Subaru STI returns with two hot new concepts
WRX hot hatch concept looks production readyThe News
After a four-year hiatus, the iconic STI badge will return to Subaru showrooms, with production-ready internal-combustion engine (ICE) and a futuristic electric vehicle (EV) concepts unveiled at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show.
The Key Details
- EV and ICE STI concepts revealed
- ICE version combines boxer engine, AWD and manual gearbox
- EV concept previews the future of Subaru performance
The Finer Details
Concept cars are typically futuristic flights of fancy, but the Subaru Performance-B STI Concept looks like it could don number plates and drive straight off its stand at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show.
Subaru hasn’t shared any concrete details aside from a horizontally opposed engine and all-wheel drive (AWD), but the Concept is faithful to the STI recipe: pumped guards to cover larger rolling stock, bigger brakes, aero kit, and a six-speed manual gearbox.
No doubt it would feature greater outputs than the 202kW/350Nm offered by the turbocharged 2.4-litre boxer four in the standard World Rally eXperimental (WRX). However, it’s unclear how much headroom is in the engine has – or whether the transmission is the limiting factor.
The other big news is the return of the STI hatch, last seen in the GR series from 2008-2014, whereas the last two generations of WRX have been sedan-only.
The Performance-E STI Concept is more typical motor show fare, sharing the Performance-B’s overall hot hatch shape but being more extreme in its adornments.
As you’d expect from Subaru it’s a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup, but no details are given other than the Performance-E being “a battery electric vehicle (BEV) concept model that represents the future of the performance scene, spearheading Subaru’s new generation.”
The Road Ahead
No announcements have been made at the show regarding the future of the two Performance concepts but given the significance of reviving the STI name – and how close to production the Performance-B concept appears – it’s hard to imagine a high-performance Subaru not returning to dealerships soon.
Whether it would come to Australia is another matter. Given Australia’s long-standing relationship with the brand, it would likely be on the shortlist if the model is offered beyond Japan’s domestic market.
Subaru’s 2022 announcement that it wouldn’t produce another internal-combustion STI model muddies the waters – but the global automotive landscape has shifted dramatically in the past three years, with several brands walking back or abandoning their EV-only plans.
Related: Subaru teases two new STI concepts
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Related: New Subaru WRX STI axed
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