- Subaru’s European boss says the brand has lost its performance edge and wants it back.
- An STI revival may come through electric or hybrid tech due to emissions regulations.
- The brand needs SUV sales to stabilize before investing in a new performance halo model.
Subaru’s been in the news this week, but not for the reasons enthusiasts might hope. While the spotlight’s been on the Trailseeker EV and the Outback, performance fans are still left waiting. The last real buzz around a go-fast Subaru came back in July 2024 with Project Midnight, a concept that felt more like a reminder of what we’re not getting than a promise of what’s to come. Now, Subaru’s European boss is saying what a lot of fans have been thinking: Subaru has lost its performance edge.
Speaking to Autocar, David Dello Stritto said, “There are plans to bring back the sportiness in Subaru.” He explained that the brand still stands for safety, fun, and toughness, but admitted the performance element has gone missing.
More: New Subaru Outback Finally Comes Out As An SUV
“Ask the average person what Subaru means, and they’ll say STI. You can’t disassociate this from Subaru. So we need to bring sportiness back to Subaru,” he said. “Right now, we couldn’t do it. Europe says you can’t, because you have a GPF [gasoline particulate filter] that can literally choke your engine.” Translation: the internal combustion STI revival fans want isn’t happening, at least not in Europe.
According to Stritto, electrification might be the path forward. “With an EV, you’ve got the power and performance, and you’ve got an all-wheel-drive system. We’re working on more sporty models, and electrification allows us to do this. Let’s face it, it’s nice to have that prospect of a future WRX STI – super-fast, gold wheels, blue color. This is what we want, at the end of the day,” he said. Subaru has already filed trademarks for “STe,” which hints at an electrified STI somewhere down the line.
Performance in Name Only
The reality is that Subaru still has a long way to go if it wants to reestablish itself in the performance space. For decades, it’s rested on the legacy of the original WRX. The very first US-market WRX STI made 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. It weighed 3,263 pounds and managed up to 18 mpg combined. Oh, and it could rocket from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds.
By contrast, the last North American WRX STI from 2021 made 310 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. It weighed 3,450 pounds and could achieve up to 18 mpg combined. It could go from 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds. Overall, that’s zero performance progress and in some cases, regression.
Japan’s STI Keeps Things Quiet
In fact, it technically sells a new WRX STI S210 in Japan, limited to 500 units, and the numbers are even worse. It makes just 296 horsepower (221 kW) and 276 lb-ft (375 Nm) of torque. Strangely, Subaru didn’t even mention its 0-60 time in its official press release.
Subaru doesn’t even offer a WRX STI anymore. The current WRX on sale is no doubt a much more luxurious car than in years past, but it’s nowhere near the performance value the earliest North American market examples were. Hopefully, Dello Stritto and the team have a way to pull off what they haven’t in about two decades.
SUV First, Speed Later
However, before a true performance flagship can happen, Subaru needs to make money from its mainstream models. Speaking to Auto Express, Stritto admitted, “I need volume first. I need to sell my SUVs. They need to make money. We all need to get back on track. It’s a very difficult moment, but once things get settled, we can afford the luxury of looking for that new halo model and pleasing that very important subset of our customers.”
