New Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan in South Africa

Subaru is going back to its roots, introducing a Subaru Impreza WRX in four-door guise to the South African market, sparking memories of the car which set the brand onto the path to local success nearly 20 years ago.

While that car was known as the Impreza 2.0 GT and was powered by a 2.0-litre turbo producing 155 kW, the new WRX sedan – introduced locally in June 2009 – is powered by the latest version of the turbocharged 2.5-litre DOHC Boxer engine and is the most powerful WRX ever. At 195 kW and 343 Nm it is 26 kW more powerful and has 23 Nm more torque than its hatchback predecessor.

Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan

“We wanted to move the WRX into a new segment of the market, an area where it would be clearly recognised as the ultimate compact sports sedan,” says Grant Bowring, SSA’s Brand and Marketing Manager. “As cars have grown over the last couple of generations, those machines which were once considered compact in size have clearly gone beyond that, so it has made sense in terms of market positioning to fill that gap with the Impreza, a car which is perfect in terms of size and character to satisfy the driving enthusiast.”

The end result is the WRX sedan, a focussed and razor-sharp performance machine that raises the bar in all departments where cars of this ilk are judged. The launch of the WRX sedan coincides with the realignment of the entire Impreza range: the STI continues unchanged as the sole hatchback, while the WRX is joined by a four-door version of the 2.0R which is - apart from a number of improvements to the interior and exterior - identical to the hatchback it replaces.

“In this age where it is all too easy to forget how important emotional appeal is, not just in cars but in technology in general, the Impreza range - and the new Impreza WRX in particular, reflects a need to build efficient, intelligent cars which can still provide drivers with plenty of satisfaction.” says Bowring.

In this instance the efficiency to which Bowring alludes also embraces a full maintenance plan across the Impreza range, adding substantially to the value proposition and ownership experience which includes a wide range of aftersales benefits including a 24 hour turnaround book-in time on any servicing and repairs.

The updated Impreza range now comprises the 2.0R sedan 5-speed manual, which is expected to be launched from R249 000, 2.0R 4-speed automatic from R259 000, the WRX sedan from R349 000 and the STI at R545 000.

Exterior
The Impreza notch is built on the identical 2 620 mm wheelbase as the five-door hatch but it is 165 mm longer overall – all off this added behind the back axle. Width and height are, unsurprisingly, unchanged at 1 740 and 1 475 mm respectively, giving the car a compact, slender shape. Slender it may be but the end result is a sense of purpose which wasn’t always apparent on the hatchback. The overall shape accentuates the rising beltline and the swage which runs just above the colour-coded door handles to meet with the tail light clusters where they wrap around the flanks.

Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan

Adding to the sportier bent is the aerodynamic wing on the bootlid of the WRX, turning the tail up cheekily and – on a more practical level – adding rear downforce as speed increases. A couple of detail touches reinforce this strong performance focus and the Dunlop SP Sport 01 tyres – at 225/45 – are substantially wider than before. Rim diameter remains unchanged at 17-inch to allow for generously-proportioned brake discs.

Additional stylistic changes to all models are a bold chrome garnish highlighting the numberplate surround, and a rear bumper with dual exhaust outlets for a more purposeful rear view in keeping with the car’s character. The finishing touch to the front view of the Impreza WRX is a grille which is now identical to the metallic mesh design of the Impreza STI with specific badging to denote the model’s identity.

Interior
Changes to the interior are of a detail nature but it all adds up to a more street-wise persona – coupled to added luxury. Two obvious and one less obvious change are highlights. The more subtle difference – and one which is only obvious when the current and new versions are side by side – is a change to the interior colour. Interior plastics which were once off-black is now jet black and this applies to all trim mouldings.

Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan

These changes also apply to the pair of 2.0R derivatives and the effect is to create an atmosphere which is sportier, yet at the same time more elegant. More noticeable is the fact that a sunroof is now standard on the Impreza WRX models. It incorporates a tilt/slide function, with the open and shut functions being automatic while tilting the trailing edge of the sunroof up is achieved by pressing and holding a separate button. High-backed sports seats have the WRX logo embossed in the backrests.

Obvious side bolsters translate into excellent lateral support and the driver’s seat is also height-adjustable (on all versions) with a pump-action lever. The instrument lighting also has a tinge of red, for a unified mood which creates a pulsequickening effect from first acquaintance. In the same vein are the aluminium pedals with rubberised dimples, which are purely functional. The same treatment is applied to the driver’s footrest and the fact that they add to the aesthetical appeal is a welcome bonus.

Additional upgrades to the interior add emotional appeal but some are also practical. For example, the storage compartment in the centre console is now deeper and as an obvious lip at its front edge, making it far more useful for oddments such as a phone or coins. A non-slip rubberised finish prevents objects from sliding around and rattling. The centre console of the car is otherwise unchanged and incorporates dual cupholders and, behind the handbrake, a lidded compartment with 12 Volt outlet and Auxiliary input socket.

