New Subaru WRX and STI Not Due for Another Three Years

Even thought Subaru’s new Impreza is already here and riding on the company’s new global platform, an updated WRX appears to be a long way off. In fact, it might be another three years until we see an updated performance sedan from the (mostly) all-wheel-drive automaker.

While the current incarnations of the WRX and its hotter STI variant still provide balanced dynamics and remain well liked by driving enthusiasts, seven years without a significant upgrade is a long time to wait.

Subaru says it’s fine with the powerplants found in the current models and cites their above-average sales figures in the dwindling small car segment to prove that consumers are happy. Subaru Australia’s managing director Colin Christie confirmed a desire for more powerful engines but not the need for one, saying not to expect an updated WRX in Australia until around 2020 — which obviously applies to the rest of the world, too.

“We’d love to have more powerful cars,” Christie told Motoring. “But there’s nothing on the cards. The 1.6 turbocharged Levorg engine does not fit, so Impreza sports models are restricted to pack changes.”

The WRX doesn’t have much in the way of direct competition at the moment, but the STI certainly does. Volkswagen’s Golf R and Ford’s Focus RS are serious contenders, both providing something the Subaru doesn’t. VW adds refinement while Ford serves up brutality, leaving the Subaru somewhere in the middle but otherwise unconcerned. After all, the only car the STI has ever had reason to fear was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the earliest hypothetical return for that particular model isn’t until 2023.

That doesn’t mean the STI wouldn’t benefit from an update; it definitely would. But Subaru isn’t known for prioritizing horsepower in any of its production cars.

“From our point of view that engine works perfectly for what the car is designed to do. The revhead in me would love to put high powered turbos in every single car, but the reality is every car has a niche and a role to play,” Christie said.

Subaru plans to bring the hard-edged WRX STI Type RA to North America, but its cold-air intake, forged pistons, upgraded ECU and a high-flow exhaust system only adds five extra ponies. The RA is more about saving weight, suspension upgrades, and being outfitted specifically for track use. It’s also being built in extremely limited numbers, so you’ll never be able to buy one anyway. Instead, you will either have to appreciate the performance sedans Subaru currently has to offer, wait a few years, or look elsewhere for your four-door performance fix.

[Image: Subaru]