There’s little space for backseat passengers — less, in fact, than some of the current crop of littlies, and the dash treatment is very ’90s. Which is where after all, this top-seller for Subaru hails from…
The raw, muscular, edgy WRX of old is gone, submerged under a coating of civility. Road noise aside — a bugbear especially on the WRX ‘wagon’ we tested — the WRX could pass for a ‘normal’ hatch, albeit a muscular one.
Around town progress is fuss-free. The suspension is firm — sporting, not hard — and only the tyre roar interrupts progress. There’s an excellent stereo that can drown out most of the rubber noise — alas this also means there’s little left of the unique Subaru boxer warble from under the bonnet or out of the signature big-bore tailpipe. Shame.
What hasn’t been watered down is the brakes. Confidence inspiring, strong with plenty of feel and consistency — good stuff!