The legend is back! And this time, with a vengeance. Thanks to Motor Image Pilipinas (MIP), the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the country, ensuring that every gearhead would ignite their senses in the arrival of the much-awaited all-new Subaru WRX and WRX Wagon.  

In a press statement, Glenn Tan, Head Honcho of MIP and Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Tan Chong International Limited, said, “The all-new WRX is here to ignite your senses. From its stunning exterior and premium interior to the sporty sound and powerful performance of its new 2.4-liter turbo boxer engine, the invigorating smell of the exhaust, and the exciting handling, the WRX gives a raw driving experience that makes burning rubber fun. I am very confident that both the all-new WRX and WRX Wagon will totally ignite your senses, and remain crowd favorites that are much-loved by Subaru enthusiasts here.”

Outside, Subaru’s modern design philosophy “Dynamic x Solid” has been enhanced to also express “Bolder”, guiding the complete redesign of the WRX in both notchback-sedan and station-wagon body styles. Compared to its predecessor, the new WRX is 75mm longer, 30mm wider, and 10mm lower than before, with an additional 25 mm in the wheelbase (2675 mm). The new WRX Wagon is 65 mm longer, 15 mm wider and 10 mm taller than the previous Levorg, with an additional 20 mm in the wheelbase (2670 mm). Both models are built on the newest iteration of the Subaru Global Platform, with full inner-frame construction and expanded application of structural adhesive to greatly improve the car’s rigidity, a bedrock of performance driving capability.

According to Subaru’s internal studies, the torsional stiffness of the chassis is up by 28 percent for the new WRX and 44 percent for the new WRX Wagon. Furthermore, the proportion of high-tensile steel sheets in the body has increased from 4 percent to 9 percent (approximate in-house data), which is good for collision safety. The bonnet is still aluminium, like the older WRX, while the front fenders are now also made from light yet strong metal, saving 2.3 kg.

For instance, the Viziv Performance Concept’s “forward-thrusting body with a low center of gravity”, “dynamic flare of the muscular fenders” and “bold glimpse of the exhaust in the rear bumper” have been produced sedan the street-legal WRX.

The front has been designed to give the impression of overwhelming performance at a glance. The striking hexagonal grille, with its honeycomb pattern repeated neatly above the fog lamps, is flanked by sleek LED headlamps with Subaru’s C-shaped light signature. Of course, the classic WRX trademark, a functional scoop cut into the hood, is present and accounted for, feeding fresh air to the intercooler of the turbocharged boxer engine. The athletic design of the WRX continues on the bodysides, which are dominated by eye-catching fender extensions to visually convey the all-wheel-drive power and blacked-out lower sections to accentuate the road-hugging stance. Following the sports theme perfectly are the 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 245/40 R18 high-performance tires.

If the nose of the WRX looks fast, then the tail looks downright furious. Just like before, there are two pairs of exhaust tailpipes with a fog lamp in the middle, but the rear bumper has become an imposing structure that seems to brace the sculptured sheet metal above and alongside. The boot-lid spoiler, trunk garnish that cuts across like a black katana blade, and LED combination lamps with their magma-inspired lighting effects complete the look of the WRX’s “Tokyo turbojet” rear.

Even though the WRX and WRX Wagon are cut from the same Japanese cloth, the two cars clearly differ in their design direction. The WRX pays stylistic tribute to rally in an obvious fashion, especially in its flashy special color Solar Orange, whereas the WRX Wagon is styled as a classy sports tourer, available with a choice of chic white paintwork, either Ceramic White (both body styles) or Crystal White Pearl (wagon only).

The new WRX duo is wind-cheating machines like the new BRZ coupe, designed to slip through the air in their own slick ways, and the WRX applies a few more tricks to cheat the wind. The airflow around and below the WRX is cleverly controlled to ensure stability on the move, reduce air resistance and perfect the front-rear balance of the whole vehicle, especially at higher speeds where turbulence can be a challenge for fast cars. The most noticeable aero measures on the bodywork of the WRX are the side sill spoilers and rear spoiler, along with the air outlets behind the front fenders and on the outer corners of the rear bumper.

The air outlets eject the air vortex from inside the wheel housings and rear bumper respectively, so as to smoothen the airflow in those areas and help to keep the body stable. Also assisting with this are the air slits at the forward edge of the front wheel arches.

At the heart of the high performance is Subaru’s turbocharged FA24 boxer engine, uniquely tuned for the hot new WRX. The 2.4-liter horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder,16-valve direct-injection unit has been engineered to provide exceptional driving enjoyment, on-road and track alike. Instead of chasing big numbers at the expense of driveability and durability, the new WRX powerplant builds on the fun-to-drive fundamentals of the superseded 2-litre FA20, which is still a boxer benchmark today.

The sport-tuned suspension features geometry optimized for great control and good comfort over all kinds of roads, front-strut rebound springs to mitigate body roll while changing direction, rigid subframes which can resist lateral forces from the tires without resorting to hard bushes, and a rear stabilizer mounted directly to the body for greater stability. The electric power steering has been changed to a dual-pinion design (which separates the driver’s input shaft from the motor-assist shaft) for a more natural steering feel.

The most upscale feature of the new WRX is an its11.6-inch touchscreen display, which centralizes and manages the infotainment, climate control, vehicle settings, and other important functions in a user-friendly manner. This new-age Subaru system is also used to great effect in the regional flagship model, Outback. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, voice recognition and front dual USB are ready to connect you and your personal devices to the onboard infotainment of the WRX.

Available on indent are the top-spec WRX tS and WRX tS Wagon, which fully realize their high-performance potential with Drive Mode Select. Electronically controlled dampers with accelerometer sensors and a dedicated ECU (electronic control unit) are the basis for the system, which is connected to the WRX’s modules for SI-Drive, steering, Variable Torque Distribution, and EyeSight Adaptive Cruise Control (adjusting the ACC acceleration characteristic – Eco (gently but slowly), Comfort (smoothly), Standard (normally) or Dynamic (aggressively). The selected Drive Mode, therefore, also activates the relevant settings for these other systems.

The all-new Subaru WRX and WRX Wagon are now available in all Subaru dealerships, starting from PHP2,508,000.