The Subaru WRX STI hatchback is one step closer to a comeback – as a concept, at least – as one of two new STI show cars due to be revealed later this month, the other an electric car.
Subaru is set to reveal two new concept cars previewing the future of its STI high-performance division – a petrol-powered hot hatch, and an electric car – at the Tokyo motor show later this month.
Having been without a distinct STI halo car since the launch of the current-generation WRX, the move marks a revival of Subaru’s performance past.
Dubbed the Performance-E STI Concept and Performance-B STI Concept, the two show cars offer distinctly different takes on Subaru’s vision for the STI brand.
The Performance-B STI concept adopts a hatchback form, the first STI or WRX model to do so since the WRX model line was split off from the Impreza range a decade ago.
Although only previewed in a shadowy teaser and a closely cropped front headlight image, the design reveals a production-ready form.
While the current-generation WRX sedan has been in production since 2021, some of the visible details from the concept suggest that the Performance-B STI could be adapted from the existing WRX, rather than a preview of an all-new generation.
Familiar lighting signatures in the headlights, the overall headlight shape, and shutlines for the bonnet suggest the Performance-B STI Concept has been adapted from the existing WRX sedan, rather than starting with a clean-sheet design.
Wider wheel-arch extensions hint at a more aggressive alloy and tyre package with a broader track, ditching the WRX’s controversial black-clad hexagonal wheel arches.
Subaru offered a more revealing teaser in June this year (above) that also gave a thinly-veiled look at a reprofiled bonnet with a larger intake scoop, and additional vents compared to today's WRX.
That earlier preview, and the backlit silhouette image, also show a high rear roofline that suggests a five-door hatchback body, capped with a massive rear wing towering over the car.
The Performance-E STI concept, meanwhile, shows a more minimalist design direction with slim headlights and more smoothly profiled front guards, free from wheel-arch flares.
Subaru says the Performance-E STI Concept “represents the future of the Performance Scene,”
The electric performance concept promises a driver-friendly interior, which Subaru says will be comfortable and spacious.
Subaru has also emphasised the practicality of both concepts, pointing to both adopting a hatchback or, in the case of the Performance-E, potentially a fastback body style.
Mechanical details of the two STI concepts have not yet been revealed, with further details of the cars expected to be revealed closer to the October 29 opening of the Tokyo motor show.
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
