Subaru lines up three new manual models for Japan
Subaru is preparing three new manual-transmission models for Japan, with launches expected to follow in stages by 2027. The plan includes a WRX saloon, a special version of the BRZ coupé and a new five-door hatchback, as Subaru looks to keep alive a part of its brand identity many car makers have pushed aside in the age of automatics and electrification.
Subaru turns the manual gearbox into a selling point again
Subaru has confirmed on its Japanese model site that it plans to introduce three new MT models, meaning cars fitted with manual transmissions. According to several sources, the trio will consist of a WRX saloon, a BRZ special edition and a new five-door hatchback.
What is clear for now is the broader direction of Subaru’s model strategy. This is not a single nostalgia-led limited edition, but the start of a small family of manual models. Technical specifications, pricing and export markets have yet to be confirmed.
WRX set for stronger STI hardware
The most significant development concerns the WRX. According to Carscoops, the upcoming WRX is expected to use the TY85-type manual gearbox previously fitted to the earlier WRX STI. Subaru’s current Japanese WRX S4, by contrast, is listed with the company’s Subaru Performance Transmission, a CVT-based automatic transmission.
Subaru’s Japanese WRX S4 page also notes that production of the current model has ended and that the WRX S4 STI Sport version will not continue in its present form. That gives the new manual WRX more than technical importance. Subaru appears to be using the model changeover to reposition the WRX more clearly towards enthusiasts, rather than simply updating the existing car.
New hatchback could sit between Impreza and WRX
The most intriguing of the three models appears to be the new five-door hatchback. It is described as a more affordable enthusiast model with a different brief from the WRX and BRZ. Subaru has referred to it as an “affordable base model” that enthusiasts and tuners could use as a starting point for their own projects.
That does not automatically mean the return of a full-blooded WRX STI hatchback. The available information points more towards a lighter, simpler and cheaper sporting five-door model, possibly using elements of the Impreza and WRX technical base.
For Subaru, that could be a clever move. Such a car would give the brand a younger, more price-sensitive enthusiast audience without requiring the company to build an expensive flagship STI model straight away.
BRZ special edition to focus on handling, not power
The third planned model is a special version of the BRZ. It is due to receive handling improvements, with possible changes to the dampers, brakes and aerodynamics, although Subaru has not confirmed any increase in engine output.
Top Gear Philippines, citing Japan’s Auto Sport, reports that development of the BRZ uses experience gained from the earlier STI Sport Type RA. The focus is said to be less on extracting more power from the naturally aspirated FA24 engine and more on response, a broader usable rev range and a lighter feel.
That fits the character of the BRZ. Unlike the WRX, it is not sold purely on acceleration figures, but as a rear-wheel-drive, relatively light and precise sports car. A handling-focused special edition could therefore add more to the model than a modest increase in horsepower.
The manual gearbox is now brand capital, not a mass-market bet
Subaru’s decision comes at a time when the manual gearbox has become an increasingly narrow niche. That may be exactly why the move makes commercial sense.
The WRX STI Sport# showed there is still demand in Japan. According to Top Gear Philippines, Subaru limited production of that model to 600 cars, but more than 9000 customers registered interest.
That figure does not prove that manual performance Subarus can become a high-volume business again. It does show, however, that Subaru still has a loyal customer base for whom a manual gearbox, a boxer engine and Subaru all-wheel drive remain central to the buying decision. The company now appears to be using that loyalty more deliberately.
Europe remains the unanswered question
For now, the information mainly concerns Japan. Subaru has not confirmed whether all three manual models will reach Europe or North America, and wider global availability remains open.
That is an important caveat. European emissions rules, small sales volumes and Subaru’s modest market share could make official sales of such models difficult. Even if the cars remain focused on Japan, however, the message is clear: Subaru’s sporting identity is not being allowed to disappear completely under the pressure of electrification and automatic gearboxes.
