When Subaru first unveiled the new WRX, it was followed up by an announcement that the car would not be getting a range-topping STI variant, much to the dismay of enthusiasts. However, they did say that the next time we saw an STI, it would be electrified in some form, and a recent trademark filing from the Japanese automaker seems to confirm that.
As reported by CarBuzz, the trademark filing to the German Patent and Trademark Office is for the wordmark “STe”, which heavily suggest hybridization, if not full electrification, for Subaru’s next flagship sports model. The designation also reverts to the style of the third letter being lowercase, something STI hasn’t had for over a decade.
Read More: This Is Why There Won’t Be A New Subaru WRX STI
We could see a hybrid STI working quite well, especially since pairing Subaru’s family of boxer engines with an electric assist would only help to provide the extra power WRX fans have been yearning for. An electric STI would also be something of a novelty, as there really aren’t any vehicles occupying the small electric sedan market (at least in America) besides the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2, and BMW i4, and most people aren’t typically cross-shopping those with a rally-bred sports sedan.
However, it’s worth considering that this designation might not be applied to a WRX at all, at least not exclusively. There’s the possibility that the name could be used for a performance version of the Solterra, Subaru’s only all-electric car at the moment. It could also be that they’re going for a general electrified performance moniker, similar to how you can order a BRZ with STI parts despite Subaru never having offered a full BRZ STI. Of course, this is all speculation, and there’s just as good a chance that it’s something else altogether, so we’ll just have to wait and see to find out.
