Car News

Refreshed 2018 WRX revealed… WRX STI Spec R added to line-up

24 Jul 2017

Isaac Bober 1

The refreshed 2018 WRX and WRX STI have been revealed with a new top-spec variant the WRX STI Spec R added to the line-up.

SUBARU HAS KEPT pricing for the refreshed 2018 WRX on-hold with a starting price of $39,240+ORC. EyeSight has been added to WRXs with CVT increasing the coverage of this active safety feature throughout the Subaru line-up.

The refreshed WRX and WRX STI shows off a revised bumper and grille while standard specification upgrades include things like dusk-sensing headlights and rain-sensing wipers which were only available on the Premium variant previously. There’s also tweaked suspension, Jurid brake pads across the range, LED fog lights, heated door mirrors, and new-look 18-inch alloys, steering responsive headlights, and a bigger 5.3-inch multi-function display. The WRX Premium and STI Premium add electric lumbar support.

All automatic WRXs also add an electronic parking brake and Automatic Vehicle Hold. WRX Premium adds a 8-way power seat with dual memory and electric lumbar support for the driver’s seat – and heated driver and front passenger seat. 

WRX STI also adds new features including:

• Yellow Brembo 6-pot front + 2-pot rear brake callipers
• Cross-drilled brake rotors – for even greater braking performance
• 19-inch alloy wheels – for greater agility, handling and tremendous performance – the first time the larger wheels have featured on WRX STI
• New front bumper and grille
• Red seatbelts
• Revised suspension – optimized roll rigidity, suspension coils and shock absorbers, for both excellent control, stability, and flat ride comfort

New on entry-level WRX STI are heated door mirrors, while WRX STI Premium and WRX STI spec.R also add the Front View Camera. WRX STI Premium also gets a 8-way power and electric lumbar support driver’s seat, while spec.R adds eight-way adjustable Recaro driver’s seat, designed for both excellent support and comfort.

Subaru Australia Managing Director, Colin Christie said: “Current generation WRX and WRX STI have truly taken on a life of their own in sales terms, harking back to the success they achieved in first generation back in the late 1990s.

“WRX fans recognise the amazing value these cars represent – and also engineering integrity – which sees these fantastic fun cars growing their audience more than 23 years after they launched in Australia, to create a cult following that is now well and truly mainstream.

“These comprehensive changes right across the range underline that fun, value, performance and safety can go hand-in-hand.”

The refreshed WRX range is on-sale now:

WRX & WRX STI MY18 MANUFACTURER’S LIST PRICING*

WRX MY18 SPECIFICATIONS AT A GLANCE:

SAFETY

• ABS anti-lock brakes with four-wheel discs and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) ; 
• Auto Vehicle Hold (Lineartronic CVT-only)
• Brake Assist
• Child seat anchor points
• Curtain airbags – full length
• Daytime Running Lights – LED
• Driver’s knee airbag
• Dual front airbags
• Dual side airbags
• Dusk sensing, self-levelling, steering responsive automatic LED headlights with pop-up washers
• Electronic parking brake (Lineartronic CVT-only)
• EyeSight Driver Assist System (Lineartronic CVT-only)
• Fog lights front – LED
• Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters. Double pretensioners on driver’s seatbelt
• Front adjustable seatbelt anchorage
• Hill Start Assist 
• Lane Keep Assist (Lineartronic CVT-only)
• Rear door child lock
• Reverse camera
• Seatbelt indicator lights 
• Side intrusion bars
• Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
• Three-point A/ELR rear centre seatbelt
• Vehicle Dynamics Control (electronic stability control system)
• Welcome home lights – can illuminate area ahead of car when engine off 

INTERIOR

• AM/FM radio, single in-dash CD, , six speakers 
• AUX jack +USB port
• Bluetooth audio streaming  
• Bottle holders in each door + two cup holders in centre console and rear 
• Boot area light
• Central locking – remote
• Dual zone air conditioning
• Cruise control – steering wheel buttons
• Driver’s footrest
• Height and reach adjustable steering column 
• Height adjustable driver’s seat
• Immobiliser security system
• Leather trim steering wheel with red stitching and audio controls; leather gearshift 
• Map lights (2)
• Power steering, mirrors and windows
• Rear illumination electroluminescent instrument cluster display and 3.5-inch Multi-Information Display
• Internal fuel lid release – tethered fuel cap
• Seatback pocket (passenger side)
• Sports front seats with red stitching
• Two remote central locking keys
• Vanity mirrors – illuminated
• 5.9-inch colour LCD Multi-Information Display 
• 60/40 split/fold rear seat
• 12V/120W power jacks

