At the 2026 Tokyo motor show, Subaru will unveil two concept cars from its STI in-house tuning arm: the electric Performance-E STI, and the petrol-powered Performance-B STI.
Very little concrete information about the cars has been divulged so far, with the teaser package consisting of a shadowy profile shot of both cars (above), and stylised sketches of their front ends.
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From the shape of its headlights, bonnet and wing mirrors, it’s seems as though the Performance-B STI is based on the WRX.
Differences up front include wider wheel arches, a thin red frame for the grille, and a more aggressive bumper with larger air intakes.
At the back there’s a massive rear wing. We can’t tell if the Performance-B STI is based on the WRX Sportswagon/Levorg, or if it’s sporting a new hatchback body.
It is powered by a boxer engine connected to the company’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system.
On the other hand, the Performance-E STI concept is totally new vehicle, and has a grille-free front-end with slimline headlights. The front air dam wears the STI logo, while the alloy wheels have gold trim along the outer rim.
We don’t know what type of body style the Performance-E has, but there is a prominent roof-mounted spoiler. Subaru also promises “outstanding aerodynamics and practicality”, as well as “a driver-friendly layout and a comfortable, spacious interior”.
Other new vehicles on display at the Subaru stand include “prototypes” of the Outback Wilderness, Forester Wilderness, and the Trailseeker, a lightly redesigned sibling of the Toyota bZ4X Touring.
Both the Outback Wilderness and Forester Wilderness have more rugged styling and a bit of extra off-road ability. They are already on sale in the US, but Subaru intends to offer the Wilderness sub-brand in Australia and other markets soon.
Timing for the delayed Australian launch has yet to be confirmed, but with their appearance at the Tokyo motor show, it hopefully means they won’t be too far away.
Also taking the stand in Tokyo will be the Subaru GL Family Huckster, a collaboration between Ken Block’s Hoonigan motor racing team and Subaru USA.
Although it’s based on the 1983 Subaru Leone, known as the GL in the States, very little of the original car remains as most of the body panels have been replaced by carbon-fibre replicas. The chassis has also been upgraded to a lightweight tubular spaceframe.
Under the bonnet there’s a four-cylinder boxer engine making 643kW, and directing its anger to all four wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission.
MORE: Explore the Subaru showroom
