Beauty and the beast in one

Great performance in a family package.

Drive the latest WRX sedately (if you have the willpower to keep it on a tight rein) and it will gurgle and burble gently as it glides along....but floor the racing style petrol spoon and it instantly leaps into action (once you have mastered the rather tricky clutch and hard gear shift combo) and true to its rich motorsport heritage it delivers a combination of squirting performance and all-wheel grip which not many cars in this price range can dish up.

From 0 to thrill in 6 seconds

The pulsating heartbeat of the WRX is thumped out by a direct-injection turbo 2.0-litre boxer engine that pounds out 197kW and 350Nm. In the manual version this is good for a 0-100km/h sprint in about 6 seconds (the CVT variant is said to be just 0.3 seconds slower). Both will top out at 240km/h.

When you compare these figures to the sprint times and top speed of similar (mostly more expensive) automatics the WRX is not the quickest sprinter nor does it have the top speed of the likes of Volkswagen Golf TSI GTI DSG or Golf R, Audi S3 three-door Quattro S-Tronic or the BMW 235i M Sports AT.

What it does have as standard kit though are AWD (only matched by the Audi), rear-view camera park assistance, sunroof, keyless start, driver's knee airbag, the best claimed fuel consumption, full leather seats (matched only by BMW) and except for the Golf GTI, the lowest price tag.

Grrrrrrrr... The growl of the double paired exhausts is a plus (and the boot is great as well - for the shopping).

To boost its cling and go capabilities the WRX is armed with Active Torque Vectoring which automatically transfers power and brakes through the corners. There is also a model equipped with Sports Lineartronic CVT transmission, paired with SI-Drive and paddle shifters, offering two different manual modes. This quick-shifting transmission is linked to the AWD system that sends more power to the rear wheels for sportier handling.

There's is a lot more to tell about this sporty Subaru but rather go and pick up a brochure so that you can browse through it at your leisure, skipping some of the highly-tech oily bits when they become a tad too complicated.

Stylish living quarters

However, what you will appreciate is its jet-black interior with chrome inserts, leather seats stitched in red, redesigned facia (which is home to a 4.3-inch colour display that provides info about matters such as torque transfer and fuel consumption and also acts as a reverse camera viewer), D-shaped steering wheel and alloy sport pedals which all add to the car's go-faster appeal.

To this you can add standard kit and improvements such as more leg and luggage than the outgoing version, a host of safety features (including a five-star ANCAP EURO rating) and a lighter, stronger body which reduces weight and provides stepped-up passenger protection.

The living quarters are stylish and well appointed.

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I drove both variants on the Media launch drive between Nasreq and the banks of the Vaal River on a route which included short stretches of less-used roads, motorways and crowded centres and the WRX drew many an admiring glace and even a few phone- camera grabs.

Grrrrrrrrr...

I instantly took to the rumbling boxer growl from its bazooka-like exhausts, the car's amazing grip, its brisk take-off and direct steering - all of which made me wish we were on quiet, winding back roads and undulating stretches somewhere in the Boland...

Like all previous WRX models the latest version is very much a driver's car and sheer pleasure to pilot even though it is not the fastest or most refined car in its class. It has been given some grown-up cosmetics (probably to give it a wider market appeal and boost sales) and added refinements but deep-down it still begs to be whipped.

With its more mature and classy looks the new WRX is a far cry from the in-your-face jetfighter wing on the boot and bright gold wheels earlier models became famous for so don't be surprised if you see one or two yummy-mummies hoiking shopping bags into the boot of a new WRX in a shopping centre parking garage soon.

The good old manual has more of the fun elements that WRX cars have been dishing out for years.

Dads can now also buy a WRX without a twinge of guilt when he has a bit of fun en route to his weekly golf game, knowing that the children will love being dropped off at school in one of these and that Dearly Beloved will find it smart and unusual enough to chat about at the girls' coffee mornings.

Henrie prefers to be hands-on

Many WRX fans have had their orders in for this model for some time and the numbers are sure to grow as the word gets round that Subaru has come up with a successful and appealing formula for a safe, spacious and practical family car with perky performance.

With two the two variants on offer at launch I preferred the good old manual any day, simply because it has more of the fun elements that WRX cars have been dishing out for years. The good news for the real enthusiasts who love to grow horns in a Subaru is that a muscular STI is sure to follow in the not too distant future.

The models and prices (inclusive of a three-year maintenance plan, a three-year 100,000km warranty and optional maintenance plan extensions) are:

Subaru WRX manual - R449,000
Subaru WRX CVT - R469,000

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