2022 Subaru WRX debuts with a new motor & platform
Subaru's pulled the wraps off the 2022 WRX and while the new, fifth-generation model may look familiar to its predecessor, it houses all-new innards, the most significant of them being a bigger boxer engine and a new platform.
By Divyank K. Bansal
Subaru's refreshed off-road weapon is expected to make its commercial debut sometime in early 2022.
Subaru's pulled the wraps off the 2022 WRX, and while the new fifth-generation model may look familiar to its predecessor, it houses all-new innards, the most significant of which is a bigger boxer engine and a new platform. The use of the new Subaru Global Platform allows for better safety levels, improved driving dynamics, and reduced Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) levels.
For 2022, the WRX gets a new 2.4-litre flat-four turbocharged boxer engine. In comparison, the previous generation was on sale with a 2.0-litre unit. The new unit develops 267bhp @ 5,600rpm and 350Nm of torque from 2,000 to 5,200rpm, which is about 3bhp more than before. Apart from the displacement gains, the 2022 WRX also benefits from a turbo with an electronically controlled wastegate for improved responsiveness and acceleration.
To keep enthusiasts satisfied, the new motor comes paired with either a conventional six-speed manual gearbox or a new Subaru Performance Transmission, which is essentially a CVT unit that also offers an eight-speed manual shift mode via paddles. Irrespective of the engine-gearbox combination, all variants of the WRX will be offered with Subaru's famed symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive and Active Torque Vectoring systems.
Inside the cabin, passengers will be greeted by an all-new 11.6-inch tablet-style HD Subaru Starlink infotainment screen, that, for the first time ever, offers a split-screen configuration.
Also new for 2022 is the addition of a top-spec GT trim. Apart from featuring the new CVT gearbox as standard, the new trim also offers electronically controlled dampers with three settings – Comfort, Normal, and Sport – and a Drive Mode Select feature, which offers up to 430 different configurations for vehicle settings.
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