For those who grew up worshiping the sheer ferocity of the Subaru Imprezas, this may not be as pleasant a news to you as it would be to the environment.
According to Autocar UK, the next Subaru WRX STI will be a more “emissions-friendly” model as reportedly quoted by Subaru Europe Sales and Marketing Manager, David Dello, who said the WRX STI’s 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer engine just isn’t feasible for existence anymore. The engine will likely be replaced with a plug-in hybrid unit.
The application of electric motors can open up several possibilities for the model, including the option of electrically-driven rear wheel, as stated in the same report by Autocar.
It wouldn’t be introduced anytime soon as developments for a hybrid powertrain is still in the development stage. That said, design inspiration is said to be echoed from the Viziv Performance concept as displayed at the recently concluded Tokyo Motor Show featuring a boxer engine with Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive .
What you can be sure of for now is that the future WRX will be based on the new Subaru Global Platform (SGP) – one that has been engineered to accommodate hybrids as well – featuring enclosures for batteries and electric motors.
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Subaru Viziv Performance Concept
