Equipped with Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and hallmark Boxer engine, the new WRX combines sports-car performance with practicality of a four-door saloon. The new WRX adopts some of the design elements of the Concept seen earlier in the year, with aggressive yet refined styling.

The front fascia features Subaru's unified design motif, the hexagonal grille, while the shape of the new 'hawkeye' headlights helps to emphasise the car's low, wide stance.

The base of the A-pillar has been moved forwards 200mm, giving the car a sleeker silhouette, while the C-pillar flows more smoothly into the rump which is characterised by a diffuser and a pair of twin exhausts integrated into the rear bumper. The lip spoiler is designed to enhance aerodynamic performance.

At its heart, the U.S. specific WRX features a new 2.0-litre Direct Injection Turbo (DIT) Boxer engine, which offers much improved performance over the outgoing 2.5-litre model. The new engine produces 268bhp and 350Nm of torque along with improved environmental performance.

The new WRX is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission as standard while a newly developed Sport Lineartronic CVT with an eight-speed shifting mode is available as an option. The shift response of the Lineartronic transmission has been improved for its application in the new WRX.

A stiffer body and carefully-tuned suspension have quickened the vehicle's response to driver inputs and raised the WRX’s cornering limits. Combined with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) and Active Torque Vectoring, Subaru has managed to achieve even more predictable, yet engaging handling.

Greater use of ultra-high tensile steel throughout the body of the car has also made the new model lighter and more rigid. New safety structures for the bonnet and bulkhead and greater use of collision absorbing materials in the engine bay further improve crash safety performance and pedestrian protection.

The driver-focused interior features higher quality materials and improved design with carbon and metal trim accents throughout the cabin and greater use of soft-touch materials. A new flat-bottomed steering wheel and supportive sports seats complement the subtle silver 'WRX' logos, red stitching and red lighting.

The new Subaru WRX will go on sale in North America and Japan later in 2014.