Vancouver, British Columbia
Changes in the automotive world tend to happen at a snail's pace. It often takes years for manufacturers to recognize and correct the problems that cause would-be customers to walk out of the dealership empty-handed. Not so at Subaru, which pulled the handbrake on its new-for-2008 Impreza WRX, flicked the steering wheel, and executed the quickest one-eighty this side of a rally stage.
Last year's WRX was known in Japan as the S-GT. Subaru thought the market for an enthusiast WRX had evaporated, so it designed the S-GT to be a cushy grand tourer. Subaru of America must have convinced its parent company otherwise, because last year's WRX gets a few extra interior goodies, loses it manual transmission, and wallows its way out of North American dealerships with a "2.5GT" badge on it.
Meanwhile, the rally-inspired, come-beat-me-up WRX is back with a profoundly enhanced suspension, more aggressive exterior styling, and a whole lot more power. Like before, it's available in two body styles: a vaguely Korean-looking four-door sedan and a four-door hatchback. All '09 WRXs receive an STI-like grille and a slathering of spoilers, splitters, and sill extensions. The hatchback gets a rear diffuser, while the sedan boasts a new dual-exhaust treatment. Standard seventeen-inch wheels are now painted gray for a more sinister look, and the cabin gets a few STI touches, too, including metal pedal covers and red stitching on the sport seats and the leather steering wheel.... Read full article