Subaru announced the 2022 WRX has only a three-horsepower gain, but Honda gives the new 2022 Honda Civic Si less horsepower. Check out how the two performance models compare with the rest of the competition.
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Performance enthusiasts were disappointed when Subaru announced the next-generation 2022 WRX with a three-horsepower increase over the outgoing model. But the small gain doesn't look too bad compared with the all-new 2022 Honda Civic Si that has five less horsepower than before.
The 2022 Civic Si arrives with the same turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. It now comes with 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, compared with the 2021 Si with 205 horsepower.
The 2022 Subaru WRX comes with a 2.4-liter Boxer engine producing 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque; a three horsepower gain over the outgoing model.
Honda claims the engine's power band is wider than before and doesn't make its peak horsepower until higher up the rev range. We think Honda dropped the horsepower because they wanted to improve fuel mileage in the new Si.
How does the 2022 Subaru WRX compare with the competition?
The 2022 WRX has 271 horsepower, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is rated at 241 horsepower, Hyundai Elantra N produces 276 horsepower, and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI has a 228-hp engine. Against that lineup, the 2022 WRX compares favorably, and the 2022 Civic Si looks like it is woefully underpowered.
The 2022 Subaru WRX also jumps from the 2.0-liter turbocharged Boxer engine to the 2.4-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine. Subaru knows many performance enthusiasts will tune their WRX to get much more than 271 horsepower.
The 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Boxer will be an ideal powerplant for modifications. Buyers who don't modify their engines will have enough power, torque, and a reliable engine with improved fuel mileage.
Compared with the 2022 Honda Civic Si dropping five horsepower, the 2022 WRX's three horsepower gain is put in perspective.
Check out the Subaru Report here on why the 2022 Subaru WRX's new FA24 2.4-liter turbocharged engine is capable of handling much more than 271 horsepower and will be the ideal powerplant for performance tuners.
When will the 2022 Subaru WRX go on sale in the U.S.?
The next-generation 2022 Subaru WRX will be available in Subaru showrooms in early 2022. Subaru of America has not announced pricing on the new fifth-generation WRX Stay tuned.
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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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Photo credit: Subaru USA
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Spoiler alert..... The power
Spoiler alert..... The power numbers released by subaru for the 2022 WRX are most likely what it makes on REGULAR 87 OCTANE. Think about it. Compare the numbers to the outback with the same engine. In that application it makes a little less power, but actually more torque. With the new electronically controlled wastegate, I bet subaru was able to tone down the initail boost spike, but hold more boost closer to redline. That alone would lower peak torque and raise peak horsepower. Pretty simple. And compare that to other turbo engines close in size. The 2.3 ecoboost from for and 2.5T from hyundai make 280-290 on regular 87 gas. The 2.4 FA24 should easily be able to make its quoted numbers on regular. If not, subaru engineers are doing something wrong.