The boy racer grows up somewhat

Subaru WRX — World Rally Experiment — invokes the spirit of the 1990s World Rally Championships, with the late Colin Steele McRae winning the 1995 event in his Impreza. 

This placed Subaru firmly on the radar of many car and motorsport enthusiasts. The signature Rally Blue paintwork and humble design belied the performance that lurked beneath that unassuming sheet of metal. That iconic turbo intercooler bonnet scoop remains to this day, and so does the boxer engine layout and symmetrical all-wheel drive. 

Subaru pulled out of the World Rally Championship in 2008, citing the economic downturn of the period. This essentially ended the era of Scoobys, which had taken the fight to the performance establishment with resounding success. 

Today, the STi (Subaru Tecnica international) nomenclature has been put on ice. The announcement was greeted with sadness and disappointment among STi enthusiasts, including us here at Mail & Guardian Motoring. 

So, all is lost, then? Well, not quite. Although the WRX badge is now more associated with everyday performance and practicality than the WRC-inspired and developed road-going cars of yore, it still delivers on the driver enjoyment scale. 

Enter the latest WRX, available in both manual and automatic transmissions, and it is safe to say the model has taken on decidedly more refinement and less boy-racer vibes than before. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the WRX is pitched at a slightly more mature buyer who places comfort, refinement, practicality and safety on a par with performance. It is a perfect medley for those who appreciate enthusiastic driving without sacrificing practicality. 

Styling-wise, I was not enamoured by the new WRX when I first laid eyes on it in pictures. It looked too high, the nose too soft, and the wheel arch cladding a little out of place. I was not alone. There was an outcry from many corners, and it was only when I had the vehicle on test that things began to make more sense. 

The old adage “pictures don’t do justice” rings true in this instance. The Warix — a nickname industry colleagues and I coined — is an interesting-looking thing. Those front and rear blistered wheel arches, anthracite wheels and, particularly, the contrasting blue hue of our manual test unit, are pleasing to behold. 

Cabin appointments have moved even higher upmarket with softer-touch materials used throughout. 

The vertical infotainment screen that takes centre stage lifts the overall cabin ambience. I particularly like the hybrid of digital and analogue cabin items, embracing the future while celebrating the past. 

Those electric leather chairs with  WRX embossed logos are sumptuous and have excellent scope for adjustment. Ditto the steering wheel and easy-to-reach manual gear lever, ensuring most body types will find a perfect driving position. 

Nestling under the bonnet is the new 2.4-litre turbo boxer engine, making 202kW and 350Nm, which  is shuffled to all four wheels via a slick-shifting, six-speed gearbox. 

The engine is thoroughly refined, with almost negligible boxer vibrations permeating, which might be a little disappointing for some old-school Scooby lovers. I mean, that signature boxer warble was what gave this engine a particularly characterful disposition compared to conventional four-bangers. 

You can opt for a booming sports exhaust, which is highly recommended. It harks back, if not entirely, to that boodoom-boodoom signature idle we love about the brand. 

Power delivery is linear and the engine revs freely and cleanly to the red line. However, another 1 000 or 2 000r/min would be an improvement, as it tends to run out of puff a tad too quickly. 

That aside, the package is mighty impressive. The gearbox is slick and great to use, while the chassis is the model’s centrepiece, in my humble view. The nose darts in the direction it’s pointed, and the rest of the car tracks true, with little in the way of drama. This is even more impressive during inclement weather, making the new WRX a thoroughly enjoyable car to exploit under any conditions. 

Having driven both the automatic and the manual derivatives, it is the latter that gets my wallet vote. At the same time, the former would please those looking for the convenience of an automatic gearbox. 

Either way, the new Scooby Warix is a thoroughly entertaining car which enjoys being grabbed by the scruff of the neck and the fact that it is offered in two transmissions gives it even more universal appeal. 

Don’t just take my word for it; take one for a spin and see for yourself. 

Price: R799 000.