Subaru Impreza WRX STI – sedan version is back!

Subaru Impreza WRX STI – sedan version is back!
When the current five-door Impreza WRX STI came out, many Subaru fans couldn’t accept their icon’s departure from the four-door sedan bodystyle. It didn’t help that the Impreza hatchback wasn’t particularly good looking as a five-door either. Well, Subaru seems to have heard the calls and has rolled out the sedan version of the WRX STI at the New York Auto Show. This will be the first time two bodystyles of the STI are available.

Both hatch and sedan feature sharpened bumper corners and wider, blacked-out fog lamp housings for a wider and lower look. There’s also a jutting lip spoiler and larger front grille/air intakes. The grille area is now outlined in black. For the sedan, you can see neatly integrated wide rear fenders that match the front’s. Of course, the STI’s trademark big boot spoiler is here, as is a chunky rear bumper featuring quad exhausts (two on each side).

Is it just me or does the rear end look like the previous generation Toyota Vios? Personally, although all the ingredients are there, it just doesn’t quite look right – old is gold when it comes to the WRX STI.

Subaru Impreza WRX STI – sedan version is back!
Styling aside, the 2011 WRX STI features improvements to the chassis, leading Subaru to call this “the best-handling Impreza WRX STI”. Aluminum front lower L-arms reduce unsprung vehicle weight, while new pillow-ball bushings in front and stiffer bushings for the rear subframe improve camber and toe stiffness.

Both the front and rear suspension systems employ higher-rate springs and thicker front and rear stabilizer bars than the 2010 model: 21 mm vs 20 mm in front and 19 mm vs 18 mm at the back. Spring rates are up by 15.6% up front and 53% behind. Ride height has been lowered too. The standard 18-inch aluminum wheels are lighter too, but many will take the optional BBS forged aluminum-alloy wheels. But why not in gold?

Subaru Impreza WRX STI – sedan version is back!
The US model is powered by a 305 bhp turbo boxer paired to a 6-speed manual. The STI comes with Multi-Mode Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) with three Auto modes, as well as a manual mode with six driver-selectable differential locking settings. Also, SI-DRIVE allows the driver to tailor the car’s driving characteristics by choosing from three modes – Intelligent, Sport and Sport Sharp.

Gallery is after the jump.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=1020]

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Mazda 3 MPS on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    the sedan looks worse. those lights look like from those of a hyundai getz

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    • Apernie on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:59 pm

      Haha…agreed…..Subaru these days…Oit designers! Sleeping ka? :-)

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    • S.Roma on Apr 02, 2010 at 9:21 pm

      Dear Mazda,

      For u, design ur own car and show to us. It will be nice rite? All the car design u don like.

      The look is more to subjective to us all, u don like it, but i do like it, no matter what they wanna say !

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      • Mazda have what he wanted to say, why are you shooting him for saying how he feel. Should we shoot you too?

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  • About freaking time!!!! The hatch was so devoid of passion! So unnerving! And it was giving them Evo boys something laugh at everytime they got lapped by one!

    I like this car but for some reason from the side it reminds me a bit of the Evo 6

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    • totally agree!!!! XD

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      • true….
        ..scooby has its own passion & uniqueness
        ..should stick with their “scoooooby” elements…

        anyway the design is great but…
        they lost their scoobism twice… please dont.

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  • bmpower on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    toyotanisation.
    toyota now making damage to imprezza image after they bought it.

    sharing vios or camry rear design?
    cutting cost everywhere for profit!

    wish they do not use the same death paddle! hahaha

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  • Nice sporty car.

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  • Hyundai Getz rear lights! nyahahaha… but under the hood is monstrous!

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  • Toyota drivers are idiots on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:33 pm

    To all you Sunway modder out there, you can make your Wajalution or Waja-M5 look like a Subaru STI soon

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  • kethon27 on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:35 pm

    I still think the hatch has better looking for the front compare this Sedan version

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    • vw beetle on Feb 03, 2011 at 10:03 pm

      Subaru Impreza hatchback looks like a small SUV, while sedan goes blast off BMW and Mercedes Benz…

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  • yea.. old is gold in terms of the look.

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  • somehow the rear and front is kinda mismatch if you look closely….

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  • droll on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    the wider front bumper reminds me of the old evos……

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  • _Zephyre_ on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    I guess this is what the current-gen STI should’ve been.

    Also, I think it’s just you – the rear looks nothing like the last-gen Vios’ to me.

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  • mohd hafizzul on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:07 pm

    Ini mahu 500k nih…ko guano?

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  • Choon on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:07 pm

    This is a gorgeous car, I love it even more than the hatch back!

    I’m thinking about getting existing 2010 STi, but consider the price of RM290K, that’s a bit too high. Nevertheless, I’m still going to get it this year end!

    I wish they will get this car in around 2011, I’ll be the first to get this one!

    As compared to EVO, current STi manual and DCCD will always be my choice, I don’t really like automatic sport car, when especially they don’t have the start launching feature.

