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.
Comments
NOOOOOOOOO!
WE LOST ANOTHER ONE!
Don’t leave me, soldier! STAY WITH ME!
We get it Subaru, you want it to look futuristic, but you don’t have to make it the ‘Takumi’ from “Rocket Leauge”
Ay, Subaru made a good call in not turning the WRX STI into a crossover! I hope…
I don’t care if it is hybrid, as long as it says wroom vrum braaap
Let’s just hope they don’t go full Mitsubishi on this one.
There will be a new WRX STI!!!!!!
its a hybrid RRRRIP
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/i3R7P0iTJPo/maxresdefault.jpg
So a 2.5 litre inline four turbo boxer won’t pass emissions yet the supercharged 6.2L hemi found in a dodge demon will? On what planet does the sti come close to not passing emissions
Emissions output not based on each individual car, it’s a carbon emissions per capita. So for every 10,000 cars a company sells, those cars can emit a certain amount combined. Since there are so many WRX STIs produced and sold, they need to either sell hundreds of thousands more of the other cars or make the STI cleaner.
Like the styling but sucks
We live in a time where nothing is good enough anymore, people want good fuel economy and a rally car… nope wont happen, hybrid? More weight, loose weight? more Costs… Then its too expensive… mmhm.. Wanna buy original? NOPE prices increased so much its soon cheaper to buy new if want a good condition one.
Boooooooooooo
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