2015 Subaru WRX STI – 305 hp, 2.5 litre turbo, AWD

2015_Subaru_WRX_STI_01

The 2015 Subaru WRX STI has been unveiled in full at the Detroit Auto Show last week. As promised, it’s a marginally more hardcore version of the WRX sports sedan, as tuned by Subaru Tecnica International (STI), offering more power and visual pizzazz over the standard model.

You can’t miss the giant rear deck wing, which has always been a WRX STI signature. The rest of the vehicle is as per the standard WRX, save for a few STI badges and the lightweight 18-inch BBS wheels – painted gold to go with the WR Blue paint as part of the limited 1,000 unit-run Launch Edition.

The customary hood scoop feeds not the newer direct-injection 2.0 litre FB Boxer found in the WRX, but the outgoing STI’s EJ-series 2.5 litre turbocharged flat-four engine that produces 305 hp at 6,000 rpm and 394 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Top speed is said to be 264 km/h, though no acceleration figures have been mentioned.

2015_Subaru_WRX_STI_08

While the standard 268 hp/350 Nm WRX gets a choice between a six-speed manual transmission and an optional eight-speed Sport Lineartronic CVT, the 2015 WRX STI is only offered with the former. So those with a lazy left foot need not apply, then. The manual tranny links up to Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system.

Subaru claims the new chassis is significantly stiffer than before, and this top-of-the-line model adds on STI-tuned suspension, a quicker steering and a Brembo Performance Brake System over the regular WRX model. It promises “even greater handling agility and precision.”

New to the STI is Active Torque Vectoring, now joining a host of electronic and mechanical driving aids that include Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE), Multi-Mode Driver Controlled Centre Differential (DCCD), Three-Mode Vehicle Dynamics Control and Super Sport ABS.







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Hafriz Shah

Preferring to drive cars rather than desks, Hafriz Shah ditched his suit and tie to join the ranks of Malaysia’s motoring hacks. A car’s technical brilliance is completely lost on him, appreciating character-making quirks more. When not writing this ego trip of a bio, he’s usually off driving about aimlessly, preferably in a car with the right combination of three foot pedals and six gears.

 

Comments

  • Gracke on Jan 21, 2014 at 3:29 pm

    One of the best rally performance monster!! Love it so much, gorgeous!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 34 Thumb down 3
  • SpongeWai on Jan 21, 2014 at 3:43 pm

    Subaru have C-shape headlamp

    Volvo have T-shape headlamp

    what else

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 4
  • motorhead on Jan 21, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    Impressive indeed.. Up to 200-300K.. I don’t know if I will drive like that.. Donno where & when to drive like that also.. Hail WRX STI.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 5
  • mmaker on Jan 21, 2014 at 4:47 pm

    We want this car to be CKD in Malaysia. Price RM250,000 by Tan Chong can meh?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 3
  • victortan on Jan 21, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    Nampak macam Evo, orever in their shadow.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 3
    • DonkeyKong on Jan 22, 2014 at 12:51 am

      But many would say that from the Evo IX onwards, the Evo has lost its raw edge and brutality and is a shadow of what it once was despite the superior technology

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • paucharsiew on Jan 21, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    2.5…urgh….i hope there would be the usual JDM 2.0 version which is better.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 4
    • lonelyobserve on Jan 21, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      Correct. JDM WRX STi has 2.0L engine with twin scroll turbo charger that produces same output as the 2.5L engine with single scroll turbo charger.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
  • Qualified family car with a punch.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 3
  • skatax on Jan 21, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    i hope subaru really did their market study since in my opinion, the new generation of customers are no longer into this ‘boy-racer’ category. most of the previous ‘boy racer’ generation in the 90s and 2000s (during the EVO IX, X vs STI, Supra, Type -R Civics and Integra) have long move up to cyber dad/mom, family prime mover category of d-segment of sedan and SUVs. new generations are more into daily efficiency techs and gadgets. if the car looks sporty its a bonus, not a necessity.

    even the big rear spoiler is quite dated and traditional as new sports/racing cars is already equipped with various traction control/stability assists of 4-5 generations that no longer requires big spoiler to comprehend. maybe its just to keep with the tradition. but i still think its irrelevant – you can look sporty and menacing at same time without big ass spoilers.

    but what i believe is good is that this STI will give ideas to Saga SV, Persona SV, Inspira (no SV ke?) owners to mod their cars in future. it could even look better than the boring R3 bodykit.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 14
    • neemfa on Jan 21, 2014 at 9:11 pm

      I have to agree on you with this one.. its a shame that newer generations do not appreciate raw cars.. nowadays they are more into slap-on bodykits, lights, mods (or shall I say makeups) without purpose.

