SUBARU Australia has revealed the following era of its legendary WRX sportscar will likely be in native showrooms earlier than the top of 2021, with the all-paw efficiency icon set to return with firm.
Talking to Australian media on the digital launch of the brand new sixth-generation Outback SUV, Subaru Australia common supervisor dropped the bombshell throughout his 2021 outlook tackle, commenting proudly on how effectively the prevailing WRX and BRZ had carried out sales-wise so deep into their lifecycles.
“The actually nice information is we get the following era of those halo automobiles later in 2021,” he mentioned.
“It’ll be definitely worth the wait and we’ve obtained a few tips up the sleeve … we’re actually wanting ahead to sharing extra on each of these with you quickly.”
Whereas stopping wanting confirming any concrete particulars aside from its new ‘Subaru International Platform’ underpinnings, Mr Learn mentioned the entire model’s core DNA – boxer engine and symmetrical all-wheel-drive – can be current within the new WRX which was not anticipated to reach till early subsequent 12 months.
Regardless, Subaru fanatics can anticipate the basic forced-induction, all-paw boxer recipe to be continued with the acquainted alternative of a six-speed handbook or repeatedly variable transmission.
Particulars are nonetheless skinny on the bottom, nonetheless firepower is predicted to come back courtesy of a turbocharged model of the brand new BRZ’s 2.4-litre engine with abroad studies suggesting a peak energy output of round 215kW.
“It should actually step issues up,” Subaru Australia nationwide company affairs supervisor David Rowley informed GoAuto.
“We’re actually excited internally from what we’re listening to from the manufacturing unit up to now.”
Simply as thunder follows lightening, the emergence of a brand new WRX inevitably factors to the eventual debut of a brand new flagship STI model, the discharge of which on this case has been earmarked for 2022.
Neither Mr Learn, Mr Rowley or senior product supervisor Goran Popov can be drawn into revealing any info relating to the brand new STI aside from the actual fact it will comply with “barely behind the WRX” with extra particulars nonetheless being fed by from the manufacturing unit.
Given the STI’s well-known repute for being the head of Subaru efficiency and all the time elevating the WRX’s capabilities to a brand new degree, it will be secure to imagine the brand new mannequin will develop a good bit extra energy than the present model’s 221kW/407Nm.
Some studies out of Japan have even gone as far as to recommend the brand new STI will likely be aimed squarely on the Mercedes-Benz A45 S and Audi RS3 hyper-hatches and produce near 300kW from a closely reworked model of the force-fed 2.4-litre mill earmarked for the WRX.
No matter closing outputs, the model is assured its new-generation “halos” – together with the BRZ – will reignite a number of the ardour for the model that followers could have misplaced lately with the axing of the cult-favourite Forester and Liberty GTs in addition to the emergence of more and more succesful sizzling hatches.
“WRX, BRZ and STI are the large alternative; if it (ardour) has extinguished for some folks, it is going to reignite with these fashions,” Mr Rowley mentioned.
“We’re acutely aware of that, we wish to ship it, the manufacturing unit does too.
“The manufacturing unit is effectively conscious of the loyalty, the extent of curiosity, the love for these merchandise and the model in our market.”
Subaru Australia offered 98 examples of the current-gen WRX and STI final month, down 17.3 per cent on the 98 models it shifted over the identical month final 12 months.
