Subaru WRX

High-performing and aesthetically-striking, the 2023 Subaru WRX has modestly made its entrance into the Malaysian market.

A fifth-generation sports sedan, it underpins the Subaru Global Platform (SGP), and comes in two drivetrain variants (WRX 6MT, WRX CVT).

Fully-imported (CBU - Japan) and priced (OTR, w/o insurance) at MYR 286,245 and MYR 296,245, respectively, included is a five-year/100,000 KM warranty.

Exterior colours. WR Blue Pearl, Solar Orange Pearl, Sapphire Blue, Ignition Red, Ceramic White, Magnetite Gray Metallic, Ice Silver Metallic, and Crystal Black Silica.

The 2023 WRX Sedan has a simple and an airy dashboard, boasting a sleek and sporty build.

It is outfitted in black soft and hard panels, with the infotainment unit being the highlight, commanding the centre dash.

Overall, the design is clutter-free and ergonomic, every accessibility is user-friendly and driver-oriented.

Interior of the five-seater sports sedan comes in black fabric (suede-like) upholstery with red contrast stitching.

Fitted up front are sports seats, featuring manual adjustments (WRX 6MT) and power adjustments (WRX CVT - driver 10-way, lumbar, memory). Rear seats (60:40 split-fold).

Courtesy of its athletically stocky silhouette, it offers sufficient head, shoulder and leg rooms, thus front and rear occupants get ample space.

Mounted is a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, three-spoked with a flat-bottom design. 

It features multi-function buttons (media, voice recognition, EyeSight), paddle shifters, column adjustments (tilt, telescopic), and an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

Weighing in at 1,515 KG (WRX 6MT) and 1,588 KG (WRX CVT), the 2023 WRX Sedan stands at 4,670 MM long, 1,825 MM wide, 1,465 MM tall, and with a wheelbase spanning 2,675 MM.

Daring and muscular, it exudes an overall robustly sporty design with a heavily-cladded (aerodynamically-built) exterior. 

Aggressively chiselled, the front-end can be seen with a bonnet scoop, Subaru’s hexagonal grille, and thick body claddings.

The latter, aluminium-made and unpainted (black), fitted to the fenders and lower bumper, features purpose-built hexagonal texture and air-outlets.

Athletically stocky, it showcases an overall protruding and striking design, harmonising well with the front-end’s layout.

Solid and thick, the rear-end sees a stretched-out bumper, joining seamlessly with the fenders, donating to a wide rear shoulder section.

Featured is a low-profile body-coloured boot-lid spoiler, paired to a diffuser-like lower bumper cladding with integrated twin dual-tailpipes.

Angularly-housed with a determined outlook. Fitted are full auto LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and auto-leveller and Steering Responsive Headlights (SRH) functions. 

Variant WRX CVT adds on High Beam Assist (HBA) function.

Latching it to the ground is a set of 18-Inch multi-spoke all-black aluminium-alloy WRX rims, rubbered-up in 245/40 R18 tyres. 

The 2023 WRX Sedan harbours an FA24F, 2.4-Litre direct-injection, four-cylinder 16-valve, DOHC turbo boxer petrol engine, producing 271 HP at 5,600 RPM and 350 NM of torque at 2,000 to 5,200 RPM. 

Mated to the mill is a six-speed manual transmission (WRX 6MT), and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)/ Sport Lineartronic with VTD-AWD and sports shifting control automatic transmission (WRX CVT).

Power is transmitted to all four wheels via Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD), which is complemented by Subaru’s Active Torque Vectoring system.  

Acceleration from 0 to 100 KM/H is done in 6 seconds (WRX 6MT), 6.1 seconds (WRX CVT), and top speed is 215 KM/H.

It has a fuel tank capacity of 63-Litres, and a fuel consumption of 9.9L/100 KM (WRX 6MT), 8.5L/100KM (WRX CVT).

The 2023 Subaru WRX Sedan offers both performance and comfortability, well-equipped and -built for the everyday speeders. 

Athletically robust and sporty, it exudes a bold and striking exterior with powerful contours, emphasising its muscular demeanour.

Performance-wise, it boasts a superb qualification, accounting on the four Subaru Core Technologies (Subaru Global Platform (SGP), Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (SAWD), Boxer Engine, EyeSight Advanced Driver Assist Technology).

Overall, the 2023 WRX Sedan bargains more than just good looks, as it has more inside, waiting to be unleashed.