Subaru’s Performance Line WRX And STI Are Alive And Well

The sport-tuned 2020 Subaru WRX and performance-tuned 2020 Subaru WRX STI are both alive and well ahead of its complete remodel. Subaru of America announced this week the WRX and STI posted a 14.2 percent increase last month over November 2019.

Subaru delivered 1,714 WRX and STI performance sedans to customers compared with 1,501 last year during the same period. The increase in sales makes three months in-a-row of improvement over last year. In October, the performance models were up 46.2 percent, and in September, they were up 47.3 percent.

The WRX and STI are down 5.3 percent year-to-date, while the top-performing Outback wagon and Crosstrek SUV are down 17.3 percent and 13.4 percent, respectively, YTD. Even the BRZ sports coupe posted a 12.2 percent increase last month.

It’s good news for performance fans and because Subaru won’t abandon its performance car lineup as the world shifts to all-electric models. The next-generation WRX and STI are still over a year away, and the two models will get more power and performance than the current-generation sports cars.

The WRX and STI will get hybrid power, but it’s still over a decade away. Subaru says they will have an all-electrified lineup by the mid-2030s. The changes will include hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric models.

But the next generation 2022 Subaru WRX and STI will likely come powered with an FA24 2.4-liter direct-injection Boxer engine if reports from Japanese sources are correct. Subaru uses the FA24 in the 2022 BRZ sports coupe in a naturally aspirated version.

Subaru has not announced the 2021 WRX or STI yet, but the announcement should come this month. There will not be any engine upgrades to either model. The 2021 WRX will continue with the FA20 2.0-liter turbocharged Boxer engine producing 268-horsepower, while the WRX STI will stay with the EJ25 2.5-liter turbocharged Boxer producing 310 horsepower.

The next-generation 2022 WRX will arrive in the second half of 2021, and the WRX STI later in 2022. So look for the 2021 model change to be substantially the same as the outgoing 2020 models. Subaru of America will likely come with a special edition model to commemorate the outgoing generation. Stay tuned.

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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 USA