CBA-VAB
Subaru WRX VAB specs
VAB is the model code of the Subaru WRX. Japan’s transport ministry lists it in its fuel economy lists from 2015–2020 under the model type CBA-VAB. A genuine car’s chassis number starts VAB-.
VAB at a glance
- Make
- Subaru
- Model
- WRX
- Model code
- VAB
- Model types
- CBA-VAB
- In MLIT’s lists
- 2015–2020
- Engines
- EJ20 1,994 cc petrol
- Gearboxes
- 6-speed manual
- Drive
- four-wheel drive
- Kerb weight
- 1,480–1,520 kg
- Official fuel economy
- 9.4 km/L (27 mpg)
Fuel economy is from Japan’s official tests and is usually better than you’ll see on UK roads. MLIT doesn’t list power or torque.
CBA-VAB
Listed 2015–2020. The CBA prefix (our explanation, not MLIT’s) means petrol passenger car certified to Japan’s 2005 emissions rules, 50% below their limits. Check CBA-VAB against ULEZ and clean air zones.
| Engine | Gearbox | Drive | Weight | Seats | Fuel economy | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EJ201,994 cc petrol | 6-speed manual | four-wheel drive | 1,480–1,520 kg | 5 | 9.4 km/L27 mpg, Japanese JC08 test | 2015–2020 |
Each row is one version as MLIT lists it. A version can appear twice when MLIT gave figures on two tests that year. Low-emission stars and trim names aren’t shown. MLIT gives fuel economy in km/L; the mpg figures are our conversion to UK gallons. Japanese tests are gentler than real UK driving, so expect less.
VAB build year by chassis number
Japan’s carmakers list the chassis numbers each code was built with every year from 2015. Find the serial below, or use the build year finder.
| Built | Chassis numbers |
|---|---|
| 2015 | VAB-004637 to 005656VAB-009501 to 011068 |
| 2016 | VAB-011069 to 012220VAB-015005 to 017020 |
| 2017 | VAB-015001 to 105004VAB-017021 to 017875VAB-019006 to 021596 |
| 2018 | VAB-021597 to 023213VAB-024503 to 026874VAB-026876 to 026877 |
| 2019 | VAB-026875 to 026875VAB-026878 to 028105VAB-031001 to 033817VAB-033820 to 033824VAB-033827 to 033871 |
| 2020 | VAB-033818 to 033819VAB-033825 to 033826VAB-033872 to 036896 |
From the JAMA chassis number lists: 車台番号一覧表. We keep only the chassis code, serial ranges and year. JAMA calls them reference information, not a certificate.
Check a VAB before you buy
Make sure the car is what the advert says: the chassis number on the V5C should start VAB-, and the engine and gearbox should match one of the versions above. Our free check reads the UK MOT history and compares it with the chassis code.
Other Subaru WRX model codes
Questions
What engine does the VAB have?
MLIT lists the Subaru WRX VAB with EJ20 1,994 cc petrol.
What fuel economy does the VAB get?
Officially 9.4 km/L (about 27 mpg), on Japan’s own tests. Real-world figures are usually lower, especially against the older 10-15 mode test.
How heavy is the VAB?
Between 1,480 and 1,520 kg kerb weight, depending on the version.
Is CBA-VAB the same as VAB?
Yes. CBA-VAB is the full model type: the letters before the hyphen are Japan’s emissions code, which changed as the rules were tightened, and VAB is the model code. The chassis number starts with VAB-.
About these figures
The model types, engine codes, capacities, gearboxes, drive, weights, seats and km/L figures are copied from MLIT’s yearly lists of cars on sale in Japan each March, so “listed” years are list years, not exact production dates. The English model names, mpg conversions, emissions code explanations and chassis number matching are ours. Lists before 2013 were printed as PDFs that we read by machine; where an older list gives an engine code that doesn’t match its capacity, we’ve used the figure the same model type has in other years. Check anything that matters against the car’s own papers. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected]. All Subaru model codes.
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Japan, fuel economy lists 2004–2026, used under the Public Data License 1.0. Edited and translated by JDM History.