There Will Be A New Subaru WRX STI... But It Will Be A Hybrid

Judging by comments made by Subaru's European sales and marketing boss, the next WRX STI - and there will be one, eventually - will only exist as a plug-in hybrid

Matt Kimberley

15 Nov 2017

There Will Be A New Subaru WRX STI... But It Will Be A Hybrid

A new WRX STI will be built, says Subaru, but not until the company can work out how to build a plug-in hybrid one.

The current car’s 2.5-litre flat-four is both a blessing and a curse, giving it legendary character and noise but also providing one of the major reasons that Subaru UK has stopped selling it at all.

High emissions and a thirst for unleaded have never been able to compete with the more mainstream, less interesting alternatives. A perceived lower-quality interior and higher depreciation made it less attractive than the likes of the Golf R and Focus RS.

Now, Subaru Europe’s sales and marketing manager, David Dello Stritto, has told Dutch website AutoRAI that the turbocharged boxer four-pot “can simply not exist in the future.” He blames emissions laws and refers to the recent Viziv Performance concept (pictured top and below) as the future of the WRX.

“Subaru is waiting for market developments and has set the concept down. We definitely do not say goodbye to the WRX STI; the car belongs to Subaru, but there is a period of time where we temporarily will not carry it.
“[Hybrid drivetrains are] something we need to investigate. There really will be a new WRX STI, but it takes time.”

A hybrid Subaru is reportedly slated for 2018 production, but it will be a much more mainstream car than the WRX STI. It’s possible that the legendary rally-forged saloon’s totally changed persona might not appear for between five and 10 years from now.

Sources: Autocar/AutoRAI

Comments

If they’re going to soil the name of the WRX STI by making it a hybrid, they should just call it something else. I’d rather it die a proper, honorable death than be discraced with a hybrid setup.

Rubbish. It’s time us petrolheads get our heads out of this time warp we are in and look into the future. By the time the new STi rolls out, most cars will probably be boring FWD electrics (BTW, not saying EVs are bad) and we should be grateful for a proper ICE powering it.

With one article iv’e lost just about all respect for Subaru. This is so dumb. Hybrid? Pathetic.

I think this is a good idea. A fun hybrid car that he enthusiast community will respect is what we need. Catering to us wig hybrids is the right move, rather than avoiding them alltogether. Subaru has to adapt, and if they’re going to make a hybrid why not make it a cool one?

After 2020, Subaru needs those credits to keep making the sti or else will be fined and have to pay more to keep producing vehicles. I doubt the wrx sti will be hybrid but just like the evo name now being electric, I think Subaru is making a sport hybrid type with the sti name. My opinion not 100% stating facts. Its what they had to do with the crosstrek hybrid. Gain credits. So if they do make a wrx sti hybrid I’m sure they will still be producing the classic ej sti while making the new hybrid wrx sti. For Europe though I don’t know the full outcome. Correct me if I’m wrong.

They haven’t went full-on Mitsubishi, but this is a real shame. The charm of the STI is that its a focussed drivers car, not a computer on wheels like its supposedly superior rivals like the comparatively soft-core VW Golf R

Just because it’s electric doesn’t mean it’s going to be a computer. I am a fan of internal combustion, but there are many benefits of electric vehicles.