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Subaru’s Performance Twins Muscle Up (760)

Major changes to Subaru’s performance twins, the All-Wheel Drive turbocharged WRX and WRX STI, are set to add more white-hot thrills for drivers of the brand’s long-established pocket rockets.

Mechanical and cosmetic changes will drive the owner experience to a new adrenaline-charged level as the “Rex” pair add to their rally-backed reputation.

Driving performance, the features list and quality are all big winners in Subaru’s heavily revised Model Year 2018 line-up, which despite all the extra kit, still has a starting price of $39,240 Manufacturer’s List Price (MLP)* for WRX manual.

WRX and WRX STI share multiple external and cabin changes to produce even more sporty presence, including a revised nose with more aggressive grille design.

Even greater attention to interior quality adds to the air of exclusivity, while introduction of EyeSight® Driver Assist in WRX automatic transmission variants, extends Subaru’s dominance in bringing the potentially accident-avoiding technology to the masses.

All automatic WRXs also add an electronic parking brake and Automatic Vehicle Hold – meaning the driver doesn’t have to keep their foot on the brake pedal in situations such as traffic lights and road congestion.

Subaru’s performance flagship model introduces a new range-topper – the WRX STI spec.R, featuring Recaro seats.

Among the new features on all WRX variants:

• Jurid performance brake pads – for superior fade resistance
• Red painted brake callipers (front-only in auto variants)
• New design 18-inch alloy wheels
• Heated door mirrors
• Fog lights upgraded to LED
• Revised suspension
• Electric lumbar support – WRX Premium and WRX STI Premium

Every WRX and WRX STI also adds:

• Steering responsive LED headlights, with LED Daytime Running Lights
• 5.9-inch Multi-Function Display – upgraded from 4.3-inch - wider with higher definition, making viewing and reading data easier
• Greater practicality and convenience, with the introduction of roof carrier brackets

Also new in entry-level WRX are dusk sensing headlights and rain sensing windscreen wipers, which are already featured in WRX Premium.

WRX Premium adds a 8-way power seat with dual memory and electric lumbar support for the driver’s seat - and heated driver and front passenger seat.

WRX Premium with Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) adds the EyeSight® Assist Monitor, which displays warnings and status on the lower windscreen.

WRX STI also adds new sports features including:

• Yellow Brembo 6-pot front + 2-pot rear brake callipers
• Cross-drilled brake rotors – for even greater braking performance
• 19-inch alloy wheels - for greater agility, handling and tremendous performance – the first time the larger wheels have featured on WRX STI
• New front bumper and grille
• Red seatbelts
• Revised suspension - optimized roll rigidity, suspension coils and shock absorbers, for both excellent control, stability, and flat ride comfort

New on entry-level WRX STI are heated door mirrors, while WRX STI Premium and WRX STI spec.R also add the Front View Camera.

WRX STI Premium also gets a 8-waypower and electric lumbar support driver’s seat, while spec.R adds eight-way adjustable Recaro driver’s seat, designed for both excellent support and comfort.

Subaru Australia Managing Director, Colin Christie said: “Current generation WRX and WRX STI have truly taken on a life of their own in sales terms, harking back to the success they achieved in first generation back in the late 1990s.

“WRX fans recognise the amazing value these cars represent – and also engineering integrity – which sees these fantastic fun cars growing their audience more than 23 years after they launched in Australia, to create a cult following that is now well and truly mainstream.

“These comprehensive changes right across the range underline that fun, value, performance and safety can go hand-in-hand.”

As with the entire Subaru new car range, every WRX and WRX STI has an independent five-star rating for occupant safety.

EXTERIOR

The outside of both WRX and WRX STI offersa high-performance look, with an even more aggressive face.

The revised design evokes a more powerful, precise driving style, befitting their sports sedan capabilities.

The design blends functional elegance honed in the motorsport arena - through events like the 24 Hours of Nürburgring - with a high-impact visual statement in line with high-performance, spirited driving.

Among the detail exterior changes:

• More refined front end common to new generation Subarus
  • The front retains the classic Subaru hexagonal grille and C-shaped design elements for head lights, but is revamped with a more seamless look, for a sharper style, reinforcing distinctive Subaru design and helping boost on-road presence.
• Powerful front bumper and fog light bezel design, for better performance
  • The blacked out opening in the lower grille is enlarged for a much more potent look. Its shape also helps promote cooling capability, while adding to the cars’ dynamic, low centre-of-gravity feel.
  • The functional design of the fog light bezels in WRX is enhanced to produce a more performance-oriented look.
• Newly designed LED headlights for a sharper look
  • Steering Responsive LED headlights, in both high and low beam modes. The use of a single light point in the headlights gives the front a sharper, more intense appearance.
  • Indicator lights are moved inside the headlights, simplifying the fog light bezels, with the updated shape making the opening look larger. This produces a lower looking stance similar to a race car.
• New 19-inch wheels on WRX STI and 18-inch wheels on WRX
  • Further accentuate the cars’ driving potential, with a racing car look. The 19-inch forged alloy wheels on WRX STI symbolize the car’s very essence and its exceptional handling capability. The spokes also provide glimpses of the impressive brakes - a show of its performance potential. Both wheel sizes provide excellent functionality with their lightweight, high-rigidity design, and serve to enhance the car’s performance driving enjoyment. The wheel surface is finished with dark gun-metal paint, producing an extra sporty look. The newly-designed 18-inch wheels on all WRX variants also feature straight spokes and dark gun metal paint to create an even sportier finish.
• Roof carrier brackets
  • WRX and WRX STI also offer utility with the addition of the brackets, making attaching and removing roof carrier accessories - such as bike and canoe racks - much easier

FRONT BUMPER

The front bumper is revamped with a design that evokes a more powerful, precise driving style. A border around the lower grille is blacked out with a spun-dyed geometric texture and the opening enlarged.

This improves cooling capability and also emphasizes the car’s powerful, low centre of gravity look.

GRILLE

The hexagonal grille is changed and the frame painted black, producing a sharper, well-defined shape. A line running from both sides of the Subaru Constellation six-star emblem is added, with the horizontal theme flowing through to the headlights, highlighting the distinctive Subaru design.

INTERIOR

The upgraded interiors on both WRX and WRX STI produce a sportier, prestigious feel.

The cabin design adds to driving excitement and makes the cars even more enjoyable to own, with a black colour scheme that creates a sportier mood.

Changes for Model Year 2018 are focused on creating an even more engaging interior design and raising quality, with more cohesive interior finish and a greater sense of performance potential.

Interior decorations with a rigid, shiny black finish are increased to provide a sportier, elegant feel.

WRX STI adds even more exclusive special touches, including Recaro seats in WRX STI spec.R, with excellent support; and red seatbelts befitting the brand’s performance flagship.

The cabin areas updated to color-coded black (WRX STI: high gloss black, WRX: black molding) include:

• Door switch panel 
• Instrument panel centre
• Gear shift surround panel
• Steering centre bezel

RECARO FRONT SEATS (WRX STI spec.R)

The Recaro seats are designed for both excellent support and comfort.

The shape around the shoulder area is wide, for a greater contact area with the occupant, reducing the pressure that the body is subjected to from forces generated when turning - maintaining a better seating posture.

Use of high-density urethane foam in the backrest and cushion ensures excellent ride comfort.

The seats are designed with exceptional collision safety, as well as a full range of practical features like power adjustment – a first for Recaros in Subarus - seat heaters and seatback pockets.

The Recaros offer the highest level of protection against whiplash and other collision effects.

In WRX Premium and WRX STI Premium, electric lumbar support is added to the specification list.