Skip to main content

Subaru’s new WRX Concept goes low and lean – will they build it?

At the 2013 New York Auto Show, Subaru unveiled a concept version of the next WRX performance car. The turbocharged WRX all-wheel-drive rally car has been terrorizing New England roads since 2001, but it’s definitely time for a new one.

The WRX is based on the Impreza, but even though a redesigned Impreza debuted for the 2013 model year, Subaru hasn’t turned it into a WRX. Current WRXs are based on the previous-generation Impreza chassis.

Based on this dramatic concept car, it’s hard to tell if the next WRX will be another hot version of the Impreza. There are some Impreza styling cues in the grille, but the whole car looks completely different. Its sleek, muscular lines make it look like Subaru is jumping on the “four-door coupe” bandwagon.

Check out this video from Subaru:

Some classic Subaru performance styling cues, like the hood scoop and fender vents, are also apparent. As is customary with Subaru, the concept is painted World Rally Blue.

Some of these proportions probably won’t make it into a production car, especially the low coupe-like roofline.

We’re not sure if the safety yellow brake calipers, badges, and exhaust tips will catch on, but they do attract attention.

Subaru wouldn’t share any information about the future WRX, but hopefully it will have the performance to match this concept’s styling.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
The Kia EV3 could be the cheap electric SUV we’ve been waiting for
White Kia EV3

The Kia EV9 was already one of the cheapest ways to get an electric SUV, but now the company is taking things to the next level. After teasing the Kia EV3 last year, the car is now official.

The EV3 is built to be a slightly smaller, cheaper version of the EV9 -- following the path of the Rivian R2, which arrived after the Rivian R1S. It's certainly not as technologically advanced as the EV9, but it still looks unmistakably like a modern Kia, and is clearly a sibling of the larger SUV. On the outside, the vehicle has the same split taillights and very similar Tiger Face front. But it is quite a bit smaller. The vehicle will be available in nine finishes -- however only "Aventurine Green" and "Terracotta" are being announced right now.

Read more
Kia EV3: release date, performance, range, and more
White Kia EV3

Kia is on a roll. Hot on the heels of the success of the Kia EV6 and EV9, the company is already announcing what could be its cheapest electric vehicle yet -- the Kia EV3.

The Kia EV line seems to follow the rule of lower numbers indicating a lower price — and if so, the EV3 will end up being the cheapest electric car Kia has released to date. That, however, thankfully doesn’t mean that the EV3 will be a low-end car — it just means that Kia may be pushing the boundaries on electric car pricing.

Read more
Kia EV3 vs Tesla Model Y: Can Kia’s new entry-level car take on Tesla?
White Kia EV3

The Kia EV3 is finally coming, and it could well end up being the best small-size electric SUV to buy when it finally rolls out. It's smaller than the Kia EV9, but it offers many of the same design elements and features. But there's another small-size electric car that's currently one of the most popular vehicles out there -- the Tesla Model Y.

How does the Kia EV3 compare with the Tesla Model Y? And is one vehicle actually better than the other? We put the Kia EV3 and the Tesla Model Y head-to-head to find out.
Design
The design of the Kia EV3 is very different than that of the Model Y, though they're both reasonably good-looking vehicles.

Read more