Subaru on Thursday announced a round of updates for the 2019 WRX and WRX STI, and for the latter there's extra power to be had.
But before you get too excited we'll point out that there's only five extra horses, bringing total output of the 2019 WRX STI to 310 horsepower. The new total matches the output of limited edition WRX STI Type RA introduced for 2018, and is courtesy of stronger pistons, a new cold air intake, a high-flow exhaust and a reprogrammed ECU for the car's 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-4. Subaru engineers also tweaked the third gear on the WRX STI's standard six-speed manual for improved acceleration.
Meanwhile, the 2019 WRX sticks with a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-4 delivering 268 hp. It can be mated to either a six-speed manual or CVT.
The current WRX and WRX STI have been on sale since 2015, and even though the Impreza was redesigned for 2017 we're not expecting redesigns for the WRX and WRX STI until after 2020. Part of the reason for the delay could be due to a repositioning of the WRX as a standalone model line.
To keep interest alive in the current WRX and WRX STI, Subaru continues to update the cars and offer limited edition models. Beyond the power bump to the WRX STI, the 2019 WRX and WRX STI benefit from an enhanced infotainment system. It includes a 6.5-inch (7.0-inch on WRX Premium and WRX STI) touchscreen, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.
The final tidbit worth mentioning is the availability of limited edition Series.Gray models. Just 750 will be built as a WRX and 250 as a WRX STI. You'll recognize them by their Cool Gray Khaki exteriors with black badging. The Series.Gray WRX will come with 18-inch wheels while the WRX STI version will come with 19-inch wheels.
Sales of the 2019 WRX and WRX STI commence in the summer. Pricing starts at $28,080 for the WRX and $37,480 for the WRX STI. Both figures include an $885 destination charge.