EXTERIOR

• Colour-coded mirrors and door handles – heated mirrors
• Headlights auto off
• Mesh grille
• Privacy glass
• Rain sensing windscreen wipers
• Rear diffuser
• Rear boot lip spoiler
• Rear LED brake lights
• Rear roof mounted colour-coded shark fin radio antenna
• Red-painted brake callipers (front and rear on manual variants; front-only on CVT)
• Roof carrier brackets
• Tail pipe covers – twin
• WRX badges – grille, boot, front guards
• 18-inch alloy wheels – space saver spare

OTHER FEATURES      

• DataDot security technology
• Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)
• One-touch indicators
• Rear Limited Slip Differential (MT only)
• 12-month Roadside Assist
• Three-year unlimited kilometre warranty 
• 2.0 litre turbocharged engine. 197 kW/5600 rpm, 350 Nm/2400-5200 rpm

WRX PREMIUM ADDS:

• De-icing front windscreen wipers
• Electric sunroof 
• EyeSight Assist Monitor (WRX Premium CVT-only)
• Heated front seats – driver’s electric lumbar support
• Leather trim 
• Power driver’s seat – eight-way adjustable  plus electric lumbar support
• Push button start with smart key technology 
• Factory fitted satellite navigation
• harman kardon® sound – eight speakers, sub-woofer and amplifier 
• Seat back pocket – driver and front passenger side
• Front View Monitor
• Side view monitor
• Blind Spot Monitors, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts

WRX STI MY18 SPECIFICATIONS AT A GLANCE:

SAFETY

• ABS anti-lock brakes with four-wheel discs and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD); Brembo 6-pot front, 2-pot rear, yellow painted with STI logo 
• Brake Assist
• Child seat anchor points
• Curtain airbags – full length
• Driver’s knee airbag
• Dual front airbags
• Dual side airbags
• Dusk sensing LED headlights with halogen high-beam 
• Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters. Double pretensioners on driver’s seatbelt
• Front adjustable seatbelt anchorage
• Hill Start Assist – forward and reverse
• Rear door child lock
• Reverse camera
• Seatbelt indicator lights 
• Side intrusion bars
• Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
• Three-point A/ELR rear centre seatbelt
• Vehicle Dynamics Control (electronic stability control system)
• Welcome home lights – can illuminate area ahead of car when engine off 

INTERIOR

• AUX jack + 2x USB port
• Bluetooth audio streaming  
• Bottle holders in each door + two cup holders in centre console and rear doors 
• Boot area light
• Central locking – remote
• Climate control air conditioning – dual zone
• Cruise control – steering wheel buttons
• Driver’s footrest
• harman kardon sound – eight speakers, sub-woofer and amplifier 
• Factory fitted satellite navigation with voice control
• Height and reach adjustable steering column 
• Height adjustable driver’s seat
• Immobiliser security system
• Leather trim steering wheel with red stitching and audio controls; leather gearshift
• Map lights (2)
• Power steering, mirrors and windows
• Push button start with smart key technology 
• Rear illumination electroluminescent instrument cluster display and 3.5-inch Multi-Information Display
• Internal fuel lid release – tethered fuel cap
• Seatback pockets – driver and front passenger
• Security alarm
• Sports front seats with red stitching
• Two remote central locking smart keys
• Vanity mirrors – illuminated
• 5.9-inch colour LCD Multi-Information Display 
• 60/40 split/fold rear seat
• 12V/120W power jacks
• Red seat belts

EXTERIOR

• Colour-coded mirrors and door handles
• Daytime Running Lights – LED
• Double locking system 
• Headlights auto off
• Heated door mirrors
• Mesh grille
• Privacy glass
• Rain sensing windscreen wipers
• Rear diffuser
• Rear boot lip spoiler
• Rear LED brake lights
• Rear roof mounted colour-coded shark fin radio antenna
• Roof carrier brackets
• Self-levelling LED headlights with pop-up washers
• Tail pipe covers – twin
• WRX STI badges – grille, boot, front guards
• 19-inch alloy wheels – space saver spare

OTHER FEATURES      

• DataDot security technology
• Electronic Throttle Control (ETC)
• One-touch indicators
• Rear Limited Slip Differential 
• 12-month Roadside Assist
• Three-year unlimited kilometre warranty 
• 2.5 litre turbocharged engine. 221 kW/6000 rpm, 407 Nm/4000 rpm

WRX STI PREMIUM ADDS:

• Electric sunroof 
• Front View Monitor
• Side view monitor
• Blind Spot Monitors, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts
• Heated front seats
• Leather trim 
• Power driver’s seat – eight-way adjustable plus electric lumber support
• Front wiper de-icer

WRX STI SPEC.R ADDS:

• RECARO front sports seats – driver’s eight-way adjustable