Just over 31 years after launching locally, Subaru Australia is celebrating the delivery of its 70,000th WRX Down Under.
Spanning back to 1994 with the Australian showroom introduction of the Impreza WRX – which stood for World Rally eXperimental – the model has become one of the biggest performance icons locally, having originally been fast enough to outgun the hot Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores.
A World Rally Championship title win in 1995 helped boost its popularity, as did its widespread availability, especially compared to its contemporary rivals in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the Toyota Celica GT-Four and Ford Escort Cosworth.
The first-generation ‘GC8’ Impreza WRX sedan (and GF8 wagon) also introduced the STI (Subaru Technica International) brand to Australia in 1998, with more rally-bred performance.
Subaru Australia also brought in the highly coveted ‘22B’ in 1998, with just five cars officially sold through the brand, out of a total of just 424 globally.
A second-generation Impreza WRX launched in 2000, affectionately known as the Bugeye. It wasn’t able to capture the minds of buyers in the same way as the GC8, though improvements to the subsequent ‘Blobeye’ and ‘Hawkeye’ models saw it become a mainstay.
The second-gen ‘GD’ Impreza WRX also spawned the Australia-only ‘WRP10’ special edition, a middle ground between the WRX and WRX STI, with bespoke wheels, Pirelli tyres and badging.
Subaru decided to go bold with the third-generation Impreza WRX in 2007, ditching the wagon option and introducing a hatchback which was used as the brand’s basis for rallying. A sedan continued to be offered.
This was the final run of the Impreza WRX, with the nameplate shooting off to on its own in 2014 with the ‘VA’ generation – still loosely based on the Impreza, just without the extra name. Available as a sedan only, the hatch/wagon option became the lesser Levorg.
It also saw the WRX model line move away from the long-serving ‘EJ’ flat-four engine for the first time, adopting the new ‘FA’ boxer. Subaru notched up 50,000 Impreza WRX/WRX deliveries in June 2021.
WRX STIs continued to keep the EJ alive until 2022 when the ‘VB’ WRX arrived, now without the option of a fully fledged STI variant, but with the whole lineup powered by a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine.
Earlier this year, Subaru launched the WRX tS Spec B, the closest thing we’ve seen yet to an STI revival locally.
“WRX has always been more than just a car. It represents a spirit of fun and connection that has resonated with Australians for more than 30 years,” Subaru Australia general manager, Scott Lawrence said.
“There’s something special about the way it makes people feel – that confidence behind the wheel, the sense of control, the grin it puts on your face.
“From those early models that took on the rally stages to the cars we see on the road today, WRX has built a community that’s incredibly passionate and loyal.
“We’re grateful to every WRX owner who’s been part of the journey. Whether you’ve just picked up your first ‘Rex or have owned several over the years, your enthusiasm has helped make WRX what it is today.”
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