Next-Gen Subaru WRX Is The Hot ICE Now But Not For Long

When the next-generation Subaru WRX made its U.S. launch, it looked like Subaru was out of touch with performance enthusiasts. As a result, Subaru took a lot of heat for the next-gen model, and the Japanese automaker's performance car future was in doubt.

But the 2023 WRX sales this year reveal a different story, and there's a resurgence of optimism. So check out the WRX March sales without the STI before you count the sport-tuned sedan out of the performance car race.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

The Subaru WRX is selling well.

Subaru of America reports the next-generation 2023 Subaru WRX was up 1,373 percent in March, with 3,005 performance models delivered to customers. The WRX had another significant increase over last March 2022, when it only had 204 sales because Subaru Corporation switched to the new model. The WRX is now up 1221.0 percent in the first three months.

Subaru of America has delivered 7,609 WRX performance sedans to customers in the first three months of 2023, compared with 576 in the first quarter of 2022. However, we know that Subaru stopped production of the previous generation 2021 WRX to prepare for the next-gen models.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

But if the upward trend continues, Subaru of America is now on pace to sell over 30,000 WRX performance models to U.S. performance customers. And that's without the high-performance WRX STI in the lineup. The WRX with an internal combustion engine (ICE) is alive and well before Subaru Corporation develops its new hybrid and electric performance model.

What's next for WRX?

Subaru Corporation is preparing to move to a new generation of performance models. The Japanese automaker is not giving up on its performance division and racing partner, Subaru Tecnica International (STI). Subaru will return the WRX STI in an all-new, all-electric performance model called the STe.

Subaru dropped the WRX STI when the next-generation 2022 WRX was launched around the globe last year. As a result, the 2021 WRX STI was the last gas-powered STI, and Subaru began preparations for the all-new electric STI, now to become the STe from Subaru Tecnica electric. You can read the report below.

Until the all-new hybrid and electric Subaru WRX STe arrives sometime after 2025, the 2023 Subaru WRX sales with an internal combustion engine are running strong, and sales are up significantly. So Subaru won't abandon its performance sports car division. The Subaru WRX is alive and well.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru