2020 Subaru Forester STI Could be XT’s Replacement

Subaru is getting rid of its performance-tuned vehicles. Maintenance cost is not cheap. Taking care of these vehicles take a lot of time. The latest model to see its turbo version discontinued is Forester. We already wrote about slow sales of the XT model, which ended its production. However, the company could refresh the interest in sporty crossovers and SUVs with the new 2020 Subaru Forester STI.

Well, this is still a far-fetched story, but have sense. Bosses still claim there won’t be such vehicle, but fans are pretty sure the 2020 Subaru Forester STI will take the position in the lineup. We can already see analysis, with renderings, teaser photos of SUV’s parts, and possible drivetrains. Put together, it has sense. But, it is up to Subaru if they want to pull this off.

Render Shows Serious Changes

The new 2020 Subaru Forester STI will take big modifications before it enters the market. We can see the first prototype by X-Tomi Design. This artist made the STI looks pretty attractive. What most fans don’t like is a low position. It looks much more like a wagon. Subaru is not so keen on this kind of vehicles since these are not too interesting for buyers. So, the company will stay with SUVs if they start to build Forester STI.

Whatsoever, other upgrades are more than eye-catching. First, there is a legendary blue color. We can’t imagine the 2020 Subaru Forester STI in some other paint. The SUV will probably get other upgrades we saw with the last edition of Forester STI. It happened in 2015 when only 300 units were made. However, unique stitching, STI branding, special brakes and other parts that improved overall performance were definitely worthy of purchase. Now, it is time to make it a production model, not the limited edition.

2020 Subaru Forester STI Specs

Under the hood of the standard Forester is a 2.5-liter engine. This four-pot unit can’t provide enough power for such a vehicle. With 180 hp, Forester STI will be short. But, the famous Boxer can be turbocharged. We see this configuration in the WRX hatch making the significant impact for its sporty appearance. The flat-four unit is now capable to crunch over 300 horsepower. Well, the SUV doesn’t need so much energy, so the output could be even downtuned. All in all, the solution is there, it is just up to Subaru if they want to build the STI model.

Future

Forester XT was a great model. But, it was discontinued. Why? Slow sales and only 5 percent of global sales were XTs. A 2.0-liter turbo engine offered a superb performance, but still, buyers were not interested. We can read numerous comments from happy buyers. None of them ever regret buying the XT. Well, there were some complaints about the CVT transmission. Definitely, the new 2020 Subaru Forester STI shouldn’t get this one. The manual gearbox is a logical partner for a 2.5-liter turbo engine.

Subaru is going for more efficient units, that is for sure. We can hear rumors about the hybrid engines, and the first one to get the new setup should be Forester. Furthermore, the Japanese company will also turn attention to the autonomous drive and other modern features, instead of, kind of, old-school turbo setup with a manual transmission. However, there will be a lot of 2020 Subaru Forester STI fans who can’t wait from the company to confirm this model.

2020 Subaru Forester STI Release Date, Price

The initial price for the standard SUV is around $25,000. The most expensive version costs $31,000. Turbo model will definitely make the price jump. The WRX starts at $36,000 with the 2.5-liter turbo engine. The SUV could be in this region too. However, we also need to see upgrades the 2020 Subaru Forester STI is bringing.

Since the vehicle is still not confirmed, we don’t know the exact release date. Fans believe that STI will be part of the refresh in 2020. Forester received significant cosmetic upgrades last season, so the next move will be a refresh of the engine room by adding an STI model.