New-gen car delivers more grunt, for more money, and a touch of STi.

PRICING has been announced for the incoming Subaru WRX, along with determination to deliver an edition with some Subaru Technica influences, despite the maker having decided there will be no full-out STi version this time.

Availing from next month as a 2.4-litre sedan and as a GT wagon, the first with the choice of a six-speed manual or CVT, the latter CVT only, the car will configure in standard (called Premium) and a higher-level tS specification that delivers some STi styling touches plus electronic dampening.

The standard specification costs $59,990 in all formats. The tS ingredients lift that sticker to $64,990.

The previous model family, which represented in standard and premium formats, all with a 2.0-litre engine, cost between $48,990 and $55,990.

In announcing this detail today, Subaru NZ has also opened the book to pre-orders and urged customers to get their names down, hinting that supply might be limited.

Wallis Dumper, SNZ managing director says the 2022 car is on an elevated playing field compared to its predecessor. He says the brand’s engineers “threw in everything from the tried and proven recipe of the last 30 years.”

Confirmation of the car’s release timing comes more than half a year after Subaru here indicated it would be seeking supply.

The six-speed manual is described as being a close-ratio transmission. The alternate ‘performance’ automatic, which features eight preset change points, is described as being a newly-developed version of the Lineatronic CVT. It has automatic downshift blipping control for “engaging performance” and a manual mode.

The local distributor has reminded that the WRX nameplate, which launched in 1992, has become “synonymous with Subaru’s performance offerings and tearing up New Zealand’s gravel roads” in rallysport, with multiple top-level trophies coming its way.

The new models run a 202kW/350Nm 2.4-litre turbocharged engine.

All WRXs feature dual zone climate control air conditioning, sports bucket-style front seats, sat nav and Subaru’s Eyesight driver assistance.

New features include a 11.6 inch touchscreen, driver monitoring with facial recognition, reverse automatic braking and a power tailgate on the wagon.

The tS cars have electronic control dampers and Drive Mode Select. They achieve STI branding on the steering wheel and instrument cluster. The tS wagon also adds STI branded front seats and tail pipes.

Subaru NZ has created the video, posted today, that spells out all the changes.

Said Dumper in respect to the tS initiative: “We realise that the recently announced news that there will not be an STI model included with this new generation WRX will be disappointing for many passionate Subaru performance car enthusiasts.

“However, we still retain flashes of STI’s brilliance through the tS model.”

He is confident the new model will be identified as an affordable and accessible performance vehicle.