Subaru Australia has ticked over 70,000 sales of its rally-bred WRX, a significant milestone achieved over five generations since the iconic model launched locally in 1994.
Characterised by rumbly turbocharged boxer engines and Subaru’s signature ‘Symmetrical’ all-wheel drive system, the WRX and the hotter WRX STI became legendary through their involvement in global rally competition and have long brought “unmistakable character” to showrooms worldwide.
Subaru Australia says the WRX “played a defining role” in cementing the brand’s performance pedigree, supported by a “passionate owner community” for one of the few remaining Japanese hero cars of the 1990s.
“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 Subaru Australia general manager Scott Lawrence.
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“There’s something special about the way it makes people feel – that confidence behind the wheel, the sense of control, the grin it puts on your face.
“We’re grateful to every WRX owner who’s been part of the journey. Whether you’ve just picked up your first ‘Rex or have owned several over the years, your enthusiasm has helped make WRX what it is today.”
The WRX started life as a hotted-up variant of the standard Impreza sedan, and was first previewed in Australia at the 1993 Sydney motor show. It was released in Australia the following year, bringing with it a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine (bearing the iconic EJ20 designation) and all-wheel drive.
The first Impreza WRX STI launched locally in 1998, bringing more power and improved performance-focused componentry. It 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.
Developed as a halo car to commemorate Subaru’s 40th anniversary and its success in the World Rally Championship (WRC), the 22B was characterised by its larger 2.2-litre boxer engine and unique ‘widebody’ fender flares.
That rally pedigree is a core reason the WRX exists at all, as evidenced by Subaru’s claim that the name stands for “World Rally Experimental”. The WRX even competed in the WRC until the end of 2008.
The second-generation WRX launched in 2000, and went on to receive two facelifts that have been affectionately named ‘bugeye’, ‘blobeye’, and ‘hawkeye’ by their fans – describing the distinctive shape of each version’s headlights.
The mechanical formula remained the same though, as the car continued to be powered by EJ boxer engines with all-wheel drive as standard.
Subaru launched the third-generation Impreza WRX in 2007, introducing a hatchback body for both WRX and WRX STI versions for the first time. Wagon derivatives had been available in both previous generations, but there had never been a dedicated hatch.
A sedan version of this model was also available, and the third generation was the last WRX to be directly based on the Impreza. 2014 brought the arrival of the first WRX built on Subaru’s new global platform, marking the first time in its history that it was separated from the Impreza.
The fourth-generation model (designated as VA) still shared some parts with the standard Impreza, but it was the first WRX to be available with the new FA family of boxer engines. Its STI alternative was still available with the EJ engine, either as a 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre, depending on the market.
Though officially considered the fourth generation of the WRX family, the VA model was technically the first-generation WRX, given the delineation from the Impreza nameplate. The EJ engine also exited production with the VA WRX STI in 2021.
The current-generation ‘VB’ WRX launched in 2022, continuing with a turbocharged FA engine but without a proper STI variant for the first time. It’s available in both sedan and Sportswagon body styles, the latter replacing the Levorg wagon in Australia.
Subaru celebrated 30 years of WRX in Australia in 2024, and there have been a couple of STI-like special editions of the VB-series WRX since it launched. This includes the Club Spec of 2024, and the tS Spec B of 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 reveal two STI concepts at the Tokyo motor show late this month. One will be a petrol-powered model rumoured to be an STI hatch version of the current VB WRX, and the other will be an all-new model that could preview STI’s electric future.
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