New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Interior, Engine, Pictures
New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Interior, Engine, Pictures – As the market for sport compact vehicles continues to be in a state of chaos, the new 2026 Subaru WRX Premium has arrived. This Subaru is currently at the top of the brand’s performance list, but it is up against fierce competition from vehicles such as the Hyundai Elantra N, Honda Civic Si, and Volkswagen Jetta GLI, all of which are more fun, more practical, and more filled with value than they were in the past. On the other hand, you shouldn’t be so ready to dismiss this WRX Premium. It may have a somewhat different appearance and sound, but at its core, it is a formula that has ensured the success of this marque for many years.
Table of Contents
New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior and Interior
The peaky, unrefined motor and rough transmission play into the character Subaru WRX Premium. It feels like an old-school sport compact, loaded to the brim with power and performance, leaving everything else behind. The throttle response is middling but then the turbo spools up, and suddenly you’re blasting off. Keep your foot down, and keep shifting to manage the revs, and any enthusiast will be satisfied.
Steering is on the vague and light side, but the stiff chassis and suspension help provide the necessary feedback to the driver. The ride does feel a bit too harsh at times. The all-wheel drive system also helps provide confidence, not just when pushing it on the back roads but even in inclement weather conditions and poor road conditions.
New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Specs
If the old-school sport compact theme isn’t coming through, the message should be clear given how few luxuries and convenience features there are. There are standard heated seats in the front, while rear heated seats are available. Shoppers can get dual-zone climate control, a sunroof, a navigation system and an upgraded sound system in mid-trim models, but there’s no killer app or stand-out features here.
While the seats are supportive and comfortable, the rest of the car is decidedly harsh. The stiffness might be touted by enthusiasts as part of its charm, but the droning exhaust note, along with the tedious ride, grows tiring during long trips. New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Interior
Engine and Performance
The evolutionary approach continues with the powertrain. A turbocharged 2.4L engine replaces the 2.0L of old, and it makes 271 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Despite the extra displacement, it gets just three hp more than the last engine. Peak horsepower arrives at 5,600 rpm, while you feel the torque as soon as 2,000 rpm. There’s a definite feeling of lag as you roll onto the throttle, and you want to keep the motor in its relatively narrow power band to get the most out of it.
As expected for a Subaru, the motor sends power to all four wheels. Our tester featured a six-speed manual transmission that feels more agricultural than slick and smooth. It’s not as if it doesn’t work; it definitely does, just with a heavy clutch and clumsy throws. That’s one way to engage with the driver, but an alternative is a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which might do a better job of keeping the motor in its sweet spot.
New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Fuel Economy
Manual-equipped variants of the WRX Premium get a total fuel economy of 10.8 liters per hundred kilometers, 9.0 liters per hundred kilometers on the highway, and 12.3 liters per hundred kilometers in the city. This is a tad less fuel efficient than the previous model, which achieved 10.4 on the highway with its smaller engine. Automatic vehicles, on the other hand, are more fuel-efficient than their predecessors, but they consume more fuel than their manual counterparts. They consume 12.7 liters per hundred kilometers in the city, 9.4 liters per hundred kilometers on the highway, and 11.2 liters per hundred kilometers overall. New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Interior
New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Safety Features
Manual versions of the WRX Premium lack the safety features and driver assistance technology that automatic models have but still pack plenty of airbags, including side-impact units, one for the driver’s knees, and side-curtain airbags. Higher trim models can get blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Automatic-equipped models come with Subaru’s loot bag of goodies including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic emergency braking. New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Interior
New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Price and Release Date
Starting at $32,270 before tax but including a fixed freight charge of $1,725, the WRX Premium is a delicious bargain for sport-compact shoppers looking for pure power and all-wheel traction. It’s cheaper than the Hyundai Elantra N and Honda Civic Si, which both lack all-wheel drive. Only the VW Jetta GLI represents a better price, but it’s also front-wheel-drive and has less power than the Subaru. New 2026 Subaru WRX Premium Interior
While the base WRX Premium sports an attractive entry price, the $37,220 Sport model is a slightly better blend of price and features, adding the larger touchscreen, more USB ports, and an upgraded sound system. The automatic is also available for $2,600 and adds safety and driver-assistance features. The fully loaded Sport-tech model is tempting at $41,020 for the manual or $43,620 for the automatic, but it doesn’t feel like a significant leap up from the Sport trim.
