Having owned a previous generation STI and having been involved within the Subaru community, I approached the red STI press car with some apprehension.
A brand switch
You see, while some regard the Subaru brand as a performance-oriented marque made famous by its success in the World Rally Championship and the distinctive burble of its performance-based models, in reality, the brand has left its sporty models in the shadows as it chased sales volume with the likes of the Forester and XV.
There is a glimmer of hope for those still waiting for the brand to get serious about performance again, as a few concept cars and reports from overseas-based publications have alluded to the fact that the next generation WRX and WRX STI could change dramatically.
The Diamond Edition
Upon arrival, the Diamond Edition certainly made an impression on all of those around the Autodealer office. Whether that impression was positive or not I suppose would come down to a question of taste.
You see, these limited run vehicles come with what the brand calls ‘High Viz yellow’ side skirts, front lip, rear diffuser and brake calipers. Personally, the colour combination of red and lumo yellow doesn’t work for me, although I have seen a Diamond Edition finished in the more traditional blue, which does look more palatable. Besides the bodykit, the car is some 10mm lower, features black 30 Diamond Edition badges and the new-for-2018 rear fog lamps.
Inside, the Diamond Edition gets an individually-numbered plaque and new dashboard inlays. Much like the ‘regular’ STI, there’s a seven-speaker, 440W Harmon Kardon sound system controlled through a seven-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system. The system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and was certainly a highlight of the interior, which is beginning to show its age now.
Performance
The undoubted highlight off the limited edition model is certainly the improvement in performance. Subaru claims 260kW/465Nm from the 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as a result of a remapped Engine Control Unit and an upgraded performance exhaust system.
It’s quite incredible to think that the multi-port injection EJ25 engine is still being used in the STI in 2018. When compared to the likes of the EA888 2.0-litre turbo in the Volkswagen Golf R/Audi S3 and the M133 DE20 LA 2.0-litre turbo engine from Mercedes-AMG, the STI’s engine is positively prehistoric.
This can be felt in its power delivery and indeed, in its excessive fuel consumption. While the initial power surge is noticeable, the car’s relatively small turbocharger runs out of puff and loses its initial pull after 4 500 r/min where key rivals produce a far more linear power delivery. In the sound department, fans of the boxer burble will note that this new model certainly rekindles that iconic exhaust note.
There’s a launch control system, which the brand claims will allow you to get from 0-100km/h in 5.0 seconds, however, with the car being manual and four-wheel drive, a small percentage of launches results in successful pull-offs, while the rest see the car bog down, rather frustratingly.
For those willing to do so, a rev-limit launch with the electronic aids switched off will result in a higher success rate, but it is far more taxing on the clutch and drivetrain.
Analogue to the max
The disappointing engine aside, there’s something wonderfully analogue about driving an STI. From the weighted steering to the heavy duty gearshift action and the feeling of that centre differential shifting power according to your preferred setup, the whole experience is far more involving than most vehicles on sale today.
Approaching the right, twisty piece of road in anger is where the STI starts to make a bit more sense. It’s a car that feels better when driven in anger - all of the control weights become lighter while the ride quality, engine and the super sharp six-pot Brembo brakes begin to work rather more harmoniously together.
Verdict
The problem is that in this day and age, paying around R800 000 for a vehicle of this nature would be difficult to justify as key rivals will out-perform the STI while proving to be far more usable as daily drivers.
Take the Volkswagen Golf R (R667 700) as an example, or the Honda Civic Type-R (R648 300), both of which undercut the STI in terms of pricing and return superior driving experiences and better consumption figures than the 14.7-litres/100km I achieved during the weeklong test period.
Pricing
R799 000
