Subaru Technica International’s distinctive cherry blossom logo rose to prominence on the brand’s rally heroes of the 1990s, and soon became the sign of the cars to have well into the 2000s and 2010s.
Once the flagship model of the Impreza range, before the WRX became its own standalone offering, the STI usually meant you were buying the most capable performance car Subaru was making at the time, with numerous upgrades over the standard vehicles they were based on.
That all changed with the introduction of the current VB WRX in 2021 though, as Subaru officially farewelled the WRX STI – taking with it the long-standing ‘EJ’ flat-four engine.
While the STI brand still exists, it’s largely a supplier of cosmetic and minor performance enhancement parts for the Subaru model lineup, leaving the world waiting on a fully fledged return.
According to one Subaru executive, that might be closer than expected, with the brand’s European European boss saying it’s working on “sporty models”, though there is one big catch.
“We’re working on more sporty models, and electrification allows us to do this,” David Dello Stritto told Autocar.
“Let’s face it: it’s nice to have that prospect of a future WRX STI – super-fast, gold wheels, blue colour. This is what we want, at the end of the day.”
His most recent comments echo those he made a handful of months ago, when he told Autocar, “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.”
Dello Stritto added Subaru – which sells approximately 30,000 cars a year in Europe, against total annual production of more than 900,000 vehicles – is fortunate to have a loyal existing customer base which keeps coming back.
“There are people who know Subaru but associate it as a sporty brand, and the models we can give them aren’t as sporty as they used to be.
“But what we do have – and we’re so lucky – is a very loyal group of customers who will keep on buying our cars for their safety and capability.”
Subaru is trying to keep its sales numbers up and make a bigger impact with a trifecta (not a Tribeca) of electric vehicles: the Solterra (recently facelifted), the Trailseeker (also named the E-Outback), and the Uncharted (revealed for the US last week).
A common trait across all three models is they’re all reskinned versions of Toyota EVs, being based on the bZ4X, bZ4X Touring and C-HR+, respectively.
Subaru plans to sell four EVs globally by 2026 (with the Solterra, Trailseeker and Uncharted to be joined by a yet-to-be-revealed offering), with an additional four models due by 2030.
It’s not yet clear if Subaru will follow the likes of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and 6 Ns by launching a performance EV under its flagship brand, however Subaru executives – including Dello Stritto in the recent interview – have hinted at the STI name being revived for an electric model.
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