THE 2014 Subaru WRX has launched quickly off the line, selling a record 500 units in April, plus an additional 141 units of the high-performance STI model.

Surprisingly, more than 50 per cent of buyers have opted for the WRX with an automatic transmission.

Traditionally, the WRX is equipped with a manual gearbox, but the latest ‘Rex’ is the first to be offered with an auto – in this case the continuously variable transmission (CVT) used in the Subaru Forester XT.

Subaru Australia spokesman Jeremy Kazanis said that having an automatic option for the first time has had a positive effect on sales.

“The additional transmission has opened the WRX up to a different market which maybe wouldn’t have considered it before, so it’s been very successful,” he said.

“From an STI perspective, the big price drop – over $10,000 – had opened up an opportunity to attract performance car purists.”

The price of the WRX also dropped, by $1000, when launched in late March.

The best previous sales month for the rally-bred performance sedan was 469 units by the first-generation model in its launch year of 1999.

Kazanis said the biggest factor in maintaining sales momentum will be stock levels, but “things are very positive here at the moment”.