Subaru's 2022 WRX gets body cladding, new Boxer engine

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The 2022 Subaru WRX has arrived. The fifth-generation rally sedan was announced by the Japanese automaker Friday, and with it comes significant upgrades in performance, technology, and safety features.

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Following in the footsteps of the recently-teased Solterra SUV , the 2022 WRX will be built on the Subaru Global Platform for the first time, providing better handling with the help of a stiffer chassis and lower centre of gravity. The company’s proprietary Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive will also grace the 2022 WRX, of course.

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The familiar Subaru hexagonal grille is accompanied by a few significant body changes that are actually semi-functional. It maintains its wide, low, and aerodynamic look, while new air outlets have been added at the side of the front wheels and back bumpers to improve stability and decrease sway. A new aluminum fender decreases the weight of the vehicle by nearly five pounds, and sharp body lines from front to back increase the vehicle’s ferocity by unmeasurable amounts.

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Under the hood, the 2022 WRX is outfitted with a new 2.4-litre turbocharged Boxer engine that pushes 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Partnered with a six-speed manual or all-new Subaru Performance Transmission – a CVT, to be clear – you can expect the rally legend to reach new levels of precision.

Subaru pays its respects to the traditional manual transmission of the rally-inspired compact car with better gear ratios that help improve shift quality, while the performance transmission takes things to the next level. Faster upshifts and downshifts from second to third gear and back, coupled with adaptive shift control and faster response times, make the automatic WRX a cornering master.

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Subaru also brings its state-of-the-art EyeSight Driver Assist Technology to the 2022 WRX. All automatic trim models will come equipped with the enhanced safety features in emergency braking and steering, improved cruise control and lane assist, and collision-avoidance controls.

“The addition of an electric brake booster improves braking responsiveness and performance in panic stops,” Subaru added in the release. “The Lane Departure Prevention function has been improved to provide a smoother and more natural assistance. For the first time in a WRX, Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering is now included in the EyeSight system’s suite of features.”

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The centre of the interior experience is an 11.6-inch high-definition infotainment display operating on Subaru’s STARLINK platform. The hub controls all of the vehicle’s functions — audio, heating and air conditions, rear camera, to name a few, and also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities.

The 2022 Subaru WRX is expected to be available in showrooms in early 2022.