Subaru Australia has made over 70,000 sales of its rally vehicle WRXa significant milestone achieved over five generations since the iconic model’s local launch in 1994.
The WRX is characterized by rumbling turbocharged boxer engines and Subaru’s signature “Symmetrical” all-wheel drive system WRX STI became legendary through their commitment to global rally competition and have long since brought “unmistakable character” to showrooms worldwide.
According to Subaru Australia, the WRX played “a crucial role” in cementing the brand’s performance pedigree, supported by a “passionate ownership community” for one of the few remaining Japanese hero cars of the 1990s.
“The WRX has always been more than just a car. It represents a spirit of fun and connection that has resonated with Australians for more than 30 years,” said Scott Lawrence, general manager of Subaru Australia.
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“There’s something special about the way it gives people – the confidence behind the wheel, the feeling of control, the grin it puts on your face.
“We are grateful to every WRX owner who has been a part of this journey. Whether you just purchased your first Rex or have owned several over the years, your enthusiasm has helped make WRX what it is today.”
The WRX began life as a souped-up variant of the standard Impreza sedan and was first introduced at the 1993 Sydney Motor Show in Australia. It was launched in Australia the following year and featured a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine (with the iconic EJ20 designation) and all-wheel drive.
The first Impreza WRX STI arrived locally in 1998, bringing more power and improved performance-oriented components. This was followed by the introduction of the limited edition WRX STI 22B. Only five of the 424 examples built were imported to Australia by Subaru.
Designed as a halo car to celebrate Subaru’s 40th anniversary and its success in the World Rally Championship (WRC), the 22B featured its larger 2.2-liter flat-six engine and unique “widebody” fender flares.
This rally pedigree is one of the main reasons the WRX exists at all, as evidenced by Subaru’s claim that the name stands for “World Rally Experimental.” The WRX even took part in the WRC until the end of 2008.
The second-generation WRX was launched in 2000 and subsequently received two facelifts, affectionately nicknamed “Bugeye”, “Blobeye” and “Hawkeye” by its fans – describing the distinctive shape of each version’s headlights.
However, the mechanical formula remained the same as the car continued to be powered by EJ boxer engines with four-wheel drive as standard.
Subaru launched the third-generation Impreza WRX in 2007, introducing a hatchback body style for the first time on both the WRX and WRX STI versions. Estate derivatives were available in both previous generations, but there was never a dedicated hatch.
A sedan version of this model was also available, and the third generation was the last WRX based directly on the Impreza. In 2014, the first WRX built on Subaru’s new global platform was launched, marking the first time in its history that it was separated from the Impreza.
The fourth-generation model (referred to as VA) still shared some parts with the standard Impreza, but was the first WRX available with the new FA boxer engine family. The STI alternative was still available with the EJ engine, either as a 2.0-liter or 2.5-liter engine depending on the market.
Although the VA model is officially considered the fourth generation of the WRX family, it was technically the first generation WRX considering its distinction from the Impreza nameplate. The EJ engine was also taken out of production in 2021 with the VA WRX STI.
The current generation of the “VB” WRX came onto the market in 2022 and is still offered with a turbocharged FA engine, but for the first time without a proper STI variant. It is available in both sedan and sportswagon body styles, the latter replacing the Levorg wagon in Australia.
In 2024, Subaru celebrated its 30th anniversary of the WRX in Australia, and there have been a few STI-like special editions of the VB-series WRX since its introduction. These include the Club Spec from 2024 and the tS Spec B from 2025.
STI also developed the limited-edition S210 based on the VB WRX, continuing its line of exclusive, high-performance “S” vehicles available throughout the WRX’s storied history.
Subaru is preparing to unveil two STI concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. One is a gasoline-powered model that’s rumored to be an STI leak version of the current VB WRX, the other is an all-new model that could provide a glimpse of STI’s electric future.
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