Think about it, here you have a four-door sedan with enough space for the core family and it goes like the proverbial �bat outta hell�. And now Subaru has done right by its fans by putting the boot back into this iconic brute.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that�s for sure. I do think the car is attractive, but there are other hot sedans (BMW�s 335i, for example) that I find prettier.
But going by the number of turned heads, thumbs-up signs and other positive responses I got while driving this beast, a whole province of people would disagree with me.
I dare say, and I know I will be raising Cain among the true faithful saying it, I quite liked the hatch version�s looks.
But then, I can�t say I was absolutely enamoured with the styling of the earlier sedan versions. So I suppose I should be ducking the stones and brickbats now, because the hatchback version was rather less than well received by the Scooby faithful, who wanted a boot with a huge wing on the back.
Well, they got the boot, and the big wing, back - and they�ve got the Scooby with the biggest pair of boots yet included in the bargain.
The car churns out 221kW at 6 000 rpm and 407Nm of torque at 4 000rpm - but that�s not all, folks. If you can handle a bit less torque and yearn for easier gearshifts, you can now also get a five-speed automatic with paddleshift kicking out 350Nm, but over a broader band of engine speed.
Having had the car for a mere two days, I can�t really call this road test, more a driving impression. And it left a good impression.
Look, Subaru is Subaru. They make nice, medium-quality family cars. With a growl and some real teeth, in the case of the WRX STI.
Essentially, the recipe is the same with the latest STI. The 2.5-litre boxer engine (a flat four, like the old Beetle engine, only infinitely better) is turbo-charged and wears a number 12 combat boot in the kicking department.
But it now also sports variable valve timing on inlet and outlet valves and, if I�m not mistaken, it will certainly put a blueish tint to the shins of most of its opposition, when driven in anger.
The Ford Focus RS comes to mind.
While the Ford�s take-off might be marginally quicker, I have no doubt everything else will belong to the Scooby. The STI is easier to drive, handles much better and is not cursed with the Ford�s elephantine torque steer under power.
The STI�s chassis is even better than its predecessors�. The suspension is far stiffer than before, resulting in �flatter� cornering, while driver involvement remains high as you want it. To enhance handling, Subaru has made the suspension system�s lower control arms from aluminium, reducing unsprung weight and helping the suspension to work more effectively.
The six-speed manual STI retains the Driver Controlled Centre Differential, while both STI models also enjoy the benefits of Si-Drive, effectively enabling the driver to choose from three throttle maps to suit conditions and mood.
Inside, everything is as one would expect it to be - neat, but not ostentatious, comfortable without being extraordinarily plush. In fact, sitting in a Scooby, you could be forgiven for thinking you�re in an upmarket Toyota, for instance. Except for the Recaro sport seats in the front, of course. Recaro - need I say more? As far as I am concerned they are sport seats. You simply don�t need more.
Just maybe, the car is a bit quiet. You cannot listen to Janis Joplin AND enjoy the engine sound with the windows closed and the aircon on. So, I didn�t listen to Janis; I switched off the aircon and opened the window as often as I could, because that special flat-four engine sound is music to my ears.
Build quality? Well, things tend to be a bit softer than the German cars of our world, of course. That big scoop on the bonnet that allows the fresh stuff to cool the intercooler sometimes quivers like a bowl of jelly on a rougher road.
The odd rattle did appear here and there.
Overall though, nothing even suggested it wanted to fall off on a gravel road so it�s good enough.
At R519 000-odd, depending on options, this is one very exciting car to drive - hotter than a Porsche Boxster and cheaper too - and you can take the family on holiday, drag a trailer around and tackle gravel with ease.
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