The Subaru WRX STI is officially dead – at least for the rest of the world. Apparently, Subaru Australia is considering making its own WRX STI.
The slight ray of hope came from a Subaru spokesperson during an interview with Drive. But don't get your hopes high just yet – the said Australia-exclusive performance version of the new WRX is only a possibility at this point, with Subaru remaining "a bit coy" about the matter.
"We obviously always want to listen to what our customers are after. There’s a lot of discussions happening with Subaru Corporation and STI," the representative told the Drive.
Gallery: Subaru WRX STI, Levorg STI, BRZ STI concepts
"We’re delighted to have a range [of STI enhancements] for launch but in terms of what is on the cards for the future, we’ll need to remain a bit coy on that," he added.
Drive then threw in a follow-up question that should spark a bit of yearning for new WRX STI hopefuls: "So not a 'no' then?"
"Not a 'no'," the representative confirmed.
We would like to believe that there's a future for a new WRX STI with this report. It should be noted that Subaru Australia isn't new to an STI tune that's endemic to its market.
Take this with a tad grain of salt at this point. Nothing's definite unless Subaru, or at least Subaru Australia, confirms so.
Back in March, Subaru Corporation made an announcement that a new WRX STI based on the current platform isn't happening, citing the rapidly changing regulations as the main reason for the demise. The automaker was vague about the STI's future, though, saying that it is "exploring opportunities for the next-generation Subaru WRX STI, including electrification."
For now, let's settle for the fact that Subaru once considered a WRX STI in the form of a Subaru WRX S4 STI Performance Concept, showcased at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Let's play this by ear moving forward.
