Subaru WRX Wagon Review: Simply Brilliant

What we like:

Excellent daily drivability

Superb comfort

All-weather abilities

What we dislike:

Interior design may feel a little old-school

After blatting the WRX Wagon at a closed circuit at Changi Exhibition Centre at one of the first media events of this year, we finally got to drive the car on the road.

This is an important test, because the WRX Wagon would primarily be used for going to work, sending the kids to school or fetching the in-laws. After all, it’s the STI (not that a wagon STI exists at the moment) that’s more suited for the track.

And the WRX passed with flying colours. The car’s stellar performance on the circuit was equally matched by how it performed on the road. It’s a comfort-biased setup, but not in any way sloppy or lazy. In fact, it’s perfectly set up for fast daily driving without unnecessary harshness.

I love how the car rode - it didn’t bother to be oversprung in the name of being sporty. It’s so well-tuned because you get superb body control paired with a cushy ride. The result is an utterly enjoyable car whatever the vagaries of life will throw at you.

The strong 2.4-litre turbo boxer felt effortless with its muscular torque, making light work of daily tasks while being a decently thrilling motor when more is asked of it. Its horizontally opposed layout blesses it with uncanny smoothness and refinement, which is welcome for a GT car like the WRX Wagon.

And the CVT? Seriously, it’s great. It impressed on the track, and it performed even better on the road. It’s just so smooth and responsive. Unless you intend to intervene via the paddles - and I think this would be rare given how much torque there is at hand - the gearbox functions so well you don’t even notice it.

A key differentiator of the WRX Wagon versus its rivals is its all-wheel drive setup. With this, the WRX Wagon is truly an all-weather workhorse. Come monsoon season, it’s the WRX Wagon that will happily slice through torrential rain with supreme confidence and poise.

With the WRX Wagon’s easy demeanour, it’s hard not to like. Add its amazing capabilities on top, it’s a very compelling package.

Is the WRX just an Impreza? Why is the WRX so popular?
The WRX sits in between the bog standard Impreza and the fire-breathing STI. Take it as the sportier road-biased version of the standard car, but something that isn’t too hardcore for daily use. I guess that’s why it’s so popular.

Will we ever see a WRX wagon Spec B or STI?
Tricky. We’ve seen souped up wagons from Subaru over the years, like the Legacy S402 Wagon, but they’re extremely rare. We’d not bet on one being available too soon.

Is the WRX Wagon the same as the Levorg?
It’s all a little confusing, but essentially, the WRX Wagon is the Levorg currently, and they’re marketed as different names overseas. However, before the current WRX Wagon came to the market, a WRX Wagon did not exist for some time - so the Levorg stood on its own for a fair number of years.

Is the WRX Wagon reliable?
It’s early days for the FA24 engine, but judging by how tough Subarus are, as well as the unstressed figures put out by the motor, we’d wager that it’ll be just fine.

Photos by New Gen Marketing

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