      And soon we’ll see non-subaru cars with WRX bodykits running around town with cheap stretched tires.

      Back to the Subaru, i prefer the WRX for the new engine and subtle styling.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
    • Spirior on Jan 21, 2014 at 10:15 pm

      A car of this calibre wouldn’t slap on a spoiler for aesthetics alone. Surely the downforce at high speed would have further added to the overall handling finesse. And also there’s the homage paying of Subie’s long and storied rallying history.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
    • DonkeyKong on Jan 22, 2014 at 12:53 am

      Are you sure the Boy Racer generation has died off? Just look at the number of people who fall for the CR-Z. That car screams “immature boy racer” all over and yet it’s popular. If this car is too “boy racer” for its older fans, it will still appeal to the younger generation of boy races.. the ones who slap on large wings to Sagas and Myvis, and drive around with strips of LED all over their cars.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
      • neemfa on Jan 22, 2014 at 10:14 am

        CR-Z? those are for boboy racers.. it isn’t exactly a performance car.

        Perhaps car prices play a part too.. good cars like Megane, Focus ST, FD2R etc are just simply too expensive for enthusiasts to buy.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
      • Paucharsiew on Jan 22, 2014 at 7:10 pm

        disagree. its more like the jap gran turismo boyracer generation sort of slept in the earlt 21st century when cars like the rx-7, supra, silvia, skyline etc etc all turned soft or simply disappeared. The impreza turned ugly while the EVO….too damn long without a new version. Other than that the generation now prefer new tech such as DSG and electric seats which is nonsense to me…don give up though..at least toyota is doing something to revive with the 86, nissan following suit and mazda engineers really itching for a new rotary powered beast. all we need is something new from honda and mitsu.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • Gajen on Jan 21, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    great car. interior and exterior look musch more matured compared to the previous one.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
  • Fahmi on Jan 21, 2014 at 7:34 pm

    No new FA/FB series engine?? Disappointing, little point buying the STI over WRX, even its lesser brethren has a newer engine…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • gameboy on Jan 21, 2014 at 8:06 pm

    A45 or This New Subaru better? i planing to buy soon. which one better?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 6
    • mmaker on Jan 22, 2014 at 8:52 am

      You have to wait for 1 year plus if u book an a45 today. If u planning to buy this new subaru maybe u are the 1st one driving this car in malaysia end of this year. Then there is a chance Mr Paul tan will contact you for Driven Series

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • civicz on Jan 21, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    Nothing impressive for WRx or EVO. we all and in fact all of us know how prestige Honda civic in terms of racing performance and dynamic driving. compare the sales volume for WRX and civic 2.0 ivtec/ type R. no match. it simply reflects the performance of

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 19
  • civicz on Jan 21, 2014 at 9:51 pm

    Nothing impressive for WRx or EVO. we all and in fact all of us know how prestige Honda civic in terms of racing performance and dynamic driving. compare the sales volume for WRX and civic 2.0 ivtec/ type R. no match. no contest at all. it simply reflects the performance of the brand and obviously Malaysian will choose a more responsive engine compared to a sluggish one. and we Malaysian know that the King of the Car is none others but honda civic. and untill now..tell me one single engine that can beat ivtec responsiveness. Long live the King!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 32
    • I am sorry.
      Car is not only to put on straight.
      Need a torque respond, go get diesel commonrail with unichip. It has double the torque than civic.

