When you think Subaru WRX the first picture that comes to mind is of a sedan adorned with scoops in the iconic World Rally Blue. I know I do and I still believe WR Blue is one of the best colours to ever adorn a Subaru, but it’s no longer my favourite.
Hyper Blue as it is officially known, or Smurf Blue to my twisted mind is the latest and greatest colour to come out of the Subaru factory. Here’s the catch though. There will only be 10 WRX and 10 STI in New Zealand with the limited edition Hyper Blue spec.
The colour isn’t the only change for the latest limited edition WRX, the interior has gained a few desirable extras too.
The first eye-popping difference to the ordinary WRX is the rows upon rows of blue stitching, carefully colour-matched to the Hyper Blue exterior. A gentle stroke of the finger down any of the multitude of stitched seams and you can feel a certain quality to the stitching.
The next big difference to the interior over the standard WRX is the seats, which now feature suede inserts between the leather seat bolsters. Unlike previous generation WRX, the seats of the current generation car aren’t anywhere near as supportive, but they are very comfortable for passengers of all shapes and sizes ensuring living with the WRX is now an easier task.
As we discussed when the MY15 WRX debuted last year, the interior is a big step up from the last previous generation in terms of build quality and materials.
The dash is no longer clad in harsh plastic, now with a rubberised soft touch to the surfaces.
With the removal of the WRX hatch from the lineup there are some potential buyers out there lamenting the loss of the added cargo space. Thankfully the interior designers were onto it and the rear seats of the WRX fold down meaning that even with only 460 litres of space you can still fit larger items in the back.
My only initial gripe with the interior of the WRX was the infotainment system. While the glossy touchscreen unit did grow on me to the point where I was able to use it with ease, and the Harmon Kardon speakers performed beautifully, the touchscreen is a magnet for fingerprints which had my inner perfectionist cringing each time I caught a look.
Performance wise the Hyper Blue WRX is on par with its non-STI brethren. Subaru moved away from the legendary EJ20 for the WRX this year (though for now an EJ25 still powers the STI), now with the turbocharged cousin of the FA20 unit found in the BRZ/Toyota 86.
As a self-diagnosed Subaru die hard I did notice a difference between the way the FA20 makes the car feel compared to the EJ25 in the STI. I’m not talking about walking up and touching it, more how the car feels and makes you feel when you sit in the driver’s seat. With the STI you know you’re sitting in a Subaru, with the vibes and note of the EJ25 engine welcoming you into the car like an old friend.
The FA20 doesn’t have that same Subaru feel to it but it’s certainly no dud. In its turbo form it puts out a healthy 197kW and 350Nm of power, about what the last EJ engined WRX put out, but now it does so with a noticeable decrease in fuel usage.
This is partly due to Subaru’s direct injection technology and the turbocharger, but also thanks to the new 8 speed CVT transmission calling the shots. While a manual is of course still an option the CVT our test car was fitted with meant for hassle free commutes in Auckland’s notorious traffic.
With the WRX placed in intelligent or sport modes on the SI-DRIVE the CVT shifts seamlessly through 6 simulated speeds. You can of course flick through these yourself by flicking the stick over into manual mode or playing with the steering wheel mounted paddles if you want, but it is when you thumb the Sport sharp (S#) button on the wheel that things get interesting. Power delivery noticeably changes with more urgency felt throughout the rev range, but the biggest change is the addition of 2 extra speeds on the CVT and tighter ratios all round.
While out on location near Riverhead Forest to get photos I spent a fair bit of time in S# mode to try get to grips with it. While it definitely has its performance benefits, if you want to be doing the shifting yourself you’re a bit overwhelmed on the road with 8 speeds to choose from. It seemed no matter which gear I selected the car wasn’t quite in the zone with the tight ratios being more of a burden than an aid. That said it’ll still do the 0-100km/h dash in 6.3 seconds, just 0.3 of a second slower than the manual and if you take it out on track I’m sure the extra speed will be more of a benefit.
If the fun and added performance of rowing your own gears calls to you you’re probably better off ordering the 6-speed manual or the STI.
At the end of the day Subaru NZ have really stepped up their game when it comes to limited edition vehicles and the Hyper Blue WRX has to be one of the most worthy yet. If rumours are true we could soon see an XV in Hyper Blue join the team in the future too.
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