In 2025, Subaru Australia celebrated another major milestone for its performance icon, with more than 70,000 WRX/WRX STi vehicles being sold across the country since the model first launched locally in 1994. Two of those were in our garage at some point, a 2000 second-generation Impreza WRX and a 2002 ‘bugeye’ STi that I absolutely adored. After a few years in the proverbial wilderness Subaru Australia has now released a WRX more like the ones of old, the all-new WRX AWD tS Spec B.
Taking inspiration from Subaru’s rally-bred heritage, incorporating motorsport-inspired enhancements, the Spec B name is a tribute to Brembo, signifying the high-performance braking system that sets this variant apart. Other Spec B enhancements include a large rear spoiler with a cherry red ‘S’ below that I do love as it reminds me of my STi. It also has 19-inch alloy wheels (matte grey finish) with specially selected high-performance Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres, designed for superior cornering grip, and exceptional steering response, and the STi Performance mufflers as a no-cost accessory.
The WRX AWD tS Spec B delivers a more engaging driving experience with the exciting addition of Drive Mode Select on manual transmission WRX. This includes electronically adjustable dampers, enabling drivers to customise their driving dynamics for a more personalised experience and it’s the first WRX manual equipped with the technology. This enables drivers to customise their driving dynamics for a more personalised experience with Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport+ and Individual Mode available. The Spec B defaults to Sport mode and under the Individual option you can adjust the power unit, steering, suspension, and Subaru’s ‘Eyesight’ Driver Assist technology.
Power is delivered by Subaru’s renowned 2.4-litre turbocharged Boxer 4-cylinder engine that produces a 202kW at 5,600rpm, which is actually the same amount of power as our 2002 STi if my memory serves me correctly? The Spec B has 350Nm between 2,000-5,200rpm with the red line being 6,000rpm that you get to quickly and it bounces off. Although there is no official time, the zero to 100km/h can be completed in the low-six-seconds according to the internet. The official combined fuel use is 9.9L/100km, but reliving my youth in this WRX was a lot of fun and for my week I used 11.2L/100km.
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive ensures optimal traction and stability, resulting in a confidence-inspiring ride, which is firm but not uncomfortable. While the six-speed manual transmission, offers an unfiltered, direct connection between driver and vehicle and I particularly enjoyed the shift between second and third gears. The Brembo high-performance braking system featuring gold-painted 6-piston front and 2-piston rear callipers combined with ventilated and drilled front and rear brake discs deliver optimal stopping power.
The Spec B has keyless entry on the front doors and keyless start engaged by depressing the clutch and brake at the same time as you push the start button. I love the use of Ultrasuede on the door trims and the dash with the ‘WRX’ embroidered into it and the leather steering wheel with STi logo. There is also no gloss black plastic on the centre console, which is another plus. To help reduce weight and optimise performance and handling, the electric sunroof has been excluded for the WRX AWD tS Spec B.
The RECARO sports bucket seats with Ultrasuede and leather look accents really hold you in snuggly and they are heated. The driver’s seat has power adjustment for recline, forward/back, and seat height/tilt front and rear, but no memory positions. While the passenger seat has manual adjustment for recline and forward/back only.
This is the first Subaru model to introduce the new 12.3-inch full LCD instrument cluster, a fully digital driver display with three selectable display modes – Normal, EyeSight and Navigation. I like that the WRX has physical buttons for the dual climate controls, but it is annoying to have to adjust the air speed from the 11.6″ portrait touchscreen. The voice control for the infotainment was not good for making phone calls, but did select the radio station I wanted and inputted my sat nav destination request on the first attempt.
The wireless Android Auto worked well for me, however the cubby at the front of the centre console was annoyingly not quite deep enough for me phone. Above the cubby there is an AUX input, one USB-A port, one USB-C port, and a 12V socket. The Spec B has 10 Harman Kardon speakers, subwoofer and amplifier and in addition to twenty first century media sources like your smartphone, Bluetooth, USB, and DAB the Spec B also has some retro sources like iPod, AM/FM radio, and the best feature, a CD player under the arm rest with room to store a couple of CDs as well. I’m not sure if this intentional by Subaru to tap into some nostalgia with the Spec B, but it certainly worked on me.
The outer rear seats are heated and have an adequate amount of leg room for me, but head room was tight and the seats lack under thigh support. The centre seat can be folded down as an arm rest with two shallow cup holders that may not prevent a drink bottle from falling out, thankfully there are good sized drink bottle storage cubbies in the rear doors. For younger passengers there are two ISOFix/three rear tether child seat restraint points, but the lack of rear air vents is an issue if you did have passengers in the rear seats. Below where the air vents should be there is one USB-C and one USB-A port and I like that there is a mat over the transmission tunnel.
The WRX has a power assisted boot lid with a release on the lid, key fob and in the cabin and you have to manually close it down. The boot space is large and would most likely accommodate a pram and the weekly shop and if more space is needed the 40:60 split fold rear seats can be lowered with the release on the shoulders and these nearly lie completely flat. The boot space has no hooks or tie down points and just a single LED globe as the boot light and you do get a temporary use spare tyre under the boot floor.
Subaru’s commitment to vehicle safety continues with this new WRX variant introducing the new safety feature Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS). Engineered for added peace of mind, the EDSS continuously monitors driver input, delivering escalated alerts, and, if required, safely bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop. Following the controlled stop, the system further enhances safety by automatically activating hazard lights to increase visibility and alert other drivers. Additionally, it unlocks the doors, allowing for quick and easy access to exit the vehicle.
Other driver assistance features include adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, emergency lane keep assist that can be turned off, lane departure, rear vehicle detection, blind spot monitoring, and driver monitoring that can be turned off. It’s also worth noting that the LED lights in front of the driver at the base of the windscreen are not shift lights for gear changes, but actually warning lights for lane departure and pre collision.
Passive safety includes dual front, dual front side, dual curtain, driver’s knee and front passenger seat cushion airbags. The Spec B comes with a standard rear-view camera, but does not have front or rear parking sensors, only guidelines for when you are reversing. For convenience it does have auto lights with auto high beam and auto rain sensing wipers.
All new Subaru’s come with 5 Year/Unlimited Kilometre Warranty period and 12 months roadside assistance. The service interval for the WRX is 12 months or 15,000kms, whichever occurs first and a five-year service plan for the can be purchased upfront for $2692.12.
The WRX AWD tS Spec B is the first fifth-generation WRX I have driven that has excited me in the way I first felt a quarter of a century ago with our Rexy. The Subaru AWD tS Spec B is priced at $61,490 plus on-road costs and you can configure your new WRX Spec B online or visit your preferred Subaru retailer for more information.
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| Pros | Cons |
| It’s an exciting WRX to drive | Driver’s seat has no memory for settings |
| The cabin finish | Has no rear air vents |
| It has a CD player | Has no parking sensors |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.