All-new Subaru WRX officially in PH, starts at Php 2.508M

Subaru fans rejoice! The all-new fifth generation of Subaru’s famed rally racer, the WRX,  is now available in the Philippines in both wagon and sedan form. Standing for “World Rally eXperience,” the all-new Subaru WRX was revealed in September 2021 in sedan form for the North American market, and in wagon form for the Australian market a month later.

“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-litre 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 favourites that are much-loved by Subaru enthusiasts here,” said Mr. Glenn Tan, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Tan Chong International Limited.

All-new for this generation, the 2022 WRX wears Subaru’s latest “Dynamic x Solid” design language. Both the sedan and hatchback are built on 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 been 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 the light yet strong metal, saving 2.3 kg.

Looking at the design, the all-new WRX is now bolder and more aggressive, inspired by the Viziv Performance Concept shown at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show and the Viziv Tourer Concept at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. The WRX sedan pays stylistic tribute to rallying while the WRX Wagon is styled as a classy sports tourer. 

Standard exterior features on both the sedan and wagon are LED headlights, LED fog lights, LED combination taillights, power-folding side mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels (with different designs depending on the variant), rear bumper air outlets, and rear spoiler. The WRX sedan CVT and WRX ts sedan and wagon both get power sunroofs. Meanwhile for exhaust pipes, the WRX sedan gets twin dual tailpipe mufflers while the wagon gets dual exhaust pipes. 

Inside, compared to the previous generation, the all-new WRX gets a more upmarket, practical, and tech-filled redesign. According to Subaru, it is now the classiest and comfiest WRX, combining all the aspects mentioned earlier.

Standard interior features are fabric seats, dual analog gauge instrument cluster with 4.2-inch display, leather-wrapped shift knob, aluminum sport pedals, 10-way power adjustable driver seat (for automatic variants), and an 11.6-inch central touchscreen display for infotainment and climate control. Other variants get leather seats as well.

WRX and WRX Wagon tS

Meanwhile, available for pre-order are the tS variants for both body styles. This one comes with additional performance and creature comforts. Equipment specific to the tS variants in Philippines includes a Harman/Kardon 10-speaker hi-fi system with subwoofer and 8-channel amplifier, power tailgate with hands-free operation for the WRX tS Wagon. Both WRX tS models also sport an “STI” logo on the steering wheel, illuminated red meter rings, and “tS” badging on the boot lid.

Compared to the WRX GT-S Wagon, the WRX tS Wagon adds chrome trim on the front bumper lip, features a different 18-inch wheel design and sports large muffler cutters for the twin exhaust tailpipes.

Under the hood, the all-new Subaru WRX and WRX Wagon are powered by a 2.4-liter horizontally-opposed FA24 turbocharged Boxer engine that produces 275 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque. This is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission or a Sport Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) with 8 simulated gear ratios. 

In terms of safety, all Subaru WRX variants, except the manual transmission-equipped variant, get Subaru’s EyeSight advanced driver-assist technology. This means that all CVT-equipped WRX come standard with a Pre-Collision Braking System, Autonomous Emergency Steering, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Centering Control and Preceding Vehicle Adaptive Steering Control, Lane Departure Prevention, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Lead Vehicle Start Alert, a Manual Speed Limiter, and EyeSight Assist Monitor.

Again, there are a total of five variants, spread across two body styles, for the all-new Subaru WRX. Pricing is set as follows:

• WRX Wagon 2.4 GT-S EyeSight CVT: Php 2,558,000
• WRX Wagon 2.4 tS EyeSight CVT: Php 2,708,000*
• WRX 2.4 M/T: Php 2,508,000
• WRX 2.4 CVT EyeSight: Php 2,658,000
• WRX 2.4 tS CVT EyeSight: Php 2,808,000*

*tS variants are available through indent order