People power boosts Subaru's WRX

Subaru has released a new version of the Impreza WRX in response to criticisms from driving enthusiasts.

The significantly modified Impreza WRX performance car has entered showrooms less than 16 months after the third-generation WRX went on sale. 

The 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX (or 'MY09' for model year 2009) features a range of improvements designed to make the car more agile and more powerful than before.

Changes to the Impreza WRX include increased engine performance, stiffened suspension and new tyres.

The mechanical tweaks to the WRX hatch coincide with the belated launch of a sedan version of the WRX (which also benefits from the changes), though Subaru Australia admits the revised car is aimed at appeasing disgruntled fans of the cult performance car.

"In the first three months of the WRX going on sale we had our first feedback that while the move to embrace a wider target audience had been successful some of the traditional buyers felt alienated," says Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior.

"They wanted a WRX that was more in keeping with their expectations and what they had tasted over the years."

Senior says local customer responses were fed back to Subaru HQ in Japan, and before even the end of 2007 the Australian subsidiary was working with its parent company to develop a sportier suspension package to satisfy the WRX’s loyal fan base.

Australia wasn’t the only Subaru market in the world sending criticisms back to Japan.

However, Subaru Australia’s strong positioning in the Japanese car maker’s constellation – it’s the third-biggest market after Japan and North America – allowed the company to request a unique WRX suspension tailored specifically for Australian roads.

In addition to the stiffer suspension, the new WRX features a more powerful 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (there's an extra 26kW to a class-leading 195kW) and more torque (up 23Nm to 343Nm).

There are also new, wider tyres from Dunlop that replace Yokohamas.

Subaru says the result is a significant improvement in performance, with the new WRX shaving half a second off its 0-100km/h time; the new WRX now achieves the benchmark in 5.3 seconds - just a tenth slower than the range-topping STI Impreza. 

Subaru says its own testing – using Subaru rally drivers Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge – confirms gains in other performance parameters, including the standard quarter mile, or 0-400m test (0.8 seconds quicker) and in-gear acceleration (0.6 seconds quicker in fifth gear from 80-120km/h).

The five-speed manual gearbox in carried over with only improvements to shift feel, while Subaru says there are no plans any time soon to introduce a dual-clutch gearbox - such as the one featured in the rival Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

Subaru’s Senior says that despite the mechanical upgrades the company is not abandoning its plan to reach new customers with the WRX.

"The only real change is a more sporty suspension," he says. "The rest of the car has that refinement we introduced on the MY08 model that is still appealing to a broader market."

Senior says the hatchback version of the WRX will continue to attract the newer buyers, skewed towards a more female, younger demographic. The new sedan will be favoured by the more traditional WRX buyer, he says.

Subaru Australia expects the mix to be split evenly between hatch and sedan, while the company hopes the mechanical improvements combined with the introduction of the new four-door will help to nearly double WRX sales.

"We are currently averaging about 80 WRX sales per month, but we want to grow that to about 120-150 per month," says Senior.

Subaru Australia has sold more than 25,000 WRXs since the model – affectionately nicknamed ‘Rex’ – launched in 1994, with a best-ever annual result of 3776 sales in 1999.

Although the new WRX closes the power and performance gap to the more expensive STI, Senior says the company has no plans to change either the pricing or specification for its range-topping, 221kW/407Nm Impreza.

"We haven't had any criticism at all of the STI," says Senior. "There is still a huge amount of difference between the WRX and STI. The STI has a six-speed manual gearbox, different wheels and tyres, a different interior, bigger brakes, Driver Control Centre Differential, and better performance."

The company says it also has no plans to introduce a diesel version of the WRX, to fill the gap between the WRX and WRX STI.

As for the criticisms of the old WRX, Senior says that while WRX enthusiasts are always vocal, other car makers would be envious of the car’s following.

"The WRX since its launch in 1994 has become an iconic car, a vehicle appreciated by a very passionate customer base," he says.

"They are the first to tell us when we get something right, and the first to tell us when we’ve got it wrong.

"It’s great to have those passionate customers, because you do get feedback; it’s not as though you have this huge passive audience that a lot of brands get."

- © Fairfax NZ News