Subaru’s Next New Cars Are Highly Anticipated And Couldn’t Be More Different

If you are a performance enthusiast, you can't wait for the next-generation 2023 Subaru WRX STI. If you want to see the end of the internal combustion engine, you are excited about Subaru's first-ever 2023 Solterra all-electric compact SUV. The all-new Solterra arrives next spring, the redesigned STI next fall. Is the new Solterra the future, and is the 2023 performance-tuned WRX STI stuck in the past?

The 2023 Subaru WRX STI

The 2023 Subaru WRX STI will arrive next year with a 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer engine, tuned by Subaru Tecnica International. If reports are accurate, its new 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer engine will produce close to 400 horsepower. We think it will be much less if the 2022 WRX three-horsepower gain is any indication.

Is the STI stuck in the past with its gas-only powerplant? The global shift is to electrification, and the WRX STI is certainly not anywhere close to going all-electric. A recent report from BestCarWeb says the performance STI will be the last of the Subaru models to get electrification.

When will the STI get electrification?

The next-generation performance sedans will keep their internal combustion engines and won't get electrification until after 2025 and likely closer to 2030. Tom Doll, CEO of Subaru of America, says the automaker would have a full lineup of full-electric vehicles (hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric) coming through the mid-2025 to 2030 models.

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru WRX STI?

Look for the next-generation 2022 Subaru WRX STI to get a price bump, so don't expect the new model to come in less than $39,000. The current base price of the STI is $38,170. The next-generation model will likely have a starting MSRP just south of $40,000, including destination and delivery.

The 2023 Subaru Solterra

The 2023 Subaru Solterra is the Japanese automaker's first-ever all-electric model and is taking the slow to electrification approach along with Toyota. The battery-electric Solterra availability will be limited to U.S. states that have adopted California's ZEV Emissions program.

The Solterra will be available to retailers in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington State, Washington DC, Vermont, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Colorado.

Initial reports say the Solterra will have an electric vehicle range of 300 miles. Subaru has not confirmed new model details, but Solterra will use electric technology developed with Toyota, which owns 20 percent of Subaru Corporation. The all-electric vehicle will ride on the e-Subaru Global Platform, a new all-electric vehicle architecture.

A new report from Car Sensor in Japan says that, unlike the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 sports coupe, the new Solterra and Toyota bZ4X will be manufactured at the Toyota factory in Japan and not the Subaru Gunma, Japan plant.

What is the price of the Solterra?

Subaru of America has not announced pricing yet, but reports say the new 2023 Solterra EV SUV will be priced in the low $40,000 range. Pricing will be after Federal ($7,500) and State rebates.

For now, Subaru's next two new model launches coming next year couldn't be more different. The all-new 2023 Subaru Solterra all-electric SUV's global debut is coming early in 2022 with a mid-year launch. The high octane gas-powered 2023 Subaru WRX STI will make its debut in the fall of 2022.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru USA