Subaru has two reputations.
To millions of Americans, it’s known for reliable family vehicles with a bit more rugged character than most of their competition. It builds all-wheel-drive (AWD) sedans, wagons, and SUVs that make practical choices for commuting and running errands but could outperform most of the mainstream vehicles in the soccer practice parking lot if things got muddy. It has an enviable fanbase.
To a smaller but just as dedicated fanbase, it’s known for motorsports. Little, high-revving Subaru hatchbacks have been a fixture on most of the world’s off-road rally racing circuits for decades.
An Electric Family SUV, but Where’s The Electric Hot Hatch?
Now that the automotive industry is going electric, Subaru needs to go electric with it. But the company has two reputations to uphold.
For the former set, there’s the 2023 Solterra. An electric midsize SUV developed in concert with Toyota, it’s AWD like the Outbacks and Foresters beloved to generations of Subaru fans. But it emits nothing and qualifies for the full federal EV tax incentive.
What of the second set of Subaru fans? Will we ever see an electric vehicle (EV) designed to take on the world’s rally circuits in near-silence?
Soon, apparently. This morning, Subaru issued a teaser photo for what it is calling “a study model for future motorsport vehicles toward a carbon-neutral era.” That’s notably not a production car, but it may well be the precursor to one.
Just a Concept for Now
The photo shows only a smoke-shrouded front fascia and lights. So we’re really stretching to compare it to anything currently on the road. But the proportions seem WRX-like. And if Subaru wanted to take its performance models electric, an emissions-free sport compact with off-road chops would be the way to go.
The STI E-RA Concept, as they’re calling it, will make its public debut at next month’s Tokyo Auto Salon. We’ll bring more details then.
