While Subaru has definitely been on a roll lately, the company’s hallmark high-performer—the Subaru Impreza WRX STI—has actually been underperforming in the marketplace. But the company, along with its customers, can expect that to start changing, thanks to a change in the car’s available body styles.
As announced at the New York International Auto Show, one of the hottest of the hot hatches now has a four-door sibling, making it an even stronger competitor for its long-time rival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution sedan. It’s the first time Subaru has ever offered the STI as both a sedan and a hatch at the same time.
The new 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI sedan boasts the new wide-body look introduced on the latest Impreza WRX, which means aggressive mods like a sinister lip spoiler upfront, a new “blacked out” grille treatment, wider rear fenders and, of course, a big ol’ rear wing mounted out back.
But the WRX STI, whether in sedan or hatchback form, is more about “go” than “show.” It packs Subaru’s turbocharged, intercooled four-cylinder boxer engine, good for 305 horses, a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission, and an advanced all-wheel-drive system with nine separate differential settings (three automatic, six selectable by the driver). With the STI weighing in at about 3,400 lbs, that kind of motivation pushes the car from 0-60 in about 4.8 seconds—as fast as a Porsche 911 Carrera 4.
Of course, the rally-bred STI is just as capable in the curves as it is in a straight line, especially now that Subaru has further enhanced its suspension for 2011. New springs, thicker stabilizers, a lowered ride height and revised bushings all help create what the company calls “the best-handling Impreza WRX STI models Subaru has ever offered.”
The car’s interior remains a highly livable place to be, even when you’re not out pretending to be Travis Pastrana. There’s a leather-wrapped steering wheel, up-level sound system with USB port, available nav system and Bluetooth connectivity, along with new black and silver interior accents. No one is likely to buy the STI just solely for its cockpit, but likewise, the interior won’t stop people from buying one either.
And neither should the 2011 model’s sticker price. Subaru didn’t mention MSRPs when the car was introduced, but a price tag around $35,000 is likely. Which, compared to the $84,000 needed to get into that Porsche mentioned above, gives you a lot of bang for your buck indeed.
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