Hidden Features and Useful Settings on the 2022+ WRX

The SI-Drive situation, which is the real story

On the 2022 and 2023 WRX, SI-Drive was a CVT-only feature. Manual transmission cars did not get it, which means no Sport mode, no Sport Sharp, and no Intelligent mode. SI-Drive was available on the SPT trims, and the manual was offered without it. That is a genuinely odd omission on the enthusiast transmission, and it is the source of a persistent owner complaint - manual drivers watching automatic owners get throttle mapping options they cannot access. The interesting part is that the ECU is capable of it. ATLAS ships a custom feature called SI Drive Reenablement, explicitly for 2022-2023 manual cars, that unlocks Sport, Sport# and Intelligent modes. The activation method is worth knowing because it uses controls already on the car: press and hold Cruise Cancel, and the tachometer indicates the selected mode - 1000 rpm for Sport, 2000 rpm for Sport#, 3000 rpm for Intelligent. Cycle with the cruise rocker and confirm with Cruise Cancel. Two caveats. It requires ATLAS 2026.1 or later, so this is an ECU-side unlock rather than a hidden menu. And the documentation notes that full functionality requires additional ECU table tuning - reenabling the mode selection is not the same as having the throttle maps behind it fully developed. Still, this is the most substantial thing on any VB hidden feature list, and it is specific to the owners most likely to care.