      4wd sport sedan is built with tough chassis enable you to rally anytime. If you ever drive this, drive it hard and you will know the differences of YAW controlling system that stabilise the car and it gives you slight sliding joy rather than civic which is just able to take ‘boring’ corners with faster speed. The power also accelerates consistently to 180km/h where civic is just has initial accelerations in stock.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
    • siwik on Jan 22, 2014 at 9:39 am

      You’re talking out of your bottoms lah beng… fanboy…

      Have u heard of a Megane RS265? :)

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • piece of crap on Mar 03, 2014 at 12:52 am

      IVTEC? u own a civic with type R kit on it ah? please la. now matter how good a type R is on a track (and it is!), it lacks the power to fight the bigger boys. what it gains on the track it sacrifices on the road, zero sound insulation, basic interior and zero comfort.

      i drove that piece of shit civic, nearly fell asleep and crash. stupid ass car. zero kick at all. hitting 140kmph in that, i could probably make a sandwich in that time

      besides, no offense but driving around in a type R doesn’t exactly exert prominence, every ding bat in Malaysia has a civic that is dressed up like a type R or a RR. so please. keep ur bitching to yourself.

      in Malaysia, where people are brand loyal to Honda’s common cars since its a boring and reliable car which has a high resale value. owh did i mention boring?

      Subaru’s resale value isn’t great so it takes a enthusiast to buy one.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • Is this the international version of the WRX STI? Usually the JDM version differs from the global version. Throughout generations of WRX STI, the JDM version gets a 2.0 litre engine (except for the legendary 22B which had a 2.2 litre) that revs to around 8000rpm red line while all other export versions got a larger 2.5 litre engine that revs to 7000rpm. Most of the time, the output of the 2.0 litre is higher than the 2.5. So, I was wondering whether will they have a different JDM version of the WRX STI or not.

    Furthermore, 304hp and 394nm of torque is a bit lower than the previous WRX STI. The GRB hatchback and GVB sedan WRX STI had over 400nm of torque. By the looks of it, this new one seems heavier than the previous WRX STI which means this may be slower. Not really sure whether can this new one match those old WRX STI namely the Spec-C from the GDB(version 7,8,9) generation of Impreza WRX STI.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
  • sktan on Jan 21, 2014 at 10:57 pm

    i would buy this if i earn a steady 10k

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
    • if you live in alor janggus earning that much should be ok.if in KV,i think its not a good idea

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • Personally I think this car resembles a lot of EVO/Lancer/Inspira. With that amount of money paid for this guy here, people might as well get the BMW 1 Series / A Class? Yes, totally different game play here I’m talking about. But those continental babies can give you as much orgasm as JDM machines these days.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • frustrated STi wannabe driver on Jan 22, 2014 at 9:44 am

    Sadly, Subaru is still stuck in the 90s interior-wise…

    The ver10 Sti’s interior is waaaaaaaay too cheap… Now dont give a crap about “this is an Sti la braderrr, performance carrr, who cares about interior”… The material used was horrific! Hard plastic everywhere! And to upgrade to a touch screen Blaupunkt head unit, i had to top up RM8k!!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • Jaybond on Jan 22, 2014 at 1:44 pm

      I think it’s more like stuck in 2004-2005, somewhere around this time, not 1990s..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Jaybond on Jan 22, 2014 at 10:03 am

    Performance wise, the new Impreza WRX STI will smoke all the latest hot hatches and compact sports sedans. Full Stop.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • benzs on Jan 22, 2014 at 11:30 am

    Not really impress at all. Subaru just maintain its hp clock at 300hp only. Nissan is better, 1st batch gtr35 with 480hp, second gets around 520hp, third roughy 545hp n this year latest edition will get 570 to 580hp. Compare gtr34 n 35. 34 gets 280hp for 1st batch n push up to 300hp plus. Newer version improve by 200hp from 280 to 480hp. Gorgeous move by nissan. The only left behind will be Mmc.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
    • sure, rally car needs 1000hp at least. 300hp where got enough? stupid la subaru

      *this is sarcasm

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
    • yea it maintains around that but they try to perfect the handling. besides, its more than enough for the common folks. u can increase it easily at your own.

      a stock v10 GVF S206 did a 7.55 at nurburgring, that speaks volume wouldn’t u agree.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • What about the daddy Impreza – GC8?

    I think its gonna be a classic!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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