Subaru’s latest “VB” WRX has been around for the better part of two years at this point.  Luckily, in that time we have all had time to move on from the plastic fender cladding and truly appreciate how good this latest WRX is, right? RIGHT?! Right.  Our initial launch of Accessport tuning support was limited to vehicles equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission as we were not yet comfortable with turning up the wick on SPT-equipped cars.  Today, that changes as the 2022-2023 WRX CVT is now supported by the Accessport, Off The Shelf Maps, and Accesstuner Pro.

Vehicles Now Supported

• 2022 USDM Subaru WRX CVT
• 2023 USDM Subaru WRX CVT

Accessport Tuning

Introducing Accessport support for your 2022-2023 Subaru WRX CVT.  The Accessport is the world’s best selling tuning solution for Subaru.  The Accessport will currently ship with two performance maps for either 91 or 93 octane fuel, a Stage0 map which mimics factory calibration data, an economy map, and anti-theft map.  Stage 2 maps to take advantage of our bolt-on upgrades are also in development and should be available very soon.  Flash time for all maps is under 10 minutes.

Included OTS Maps

• Stage0
• Stage1 91 (95 RON)
• Stage1 93 (98 RON)
• Stage1 Economy Mode
• Vehicle Anti-Theft Mode

Best of all – the Accessport and included OTS Maps are emissions compliant and legal for use in all 50 states.

Engine Safety

Beyond increasing power, we have also implemented a couple of safety measures utilizing factory logic and tables in an effort to maintain or even increase reliability.

In situations where Oil Temperature is above 250* F, maximum power will be reduced to attempt to mitigate engine damage from excessively-high oil temperatures. Power will be restored once Oil Temperature falls to 248* F or below. This level of heat should not be a concern during normal street operation but may come into play during extremely high ambient temperature operation or if using the vehicle in a motorsports environment.

The factory intake temp vs. boost compensation is also fairly conservative on the cold side (IE, removes a lot of boost as intake temperature decreases) and fairly aggressive on the warm side (IE, does not remove much boost as intake temperature increases).  Our Stage 1 performance calibrations will not be as active in cold scenarios, but more active as heat increases.  This should help make the car feel better in “boost weather” as boost targets would not decrease as much as it would stock when temps drop.  On the flip, with a slightly more aggressive approach, we hope to mitigate risk when heat is at its worst.

2022-2023 Subaru WRX CVT – Power Gains

On to the good stuff!  Below you will see power output of both Stage1 91 and Stage1 93 when compared to stock.  Increased power under the curve is substantial for both 91 and 93 octane variants of the Stage 1 calibration.   Peak increases are found where the motor makes it’s maximum output for torque or horsepower.  Max increases represent the single largest delta between stock and tuned. Average increases  represent the overall added power under the curve.

For additional information, visit the VB WRX Map Notes Page.

CVT Drivetrain Loss – Comparison to 6MT

Something we wanted to point out is the difference in measured power at the wheels between SPT and 6MT WRXs.  While the motors are identical as it relates to making power (and are rated as such by Subaru), the CVT driveline is not as efficient at getting power to the ground.  In the graph below we have overlayed stock and stage 1 power figures for both a 6MT and CVT car to help visualize the difference in drivetrain loss.

Accesstuner Pro for CVT WRX

Custom tuning for the 2022-2023 Subaru WRX CVT is available as well!  For those interested in modifying their cars beyond of the coverage of our Off The Shelf Maps, custom tuning is required.  The available tables allow COBB Protuners the ability to create a custom calibration specific to each car and also enables them to support emissions compliant bolt-on upgrades.

Find your nearest COBB Protuner

Additional Modifications

Looking for more than just increased power output for your WRX?  We already offer a host of parts to increase power, tighten up the drivetrain, and dress-up the engine bay.

COBB Edition Wheels by Titan7

Ready for more than just a power boost? Explore our range of parts designed to elevate power, enhance drivetrain performance, and add a touch of flair to your WRX’s engine bay. Discover the possibilities with COBB’s Subaru performance parts.