Will the next Subaru STI vehicle be an electric vehicle?

If you’re a casual Subaru fan or owner, you might not have heard of STI; however, if you’re an enthusiast of the brand, then there’s no doubt you know exactly what STI is. STI is the company’s motorsports division, designing rally cars and other motorsports vehicles through the years. But the automaker has also introduced several STI trim levels through the years for popular vehicles like the Impreza, Forester, Legacy and, of course, the WRX. Unfortunately for fans, the 2021 model year was the last time an STI trim level was seen. So, what does the future of the trim line look like? With the brand beginning to turn more towards electrification, and performance vehicles across the industry doing the same, could the next Subaru STI vehicle be a hybrid or electric vehicle?

[ SHOP NOW: Find Your New Subaru Vehicle Today! ]

Subaru Trademarks STe Name

Things are certainly pointing that direction if a recently trademarked name is any indication, as Subaru recently filed for a trademark on the name STe with the German Patent and Trademark Office. While trademarks don’t mean anything concrete, we can definitely look at them as a potential glimpse into the future of what a brand has in store. This STe name is a huge clue as to what the future could hold for the brand, as it is clearly an electrified play on the STI name.

It’s an industry trend to include a lowercase “e” as nomenclature for electrification. For example, the electric equivalent of miles per gallon is abbreviated as MPGe. Even if it’s not lowercase, the letter E is used all over the industry as a designation for electric vehicles, so whatever STe is it’s clear it will be electrified. And it simply makes sense that it would be an electric version of STI, or Subaru Tecnica International.

What could the first STe be?

Naturally, the WRX is the most famous STI vehicle made to date, so it stands to reason that the first STe vehicle could be a WRX. However, with the second-generation WRX having just kicked off for the 2022 model year, it’s unlikely that the vehicle will get electrified any time soon. It’s more likely, perhaps, that an STI version of the brand’s first electric vehicle, the Subaru Solterra EV, could be the first in the STe series of models.

At this point, we’re all just speculating on what the future holds. If anything concrete becomes available, we’ll be sure to fill you in first right here on the Subaru of Auburn blog.