Subaru of America has fully expressed to
The parent company in Japan that changes need to be made ASAP. It’s so bad in Camden, NJ HQ that the employees themselves aren’t willing to let the model go
Another model year without major changes planned or implemented. The 2023 model year may offer painted plastic moldings as standard - but that isn’t enough. The company is aiming to bring back the hatchback body style as it sees VW and especially Toyota attracting much of its customer base. The WRX sales being down nearly 60% (and no signs of improving) are causing big wigs in the US branch of the company to lobbying for the Hatchback and even the STI’s return as well - in hatchback form only. We should hear more about this in the late winter / early spring.

It is so that since a few years Subaru has made some poor decisions. I don't know if Mr. Tomomi Nakamura and his fellow collegues at the top took the semiconductor delivery problems serious from the start. Toyota has 3 suppliers for each part as all the rest including subaru has 2.
Secondly they are moving away from the loyal fanbase the worked hard to get with current line-up. It is ok to make a BEV as long as other models still satisfy the crowd.
Thirdly, for sure in Europe, there are already new turbo engines that have lower emissions than current ones. But why aren't they bringing them. Also they should be mated to hybrid units witch are also available/used already. Tax on the current cars make that the atmospheric old engines slow, thirsty and expensive to buy.

Source?

Also, a hatchback, painted, Performance Package WRX would have my money.

Instead of making us wait 5 years for a hatch, how about just bring the Levorg/WRX Sportwagen? Two birds one stone and all that.

what?


There is no WRX or STI in Europe
They canceled the Levorg (which was only available with the tiny 1,6 ltr turbo)

the rest has only anemic na engines


Subaru is more or less dead in Europe

Source is some guy he knows at SoA. He was warning of pretty plausible sounding (especially in retrospect) STI disaster long before news came that Subaru was pulling the plug. So I'm feeling he's somewhat validated.

That there would be an emergency facelift (everythinglift?) for the WRX wouldn't be surprising at all. Talk of hatchback maybe is though. I definitely won't get my hopes up. It could be that there really is a faction at Subaru pushing hard for it but that doesn't mean it will come. If it does though... thanks Toyota!

dumb site/double post

I could see them bringing the Levorg or whatever they are calling it now since WRX sales are so poor. I know they are poor because someone I know just picked one up, for little effort in California, Bay Area, and they had like 8-9 on the lot just sitting there. He got something like $1300 off on a Premium without much effort. This is in an area where the wait for an 86 is I don't know 8 months, a year, and ADM on top sans just a few dealers. I know people who've been trying to get a 86 since it came out and no end in sight for the wait for them.

BRZ is now at a 2 month wait but can be acquired at MSRP. And he just casually goes to the Booby stealer, gets a test drive. Kicks it over, over a week, gets $1300 off and then buys it without any hassles. Meanwhile everything else sold whether performance vehicle or typical square folk CUV has months of wait and ADM. Up to a full year wait. Really does tell you a lot.

Sounds reasonable on the hatch front, the ask, and the fenders/bumper of the sedan. Asking for a change. But STi? They should just let it go, it's over. And I question if they'd even bring the Levorg over. And I can't see them making a new WRX hatchback based off the Impreza. Where were these employees in 2014? It's almost 10 years later and now you want to fight for the hatch? Sounds like chickens came home to roost for SOA. We warned you. You abandoned us and only now are you willing to try and make a play? It might be too late. Many of us are preparing ourselves the GR Corolla in whatever trim as there are 3 trims already. You're just now realizing all you got is a body cladded sedan? Really? Ya'll are some stupid mother ****ers.

And sales are down 60%? We have some people here just yelling every other post how awesome the car is. Apparently not. They are just sitting on lots in these times where there is nothing on the lot. They got a sale from my friend because the Twins are so hard to acquire. Had there been a 86/BRZ around, no way does he buy that WRX. So Booby is getting some sales because competitors don't have stock or Booby themselves don't have stock of another model.

I confirm; I have been monitoring the usual 3 Subaru dealers around me and these cars are sitting on lots way longer than they should.
And, now, there's a brand new Subaru dealer in Hayward; even more supply while demand is tepid, at best.
Perfect conditions for those looking for a new WRX at or below MSRP.

Obviously nothing concrete unless some sources are provided. But would it be any surprise? Sales are down 60% according to some estimate. Funny how all the sudden this now makes a company get on its ass and actually try.

Well, the "60% down on sales" headline I've questioned since I saw it last week or whenever. I think it's a narrative, like most headlines. If Subaru was up on normal production numbers, I'd give it some credit. But the WRX isn't a priority and their overall sales have only up-ticked a couple percentile.

The idea that Toyota making a vehicle similar to what Subaru used to have, and in turn that would force Subaru to create what they used to offer, all of that would be highly amusing to me. And I wouldn't complain.

If Subaru really wanted to shake things up, bring the Levorg over with the STI transmission. I honestly don't know how money wouldn't roll in. The transmission has been developed for over 20 years. Keep the FA24DIT. Offer an STI trim with Brembos. Call it a day.

Due to some annoying circumstances, I am very likely going to bail on the GRC this fall. Really throwing away a golden ticket.

Even knowing this could easily be made up out of thin air, and is unlikely to happen even if 100% true.. it makes me feel a little bit better about the GRC. For some reason I dread the thought of replacing the WRX with the Corolla, but I would love to replace my WRX with what you described there. Yay waiting!

