Drive: Subaru WRX 2015

Story by: Surin-V
Photographs by: Wahid Ooi Abdullah

Ever thought of driving a car who have so much grunt under the hood, that it'll never need you to ask for it to be fast? Well then, drive the WRX. This is a car that's always ready to sprint, never slowing down, never lagging and never disappointing. A car that will now kill your excuse to your boss that goes "I'm late because of the traffic jam".

WRX is as sharp and elegant, closely relating to the Bimmer yet keeping the rally looks of the Subaru. Since mine came in red, most people mistook it to be the F10 at a glance. I don’t blame them. However the key details of a Subaru that could be noticed is the more deeply set hood scoop, LED low-beam headlights, and 17-inch wheels.

Interior wise, well it is better than the last-generation Impreza and WRX but still a boring design that could hardly justify the price of the car. Bits of fake carbon-fiber trims are done for some visual appeal; although it looks nice some may not be a fan. Near the top of the dashboard there’s a 4.3-inch multifunction display that provides audio and climate-control information, Bluetooth settings, a boost gauge, and also acts as a reverse camera. The driving position is quite friendly though, keeping you comfy and settled for long or exciting drives.

Built for the speed enthusiast who also wants to drive the car on a regular day and not only for weekends, this car is friendly enough for office runs, and mean enough for weekend funs. That simple reason alone can capture the WRX a favorite among many.  Here we are offered with CVT version. But the automatic gearbox on a performance car didn’t take away the fun at all. The scubi is abit calm at first, until it reaches about 60 km/h. After that, it reads your mind that you want to it to go fast and starts sprinting all the way to its full potential without slowing down even abit.

It churns out 268 horses, while peak torque of 258 lb is delivered from 2,000 rpm to 5,200 rpm. Just on a regular drive, the WRX can reach up to speeds that can cost you speeding tickets without you even realizing. The spec sheets say the WRX makes a full speed about 240 km/h. Withins seconds on the pedal, I was only 4 km/h short to get that.

The WRX is beautifully balanced and making turns and high speed never gave such confidence. The handling was a simply superb, giving confidence at any speeds and backed up by terrific grip, thanks to the all-wheel drive.

Despite the thirst for fuel and the lack of advanced gadgets, the WRX is a definitely a great car to drive. Armed with superb steering, body control, grip and acceleration, this beast retains its soul from the rally world. But there’s a bad news though, with this car you can never be running late.

SPEC SHEET:

Subaru WRX (2015)
Engine:  DOHC 16-Valve, Horizontally-Opposed, 4-Cylinder, 4-Stroke, Turbocharged, Petrol Engine
Displacement: 1,998 cc
Maximum Power: 268 PS / 5,600 rpm
Maximum Torque: 350 Nm / 2,400 - 5,200 rpm
Top Speed (estimated): 240 km/h (claimed)
Price (including GST) : RM 239 604.80