Adding to the ambience is a new metal-look finish for the forward portion of the centre console as well as on the door pull and door lock surrounds in the rear. The interior lighting has also been revised and the map lights supplement the dome light when the doors are locked or unlocked. The luminescent instrument lighting retains the distinctive Subaru swoosh at start-up but an added function is the illumination of the needles for 20 seconds after the doors are opened and a three second fade-out when the ignition is turned off.

Practical changes include a more visible hazard switch thanks to a conspicuous red finish, chunkier climate control switchgear, revised fuel consumption readouts (averages are displayed in Trip A or Trip B modes while the figure in odometer mode is an instantaneous reading), and selective door unlocking.

Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan

The Impreza is a genuine five-seater thanks to its long wheelbase and generous body width while large rear door apertures make it easy to get in and out. A 60/40 split allows for a dramatic increase of volume and a useful load-through capability. The Impreza’s multi-link rear suspension not only results in an exceptional ride and handling balance but it also means less intrusion into the luggage compartment. The result is an exceptionally wide and flat luggage area which was a deciding factor in Subaru Southern Africa continuing to supply a full-sized spare – a soothing thought when traversing the subcontinent’s wide open spaces…

Subaru dealers will offer a list of options for the Impreza to include a colour screen satellite navigation (based around a Kenwood facia unit for seamless integration, as Kenwood is also the supplier of the standard tuner/CD unit), and a sports exhaust system which gives a more meaningful burble which is unmistakably Subaru. The 2.0R is also available with leather and satellite navigation as options.

Engine and Transmission
What is under the bonnet is invariably what will matter most to the typical Subaru Impreza WRX buyer and not only is there more power and torque but there’s a more extrovert nature to go with it. While the outputs of 195 kW of power at 6000 revs/min and 343 Nm torque at 4000 rpm represent gains of 15.4 and 7.2 percent respectively, they don’t convey the change in character.

The power arrives further up the rev range giving it a more athletic nature and rewarding the driver who likes to work at his job. The engine really comes on song from 2 500 revs/min onwards – on paper making it slightly peakier than before – but at that point the vast majority of torque is already available. Look at the graph of twist effort and it is a bit like a siloutte of Table Mountain and from 2 500 to 5 000 the delivery of Newton Metres is above 340, give or take one or two.

With so much torque spread so widely there is little risk of being caught flat-footed and the gear ratios are unchanged, though the five-speed box has been strengthened in key area to cope with the gains at the flywheel. Improved shift feel has also been achieved through the use of a ball type key for the first and second gear synchro hubs and a change to the key groove on third and fourth synchro sleeve.

The gains in headline numbers have been achieved by fine tuning a number of areas:

* Maximum turbocharger boost is increased from 78 kPa to 92 kPa.
* A revised exhaust system provides a 30 per cent reduction in gas flow restriction, to match the turbocharger performance and increase engine power.
* A bigger turbocharger has been fitted and is now the same size as that of the STI, providing superior acceleration at high engine speeds.

While Impreza WRX is meaner, it’s also greener - lower fuel consumption and emissions result from the engineering refinement. Fuel consumption is improved in the combined cycle from 10.7 l/100km to 10.4 l/100km (approximately three percent), while carbon dioxide emissions are down from 252 g/km to 247 g/km, which just goes to show that you can have your performance cake and eat it.

Chassis and suspension
The WRX nomenclature has always been an evocative one and it conjures up images of an overtly sporty car. And in its latest guise it certainly lives up to that, delivering a driving experience which is invigorating thanks to crisp and incisive responses from the controls and suspension settings which are taut yet able to cope with a wide variety of road surfaces.

Suspension remains fundamentally unchanged, combining a strut-type front end with a triangular lower control arm, and at the rear a compact multilink system. The unique attributes of all-wheel-drive, the low centre of gravity of the Boxer engine and the perfectly symmetrical suspension layout are the ideal starting point for a car which faithfully obeys every driver input.

However, sharper handling has been achieved by making a number of detail changes:

* Anti-roll bar diameters have been increased by 1 mm front and rear and now measure 21 and 16 mm respectively.
* Spring stiffness rates have been altered and now measure 38 N/mm in front and 34 N/mm at the rear.
* The strut top mounting is now the same, highly-rigid component as fitted to the STI.
* A steering damper has been fitted to the rack and pinion, reducing kickback on bumpy roads and giving a smoother, more linear steering feel.
* The tyre choice has been chosen to optimize the balance of dry and wet weather grip, steering response, NVH levels and ride comfort.

Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan