Subaru STe trademark heralds fast EVs

Subaru has been caught trademarking the ‘STe’ name with Germany’s Patent and Trademark Office, suggesting the Japanese car-maker is hatching a new electrified performance sub-brand for powerful hybrids and EVs.

The trademark application was filed on March 13 and has been widely tipped to herald a family of flagship high-performance cars based on Subaru’s next-generation electrified powertrains.

The STe badge is expected to be reserved for the very fastest models, with some pundits suggesting it could be a direct replacement for the iconic STI (Subaru Tecnica International) nameplate – first used on the 1994 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – once Subaru ends production of its combustion-powered cars.

Subaru has already announced that there will be no STI version of its current Subaru WRX, suggesting the next-gen sedan or hatch would be the ideal candidate for the new branding – as would a faster version of the all-electric Solterra SUV.

Muddying the waters somewhat, the all-electric 2021 Subaru STI E-RA concept previewed a wild 746kW supercar that kept the traditional ‘STI’ moniker.

However, a change in direction may have taken place internally at Subaru that could now see STI bow out for the new STe nameplate.

Established back in 1988, Subaru Tecnica International was originally established to develop and manage Subaru’s motorsport activities.

But it wasn’t long until its rallying expertise was fed directly back into the car-maker’s road car activities with its first STI product – the Liberty RS – that was launched in 1989 and developed in partnership with British rally legends Prodrive.

It wasn’t until 1994 the now legendary pink (or red) STI logo first appeared on the first of a long line of Subaru Imprezas or WRX models.

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