√2023 Subaru WRX price rises by $1000

The price of the cheapest Subaru WRX has hit an all-time high after a $1000 hike for 2023 models.

The price of the 2023 Subaru WRX sports sedan and wagon has risen by $1000 for Model Year 2023 (MY23) examples – and there is no extra equipment to offset the increase.

The new $45,990 plus on-road costs base price for Subaru’s performance car – applicable to the WRX manual sedan – makes it the dearest base-model WRX in the 29-year history of the nameplate (since 1994).

However, adjusted for inflation, a base-model 1995 Impreza WRX manual sedan – priced from $44,990 plus on-road costs when new, up from $41,990 in 1994 – would cost about $94,000 today, or more than twice the cost of the latest model.

Until the arrival of the new model last year, prices of Subaru WRX base models had not hit $44,990 plus on-road costs since 1996. Base prices have limboed as low as $38,990 plus on-road costs between 2014 and 2016.

Between December 1994 and December 2022, inflation has totaled 108.3 per cent, according to the Reserve Bank’s website – or 2.7 per cent annually.

“Continued [increases] in costs associated with production and logistics has resulted in a price adjustment for the MY23 [Model Year 2023] Subaru WRX range,” said a media statement from a Subaru Australia to Drive.

“There are no specification changes between MY22 and MY23 Subaru WRX.”

Buyers can continue to choose between sedan and Sportswagon body styles – the latter the new name for what was previously known in Australia (and still known in Japan) as the Levorg.

All new Subaru WRX models are powered by a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine with 202kW and 350Nm, paired to a permanent all-wheel-drive system.

A six-speed manual transmission is available in the base WRX and WRX RS sedans. A continuously-variable automatic transmission is optional on these models and standard in all other versions – including the WRX tS sedan flagship, and all WRX wagon variants.

Manual versions continue to miss out on potentially life-saving safety technology such as autonomous emergency braking – but Subaru Australia says headquarters in Japan is working on a solution, to be introduced on future updated models at a later date.

MORE: Advanced safety technology coming for Subaru BRZ, WRX manual variants