Don't get too excited about the newly-announced 2022 Subaru WRX hatchback just yet. Subaru brings a new 2022 WRX Sportswagon hatch body style to join Australia's next-generation 2022 WRX sedan. It's only for Australia, and it's a good thing it's not coming to the U.S. market. There are seven reasons why performance enthusiasts don't want the new WRX hatch.
Number one, the 2022 WRX Sportswagon is a Levorg with a WRX badge. To make things worse, it's only available with an eight-speed Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) automatic. That's right; it will not be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox like the 2022 WRX sedan, and the most significant six reasons why you don't want the rebadged "WRX Sportswagon."
The 2022 WRX Sportswagon does come with the new FA24 2.4-liter direct-injection turbocharged Boxer engine and sport-tuned suspension. But the new WRX hatch only comes with the 8-speed paddle-shift Sport Lineartronic CVT Subaru Performance Transmission like the new U.S.-spec 2022 WRX GT trim level.
The Sport Lineartronic automatic is called the "Subaru Performance Transmission." It comes with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, eight-stepped ratios, variable torque distribution, and sports shifting control, enabling "faster shifting and downshift blipping control," according to Subaru.
The new WRX GT CVT is an upgrade from the previous-generation Sport Lineartronic automatic transmission with 6- and 8-speed manual modes. But not many will want a CVT in their new performance car. Subaru offers one, so they can fit it with Eyesight.
Subaru now offers the next-generation EyeSight safety technology on every 2022 WRX hatch trim. Subaru Corporation hasn't developed the technology to fit the driver-assist system to models equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Don't get too excited about the newly-announced 2022 Subaru WRX Sportswagon hatch. Thankfully Subaru still offers the fifth-generation 2022 WRX sedan with a fully synchronized 6-speed manual with carbon first- and second-gear synchros. Performance enthusiasts in the U.S. want a WRX hatch body style, but not a rebadged Levorg with a CVT.
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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