New manual Subarus on the cards for Aus

NEW manual performance models could be on the cards for Subaru in Australia with Inchape Australasia – Subaru’s local distributor and importer – managing director Blair Read reinforcing the importance of performance-focused models for the brand.

Subaru recently teased a trio of manual-equipped models at the Fuji 24 Hour Super Taikyu event, piquing the interest of both the automotive media and performance car enthusiasts.

A teaser image released on Subaru’s Japanese website showcases the three cars concealed under wraps, accompanied with written descriptions of each model.

According to Subaru these models – slated for arrival in 2027 – “will all incorporate the technology and knowledge cultivated through our motorsports activities” while intending to “make driving more enjoyable and accessible”.

Depicted on the left of the image was a WRX sedan equipped with Subaru’s TY85 Transmission, the same six-speed unit used in the WRX STI that was discontinued in 2021.

Featuring in the middle was the Subaru BRZ “Complete Car” which is based on the BRZ STI Sport Type RA, a 300-unit Japanese-market-exclusive special edition which gained several Super Taikyu-inspired performance upgrades.

Finally, the production version of the Performance-B STI Concept – unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show in October of last year – was also teased, which will have a “new personality that is different from the WRX and BRZ”.

It has been over four years since Subaru announced the axing of the WRX STI without an immediate replacement, and while Subaru could not provide concrete details on a successor, Mr Read said to “keep watching this space” at the Trailseeker’s recent local launch in Canberra.

“We can’t comment on (the end of the STI pause) today. So, I think just keep watching the space,” he said while speaking with Australian and New Zealand media.

“You would’ve seen a lot of global activity in the last few weeks, that’s all we can share at this point in time.”

When asked about the three manual models teased in Japan, Mr Read reiterated the importance of performance-focused models for Subaru and that we can “expect to see more” of them.

“What has been published is what we can share today,” he said.

“Subaru is synonymous with performance. That is what the Subaru community (is) passionate about.

“So, that that performance DNA runs through the veins of everyone that’s involved with Subaru. So, expect to see more of it.”

With performance models still a focus for Subaru Down Under, this could open the door for the brand’s manual trio for Australia.

Subaru’s current performance car portfolio in Australia comprises the BRZ sports car – the Toyota GR86’s Subaru-badged brother – and the WRX sedan.

These are also the only two models in its Australian line-up equipped with a manual transmission. 

While the STI badge has reappeared on the Forester STI Sport (which received aesthetic tweaks and retuned suspension) and tS (which stands for tuned by STI) versions of the BRZ, WRX and WRX Sportswagon have also been sold locally, Australia has been without a full-fat STI performance model since the 75-car run of the WRX STI EJ25 Final Edition released in 2021.

While not strictly a performance-focused model, the battery electric Trailseeker large SUV – which is closely related to the Toyota bZ4X Touring – recently claimed the title of the quickest-accelerating production Subaru model ever built.

Clocking a 0-100km/h run of 4.5 seconds, it bests the discontinued WRX STI’s 5.2-second time.