2022 Subaru WRX S4 launches in Japan

The Japanese market has gained another edition of the new Subaru WRX, with the S4 launching overnight.

Available only in its homeland, the S4 comes in four flavours – GT-H, GT-H EX, STI Sport R and STI Sport R EX – but is only sold with the 'eight-speed' continuously variable transmission, omitting the six-speed manual which is standard in the regular WRX.

Power from its 2.4-litre, turbocharged flat-four engine remains unchanged at 202kW, however the S4 has been dealt a minor torque increase, bumped up by 25Nm to 375Nm.

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All WRX S4 variants gain a rear window wiper, an unusual addition for a sedan but not uncommon in the Subaru universe, most JDM GC8 and STIs were fitted with the handy feature, making it easier to denote imports from locally-delivered examples.

Active torque vectoring is standard across the range while STI-badged variants score Drive Mode Select, tweaking aspects of the WRX S4 such as its engine, all-wheel-drive system, dampers and power steering.

On top of this, the STI grades also gain Recaro ultra suede front seats, leather interior highlights, aluminium pedals, carbon-look trim, the 11.6-inch infotainment screen, a JDM-specific 12.3-inch digital dash and STI badges on the grille and boot.

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Those who opt to buy the cheaper GT-H grades have to make do with with the two-screen setup for infotainment and HVAC controls, a setup which looks significantly cheaper than the high-end Starlink option.

Unfortunately for interested local parties, Subaru won't be shipping any S4s to Australia despite it being right-hand drive only, with production targeted at 500 units per month for the first year.

The entry-level GT-H is on sale from ¥4,004,000 (AU$48,680), up to ¥4,389,000 (AU$53,360) for the GT-H and STI Sport R before topping out at ¥4,774,000 (AU$58,000) in range-topping STI Sport R guise.

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