Subaru STI performance models could be making a comeback

Subaru’s line-up in the UK is now made up entirely of SUVs, focused primarily on ruggedness and versatility, but we’ve learned the brand is working on new performance models that could herald the return of its famous STi badge worn by rally legend, the Impreza WRX.

Speaking to Auto Express at the New York Auto Show – where the new Subaru Trailseeker electric SUV and Mk7 Outback were unveiled – the brand’s general manager for Europe David Dello Stritto revealed “There are plans to bring back the sportiness to Subaru.”

He told us: “If you ask me to sum up what Subaru means for customers in Europe right now, it’s three letters: SFT – safe, fun and tough. Customers in Europe are staying loyal to Subarus for their safety level, for the practicality of them, and they tend to keep them for a long time.

“But there’s a fourth pillar I’ve been missing to sell and market cars in Europe for the last 10 years, and that’s P, for power and performance. Ask the average person what Subaru means and they’ll say Impreza or STi. You can’t disassociate this from Subaru, so we need to bring sportiness back to Subaru.”

Unfortunately, Subaru's signature boxer engine won’t feature in any future performance models, as Dello Stritto pointed to the gasoline particulate filters (GPF) required in Europe “that can literally choke your engine”.

Instead, like an increasing number of other brands, Subaru will be utilising pure-electric power for its hotter cars – an idea it hinted at a few years ago when it unveiled the Solterra STI concept,  while the 1,073bhp Subaru STI E-RA racer also pointed to its potential.

Exactly when Subaru will launch the first of its new sporty EVs is unclear, as is what form it will take. Of course, passionate Subaru fans of a certain age will simply want to see a next-generation Impreza WRX STi. 

Dello Stritto acknowledged: “It’s nice to think about and have that prospect of a future WRX STi – something super fast, with gold wheels and blue colour, coming back. This is what we wanted at the end of the day.”

However, when we asked him if that dream would become a reality anytime soon, he informed us: “I need volume first. I need to sell my SUVs. They need to make money.”

He continued: “We all need to get back on track. It’s a very difficult moment but once things get settled, we can afford the luxury of looking for that new halo model and please that very important subset of our customers.”

Similarly, Dello Stritto informed us that “it’s not decided yet” what badge these new performance models will wear. If not STi, one other possibility is STe, which Subaru has applied for trademarks on in several European markets. 

No matter which badge is used, however, Dello Stritto is confident that “the STi spirit lives on anyway, so if you change the last letter I don’t think that would make a huge difference”.

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