Subaru’s Japan-bound WRX S4 SporVita is equal parts fast and luxurious

By Ronan Glon October 12, 2015

Subaru has big plans for this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. In addition to the rugged-looking VIZIV Future concept and the close-to-production Impreza 5-Door Concept, the Japanese car maker will show a more luxurious version of the WRX sports sedan called SporVita.

Subaru explains the SporVita moniker is a portmanteau made up of the Italian words sportiva, which means sports, and vita, which literally translates to life. The bulk of the upgrades are found in the cockpit, where the WRX receives a custom interior designed jointly by Subaru and Italian leather maker Mario Levi.

The seats, the door panels, the shift lever, and the steering wheel are all upholstered in two-tone brown and black leather. Matching two-tone contrast stitching and piano black trim on the dashboard add a premium touch to the overall look. All told, the WRX SporVita earns the honor of being one of the most luxurious cars Subaru has ever introduced.

When viewed from the outside, the most eye-catching difference between the SporVita and the regular-production WRX is the addition of model-specific 18-inch alloy wheels with a satin silver finish.

Subaru has not made any mechanical modifications to the SporVita, meaning it uses a stock WRX-sourced 2.0-liter flat-four engine that’s both turbocharged and direct-injected. While the U.S.-spec WRX makes 268 horsepower, the model sold in Japan gets nearly 300 hp thanks in part to Japan’s high-octane gasoline.

The turbo four sends power to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Subaru’s EyeSight tech comes standard, which indicates that the SporVita isn’t available with a more enthusiast-focused six-speed manual transmission.

Buyers in Japan will be able to order the Subaru Impreza WRX SporVita in the coming weeks, but how much it will cost hasn’t been revealed yet. At the time of writing, it sounds like Subaru isn’t interested in selling the luxed-up WRX on this side of the Pacific.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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