Next-Gen Subaru WRX STI Could Be an EV

The next-generation Subaru WRX STI could be electric, according to a statement released today by the company.Subaru said it’s not building an STI version of the recently redesigned WRX using the car’s new platform.Subaru also hinted at expanding its performance-oriented STI brand to future models.

The 2021 Subaru WRX STI could go down in history as the last STI model that was powered by an internal-combustion engine. Subaru today announced that the gas-fed WRX STI is dead, but also suggested that the next generation of the brand’s iconic model could be an EV. The company didn’t mention when a potential next-gen WRX STI EV might arrive, either.

Ever since the regular WRX sedan was fully redesigned on a new platform, we’ve been eagerly anticipating the reveal of its high-performance counterpart, the STI. We imagined it having an even more powerful version of the standard model’s 271-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four–something making closer to, say, 400 horses. However, Subaru now says that it won’t build an internal-combustion version of the next-gen WRX STI that’s based on the regular WRX platform.

In an official statement, Subaru explained that its plans to focus on electric versions of its performance models were influenced by the auto industry’s move to electrification. Also mentioned were the goals of reducing emissions and complying with government fuel-economy regulations. Currently, the only electrified Subaru model on the market is the plug-in-hybrid Crosstrek. The company will add its first all-electric model this year with the 2023 Solterra, a subcompact SUV that was developed in partnership with Toyota’s bZ4X.

Subaru also opened the door to potentially expanding its performance-oriented STI brand to future models. We’re not sure if that means the STI moniker’s potential expansion will include any gas-burning models or if every STI will be fully electric from now on. The company did show off a Solterra STI concept at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon, but we weren’t privy to any technical details.

Subaru

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