New Subaru WRX and STi due within three years

Japanese engineers are working on powertrain developments for the new WRX, which will be developed from the same Subaru Global Platform that underpins the new Impreza and the new XV.

But the estimated time of arrival for the WRX, and the STI based on it, is at least 30 months away.

Speaking at the launch of the second-generation Subaru XV, Subaru Australia Managing Director Colin Christie confirmed the new WRX and its STI counterpart were expected to arrive in around two and a half to three years.

And fans of performance Subarus will have little else to keep them champing at the bit in the meantime. Subaru Australia says there are no immediate plans to introduce more powerful engines to its standard Impreza small car and XV small SUV ranges at this stage.

"We'd love to have more powerful cars," Colin Christie said. "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."

Christie went on to say that Subaru Impreza customers were happy with the performance of the 115kW, 2.0-litre Boxer four-cylinder petrol engine, with sales up over 50 per cent in a declining small cars segment.

"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," he said.

Despite that continued pressure in the small car segment, the Impreza's expanding sales volume has contributed to Subaru sales growth of 10 per cent, year to date. The company is also bullish about prospects for the new XV, with interest in small SUVs remaining strong.

By the time the WRX arrives, Subaru Australia expects to have further strengthened its sales position across its core product line up with updates to both Forester and Outback expected before the end of the year. While competition will be challenging for those vehicles, it is unlikely that the WRX will face immediate competition from its traditional foe, the Mitsubishi Evo, with a reported replacement not expected until 2023.