New Subaru WRX, STI could arrive second half 2013

The new WRX and STI will be completely separate from the Impreza range, in much the same way the upcoming Subaru XV will break away from the Impreza model line-up.

Like the XV, however, the Subaru WRX and STI are expected to share their basic underpinnings with the standard Impreza.

With the new Subaru Impreza sedan and hatch due in Australia in the first quarter of 2012, you probably shouldn’t get your hopes up for a new WRX/STI before the second half of 2013.

Subaru Australia’s David Rowley said the timing of the performance variants was still to be finalised, but suggested they could arrive in less than two years’ time.

Mr Rowley confirmed the current Impreza WRX and Impreza WRX STI would be sold alongside the new Impreza range until the all-new models arrived. He described the performance vehicles as “pivotal models” to the local line-up.

The current Subaru Impreza WRX range starts at $39,990 for the manual hatch and sedan, and top outs at $65,990 for the Impreza WRX STI spec.R.