Subaru has to be commended for launching yet another generation of the WRX, despite declining demand for sedans and the shift towards electrification. However, the car’s exterior design has rubbed some people the wrong way.

The front-end of the WRX is instantly recognizable thanks to the aggressive and angular headlights, grille, and the massive hood scoop. The performance sedan does have some slightly less appealing areas of design, however, such as the crossover-inspired wheel arch trims and a rather convoluted rear end. Fortunately, YouTuber TheSketchMonkey has made some welcome changes to the car.

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The designer doesn’t mind the styling of the new WRX but still thought that some changes were needed for the rear-end. As such, he got out his sketch pad and started work, altering the shape of the taillights to make them slightly thinner. He also modernized the rear-end with an LED light bar. While these changes may only seem small, they have a transformative effect on the car.

Elsewhere, the designer ditched the tacky add-on lip spoiler of the 2022 WRX, replacing it with a ducktail spoiler more neatly incorporated into the trunklid. He then got to work on the rear bumper and has made it slimmer and less overbearing. He has also equipped the car with slightly larger wheels to reduce some of the ugly wheel gap.

If you can look past the design of the new WRX, it has a lot going for it. For example, the new 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumps out 271 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Customers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission or a revised CVT that provides 30 per cent faster upshifts and 50 per cent faster downshifts.