In case you missed the news last week, an STI version of the new Subaru WRX will not be produced. As most pundits thought a new STI was an inevitability, this news came as quite a shock but we now have some further information explaining why this is the case.
A Subaru spokesperson recently revealed to Road & Track that the Japanese car manufacturer simply cannot justify producing a new WRX STI given the relatively short life the vehicle would have.
Read More: Subaru Kills Current WRX STI Plans, Is Exploring Electrification For Next STI
“If we designed [a new STI] now, it would have a very limited shelf life,” Subaru director of corporate communications Dominick Infante said. “The regulations are changing so quickly that it kind of wouldn’t make any sense.”
When Subaru first made its announcement that the 2022 WRX wouldn’t spawn an STI variant, it didn’t state that this would be the end of the WRX STI forever. Quite the opposite. Subaru says it is already “exploring opportunities for the next-generation” WRX STI and is pondering the possibility of going down the electrified route.
So, while the WRX STI name isn’t completely dead, we may not see it for quite some time. The 2022 WRX only just launched and the previous-generation car was around for seven years. If Subaru follows that timeline with the new car, we may not see the next-generation STI until 2030, by which time it is almost certainly the carmaker will have decided to make it either as a hybrid or a full-electric model.
While we’re sure some are disappointed that a new WRX STI isn’t just around the corner, the new WRX has been well-received by those who have driven it. Starting at $29,105, it is powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder pumping out 271 hp and 258 lb-ft (349 Nm) of torque which as standard, is coupled to a six-speed manual transmission and a symmetrical all-wheel drive system. A CVT is also offered.