Impreza and Corolla are the same class of vehicle, so you shouldn't feel too bad.

if Subaru put STI suspension, STI brakes, the 2.4, and the STI 6spd into a Crosstrek, and called it a STI, I'd consider it. Levorg looks way too long for my tastes (A4 wagon is also too big IMO).

since the wife is giving me 6-18 months to trade in the 2 door on a 4 door, they have a small window to beat the GRC, or GolfR.

My guess is that they will steal some of the aborted STI's hopefully better/sporting looks and graft them onto the butch-ass WRX. Maybe bring the transmission along too and unlock some torque from the engine.

Funny enough I almost prefer the car with black wheel arches if the side sills and bumpers are body color. This render (which I felt was very plausible, big wheels and super low drop aside) made me realize I hate the WRX's front bumper more than the rear. It also sold me on the idea that the black arches were about breaking up the slab-sidedness of the car. Here they do that and it still looks good. It helps that they're shiny.



Ah, no for sure the whole "but it's a Corolla" thing isn't a problem for me. It's complicated but the only place where the economy background of the Corolla factors in as a con is that I don't like the interior. Just the whole layout and feel (looked at a top trim sedan of course, not the actual GRC - they appear mostly identical inside.) Which is funny coming from an early VA WRX, which was bad when it was brand new.

As for them being readily available, I just did a half-assed quick check of just a few trims. Seems maybe Subaru isn't allocating them "equally".....or better yet, efficiently. We have a waiting list. Why couldn't they have sent us some of those cars? I'd bet there are other retailers in the "less" Subaru areas getting the same treatment.


Too many variables at this point to figure what's most to blame about the 60%. I don't doubt at all that, take out the non-normal problems, that sales would be down. Just don't know how much lower that would be if they'd send us our cars(and likely many other retailers with sold orders waiting) versus sending more of the cars to normal WRX sales hotspots.

Bringing the Levorg, to me, seems the easiest option at this point than to have to redesign a car within a year and source those new parts. Right?!?!? Or, they can use the hatred of the sedan to boost the sales of the Levorg, proving America still wants a 5 door. Short or long.


And though I'm not doubting the info in the OP's post, the title is misleading. SOA can scream all they want. Doesn't mean SBR will do something. At least yet. SOA screamed not to get the BRZ. SBR didn't listen.

Yep. 100%. Reality is probably all they will really do is correct some stuff on the WRX. Painted fenders, and maybe fix the rear bumper and yell “we listened!”. I seriously doubt a hatch, not a wagon, would come. Neat rumors and all, with people upset. But the ship has sailed. They formally did a PR that said the STi is dead. Anything with the STi will be hybrid/EV in years to come, many years away from today. Bringing the Levorg over? It’s a wagon and yeah a small chance, but at this point I do think it’s a bit pointless. Would it help sales? Sure, but it’s not the same thing as a hatch WRX. And they yelling hatch STi, You idiots have had 8 years to do something about that.

Cliffs: SOA yelling seeing Golf R, GRC multiple trims, just now figuring out they are f’d when looking at WRX sales sheets. Y’all did this to yourselves. Reap what you sow. Chickens came home to roost and you’re upset. Well go look in the mirror you idiots. I would not put these rumors into any kind of hope.

I agree with Justy, too much at play to say 60% is how crappy, or not, the car is.

Subaru has been dead in Europe for years. Regardless of the engine size, all Subarus have smog taxes. They are just too dirty. I haven’t heard of Subaru addressing that.

Peace,

Greg

I could walk into the dealer today and drive away in one of 5 different wrx's. IN SEATTLE, where Subarus sell at insane premiums. The car doesn't appeal to anyone, outside of a few enthusiasts who are willing to overlook all of the drawbacks. The mainstream, who I think they were trying to pull in with the cladding heavy design, just isn't going for it. I feel bad for people who paid ADM to get the first ones off the boat.

Glad to see they might be trying to right the ship, but honestly, it's too little too late. They've lost their base. People have moved on. They tried to pull in the fickle sedan performance group and abandoned the hatchback lovers. Alienated me as a customer and after I stopped drinking the subaru coolaid realized that other manufacturers were putting out better cars.

Other manufacturers are putting out sub-$30k AWD turbo cars with manual transmissions?

Maybe things will pick up in the fall/winter; but, right now, it doesn't look like Bay Area people care.
It has been way harder to find an Elantra N; I snoozed a couple of months ago on a 6 M/T and I'm SOL now.
Admittedly, Hyundai only seems to allocate 1 or 2 Elantra N per dealership; they keep the supply pretty tight.

Nobody is, not even subaru. Cheapest one is 29,605 plus destination, so MSRP will be over 30k even before taxes. Nicely appointed, you're at 37k with destination.

Unfortunately pricing comparisons don't include Destination, which has always annoyed me. Otherwise I'd agree with you 100%, nobody is selling an AWD manual turbo car under $30k.

Maybe the GR Corolla Core will surprise us since it's so stripped down and already shares development costs with the Corolla and GR Yaris. Pricing should be announced soon since deliveries are expected in October.

Even if they put out an STI or manual Levorg, it wouldn't move me from getting first a GRC and then a gen 11 CTR at this point.

Maybe after that I'll consider one if nothing better comes along.

They pulled our give-away $500 Ambassador coupons due to cost control. Do you think they are going to spend $$$$$$$ on a hatch?

Painted fenders, def. Fixed rump, I hope. Wagon, possibly but yea right. Hatch? Lol.