New looks, 300 bhp from the 2.5 liter boxer engine, improved engine management system, giving the driver the choice of the type of response, and a four-wheel drive system allowing the driver to select the torque split – these set the new
Subari WRX STI well apart from previous models, and the competition.
This adds up to a 0-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds – under the magic 5 second mark – and a top speed of 155 mph. Very quick!
Gone is the dumpy, rather ugly sedan that used to house the Subaru WRX STI power house, and in its place is a compact hatch back, with smart but untrendy styling. This is a bonus because the old car was something in-between, lacking the practicality of a hatch, but not really spacious.
Sporty looking hatchback
Hatchbacks usually look more sporty than sedans, and the WRX STI looks pretty good, although in the interests of more space in the mainstream models, the new car is taller, which is not ideal for a hot car. It is a pretty gracious looking hatch, with large eybrowed wheelarches giving the car a different appearance from other models.
At the front, there is a very wide air intake in the bumper and a full width shalllow, swooping grille, with the characteristic air intake in the hood – rather more integrated than in the past. Overall, pretty good, and it gets little air outlets in front of the front wheels as well – just like on a supercar.
As always it is Subaru's flat-four that is the heart of the new Scooby, like the last model up to 2.5 liters, which, surprisingly, produces less torque than its main competitor, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2.0 liter unit.
The latest engine is nevertheless as superb as ever, developing 300 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 300 lb ft (406 Nm) at 4,000 rpm. As before, the engine has twin ohc with four valves per cylinder, and the turbo/intercooler arrangement gives plenty of boost from about 3,000 rpm to 6,000 rpm, making this a very sporty engine. There is also a water spray system to improve cooling when the engine is being worked very hard – as in rallies.
To allow the driver to choose the level of response, the engine management system has three modes, controlled by a rotary switch. This enables the driver to select slow response, suitable for ice and snow, to the fastest, when driving fast over tarmac.
There is just the one gearbox – a six-speed manual unit, with shorter shifts than in the past.
Manual or auto mode for center diff
Subaru has stuck with continuous four-wheel drive through thick and thin, and this is what made the WRX STI such a good car right from the start. There is a viscous coupling center diff, but the distribution of torque can be controlled by the driver.
In Manual Mode, the driver can adjust the front to rear torque distribution through varying degrees to suit different road conditions such as loose gravel or soft snow as he or she wishes.
There are also three automatic modes:
Auto Mode is selected when the engine is started and covers most road conditions;
Auto+ Mode places the emphasis on traction for slippery roads, sharing out the torque more evenly between all four wheels and enhancing straight-line stability;
Auto- Mode increases agility by enhancing steering response through less torque-split interference.
It remains to be seen how much control the driver really has with this system.
You also get front and rear limited slip differentials.
At the front, MacPherson struts are retained, but there is a new doule wishbone rear suspension, which should control wheel movement better. Special suspension bushes, designed to give better response by being less flexible than those in other Imprezas, keep the car on line, and stopppoing power is provided by Brembo. Wheels are either 18-inch with 235/45R17 tires, or 19-inch, with tires of 245/40 R18 section.
Despite the new car being 2 inches (50 mm) shorter than the old one, weight has gone up slightly, probably to stiffen the structure around the big gap for the hatchback, by 65 lb (30 kg) to 3,318 lb (1,505 kg) – still 30 lb less than the Evo X, which can't be bad.
Overall, the new Subaru WRX STI looks to be a real improvement, offering plenty of power and torque, with improved controls and four-wheel drive system, hopefully giving the driver more involvement and entertainment.
