find a version of the 2.4-liter turbocharged flat 4-cylinder engine Subaru also uses on the larger Legacy and Outback. Here, it makes 271 horsepower. That’s just a slight boost over the outgoing model, but Subaru has tuned it for a broader torque curve.
Power goes through a 6-speed manual transmission or a new continuously variable transmission designed to feel like an 8-speed automatic. It even has paddle shifters, so drivers can mimic forcing gear changes on their own timing.
Updated Look
The 2022 WRX is still obviously a WRX. The wide hood scoop sits above narrower headlamps and a wider grille than the old car. Significant fender bulges give it a widebody look. It also results in a small trunk opening that might be an annoyance, but no one buys a WRX for its practicality.
But we’re avoiding the first thing you noticed. New black plastic cladding surrounds larger wheel wells. It looks like something you’d expect on a crossover, but it has heritage. It’s a bit of a callback to the early Outbacks when that car was marketed as a trim level of the Legacy wagon. It also clearly establishes that the WRX is meant for something beyond suburban parking lots. The plastic will probably prove divisive, but we think it works here.
Available Recaro Seats
It’s almost a cliche at this point to say that a big central touchscreen dominates a car’s interior. But the WRX’s dash is so minimalist, and the portrait-oriented, 11.6-inch screen so big for the space that it has to be said.
The only interior color option is black with red contrast stitching. Carbon fiber pattern accents (not real at this price), a flat-bottom steering wheel, and drilled metal pedals give it a performance car feel. A new top-of-the-line GT trim offers the option of Recaro racing seats.
New Safety Tech
Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist technology is standard on all trim levels. It includes adaptive cruise control with lane-centering and automatic emergency steering assist that attempts to help the driver steer around obstacles when the car is traveling under 50 mph.
A Class of One
The WRX no longer has a true rival. Shoppers looking for a high-performance compact sedan can consider the Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai Elantra N, but neither is built for the trail the way the WRX is. If you’re planning to take your new car off-road, its purest competitors might be small crossovers.
Class of 2022: All the New and Redesigned Cars, Trucks, and SUVs
