When the latest Subaru WRX was launched back in 2022, the Japanese automaker said there wouldn’t be a high-performance STI version in the current generation.
True to its word, the closest Subaru has got to offering a new WRX STI since then is the WRX tS Spec B flagship (pictured below), offering a manual gearbox, Brembo brakes, adaptive dampers and other parts from the brand’s STI performance division.
Now it has released a teaser image of a new model it will reveal in October, sending Subaru fans into a spin because it has all the hallmarks of either an all-new WRX, or a higher-performance version of the current WRX or Levorg (WRX Sportswagon).
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While Subaru didn’t name the vehicle, a single, intentionally washed-out image published by the brand reveals its front-end styling.
Aggressive bodywork can clearly be seen in the teaser image, including a chunky front bumper with low-to-the-ground splitter and side skirts.
There’s also a trademark WRX central bonnet scoop and, looking further, heavily blistered wheel-arches that suggest larger wheels and bigger brakes.
But while other WRX hallmarks – including a turbocharged boxer engine and all-wheel drive – are almost a given, the grille looks more like the previous-generation WRX’s or even the Levorg’s.
Best Car Web reported the automaker said at the announcement – held at Mount Fuji Raceway in Japan – the vehicle shown in the image will be “environmentally friendly” and will usher in “a new generation without losing its Subaru character”.
Subaru confirmed it’s working on a horizontally opposed (‘boxer’) internal combustion engine which is compatible with ‘E20’ carbon-neutral fuel.
The automaker also said hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the new engine are in development, which suggests the new WRX could be given a hybrid push to meet emissions while offering the capability demanded of a high-performance flagship.
Japan currently plans to ban sale of new vehicles powered solely by internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2035 but will permit hybrid vehicles alongside battery-electric models.
Part of the core WRX make-up is all-wheel drive, which the automaker said it is also working on for the new model with knowledge gained in motor sport.
Subaru competes in the 2025 Super Taikyu Series in Japan as Team SDA Engineering with the intention of developing its road car models, with Subaru employees as its drivers.
The vehicle will be unveiled at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show scheduled to start on October 30, 2025.