During the 2025 holiday season, Subaru teased what could be an all-new WRX STI. The latest video was a 12-second vignette that showed a driver getting into a bright blue Subie. It was accompanied by an ASMR symphony of a boxer engine starting up and then driving off.
Social media users were quick to point out that the driver’s left foot was firmly planted onto a third pedal, though the footwell wasn’t explicitly revealed. It looks like the STI faithful are still holding out for a manual transmission in 2026.
Subaru is set to reveal this new STI on Friday, January 9. The WRX in the teasers looked very similar to the STI Performance-B concept that was unveiled at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show. If this is indeed a product of the concept, then it will at least have a horizontally opposed boxer engine and that famed symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
The Quirino Ave. southbound on-ramp on Skyway Stage 3 is now open
E-trikes are officially banned on EDSA, C5, Roxas Boulevard starting today
However, this WRX was missing the concept’s wing and black cladding. We could have missed it in the teaser’s short run time, but it wouldn’t be too bad if this release focused on performance and not just more kits and accessories.
While it feels a bit early for the recently released STI Performance-B concept to go into a full production run, this could be a baby step towards Subaru Tecnica International’s return to form. Perhaps it starts with an S210 and a manual gearbox—not a CVT. More as we get it.
