Subaru May Revive The WRX Hatchback
Strong sales of the WRX hatchback in America have led Subaru to re-consider their “sedan only” policy for the current generation WRX.
An Australian enthusiast site spoke to WRX Project General Manager Masuo Takatsu, who said that strong demand for the hatch in America (where it accounted for half of WRX sales) has led them to re-consider their plans
“We have received strong interest from the US, where the hatchback was 50 per cent (of previous-generation WRX sales), so we’re now considering. The main target for WRX is the US…Japan is number two, Australia number three. Basically, we target these three markets.”
Takatsu said that limited resources were behind the lack of a hatch at launch, and interestingly, a two-pedal variant of the STi. Subaru’s Australian arm eventually expects the CVT powered WRX to account for as much as 50 percent of WRX sales, though the hatch has always been a much weaker play.
Oddly, the 90+ percent take rate for the sedan in Australia runs counter to its competitors like the VW Golf GTI, Ford Focus ST and Renaultsport Megane, which are all hatches. On the other hand, Americans are notoriously fond of sedans, but are the biggers buyers of WRX hatchbacks.
More by Derek Kreindler
Comments
Join the conversation
Another car for all of the E3 and E4s on base! Of course the officers will stick with their outbacks and foresters ... maybe bring back the Forester XT for the officers who still wish they were junior enlisted?* *all of the above stereotypes are pretty damn close to being true, at least on Air Force bases
Please build this! In a couple years I will replace my aging sporty coupe with a newer sporty/sports car. WRX could have been high my list, but the small sedan form factor, or any sedan for that matter, doesn't do it for me. Either give me all-out utility (wagons and pickups) or all-out style (coupes) or a nice blend of both (hatch). And sporty precludes FWD and autos in my book.
A WRX hatch? To me it seems as logical as a Comaro station wagon. If you want a hot hatch, buy Euro. But if they offer it, they will sell.
Just bring over the Levorg. Problem solved!