    May be people are complaining the suspension too soft, but I rather like it soft… if they have adaptive suspension would even be better, you can get both on One car!

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  • seanlimys on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:09 pm

    this is what i m looking for..this looks way much sportier den the hatcy

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  • a glance at the picture looks like evo 6 with the exception of the nose..

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  • donadoni on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:35 pm

    so what r u waiting 4? slam on the wrc mica blue color scheme and golden rims on, then lets get dirty again!!!

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  • still dreaming……when can i get the impreza?….version 9 enuf for me…

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  • Alpha on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:49 pm

    oh,man!!ppl will really mistook it for the previous gen Vios frm the back!!and hmm…there’s no UMPH! in it’s look.too…biasa..common..ntg special la..

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  • Audi-Hater on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    ..rear looks like Hyundai Accent, or is it just me? Love the car, regardless.

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  • mitlanevo on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    at 1st pic, i thought a saw a Korean car, LOL~

    nice to be FAILED again, proud to be a fan Evo~

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  • hatchback for me..

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  • the legend is back !
    oh yeah !

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  • gold wheels please

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  • JULIAN_LEE on Apr 02, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    BMW better

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    • bLo0d on Apr 05, 2010 at 11:57 am

      funny to say.. did u see the back bumper? did it reminds u of bmw M3 ‘s bumper??

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  • Danial on Apr 02, 2010 at 3:29 pm

    Japan dont have money to invest in R&D anymore, JAPAN is falling down. KOREA rise up.

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  • hahha i think Japanese makers are copying the older Korean maker’s car design. its good to knw the Koreans are improving drastically and the japs are still stuck with not so interesting designs.

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  • Corolla wit subaru skin?

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  • teringat EVO6….bulky tp smart

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  • wochomi on Apr 02, 2010 at 4:39 pm

    At first glance I tot I was looking at some Ah Beng’s Hyundai Accent with a very good polishing job. Then again is a WRX… it’s supposed to be UGLY. It’s the ugly beast that we have come to adore over the years of Initial D cartoon.

    Good to be ugly again.

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  • skytech on Apr 02, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    oh , shit y the looks more worse then the last version . the outlook totally shit . How to fight with evo ? by out look evo oready makan subaru . habis la .

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  • Mysticmind on Apr 02, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    Soooooo.. now they follow Proton Persona aaah???

    A BUTT JOB!

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  • azlanaziz on Apr 02, 2010 at 4:56 pm

    s204 looks more muscular and better. this one looks like ‘macam tak kena je’

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  • Rhys Millen on Apr 02, 2010 at 5:19 pm

    OH MY GOD the Rear looks like a Hyundai Accent !!!

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  • widebody YOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • pomen_GTR (Member) on Apr 02, 2010 at 5:42 pm

    hurrayyyy!!!!…

    sedan is back….

    a bit weird tail-lamp design..too complex too….but who cares??

    as long as impreza was a sedan….with grunt…

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  • istvan on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    For me, most important is what under the hood.

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  • Subaru shud really fire their current designers…this shit looks VERY hyundai man~!!! AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH….bring back the ‘BUTCH’ look!!

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  • lowprofile on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:19 pm

    yesss!!! the sedan is back!!! long live the wrx sedan!!!

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  • Type F on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:39 pm

    Hyundai accent wannabe nih:)

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  • I-Have-a-Kimchi-GirlFriend on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:40 pm

    I know its a legend ~ but then the design is no way can compete with Korean now~

    sooner the Korean will step into the area of Impreza & Evo~~

    Who else is agree with me here?? raise ur hand, brother!!

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  • dinocomot on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    there’s nothing sporty from the back except those spoiler and quad pipes. instead of vios i think it resembles more of that suzuki sedan. dont remember the name. heh. wide body? think it looks too purposely widen. haih. what a dissapointment lah from subaru team. they’re just getting worse.

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  • dinocomot on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    there’s nothing sporty from the back except those spoiler and quad pipes. instead of vios i think it resembles more of that suzuki sedan. sx4 sedan i think. dont remember the name. heh. wide body? think it looks too purposely widen. haih. what a dissapointment lah from subaru team. they’re just getting worse.

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  • proton _noprodua on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:51 pm

    although the rear ends looks like a cheap car, with all that body kit, it looks quiet well.. but with that kind of look, i prefer the EVO X F400

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  • the front and the body kit are awesome but the rear. sucks wei !

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  • subaru always know how to make an ugly car…

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  • vertigo on Apr 02, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    seriously i think Subaru / Fuji heavy industries should fire their impreza designer.

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  • awg1031 on Apr 02, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    still in the 90’s?? gosh..what’s with this design?? i like the then impreza…..but since the hatchback, it looks weird

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  • think on Apr 02, 2010 at 8:04 pm

    the exterior style looks like parts sourced from different cars are pasted to form a car…

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  • the rear end really is a mash of design cues from different cars… on a whole, the rear, especially the light clusters really have a stark resemblance to the 1st gen vios, the orientation of the light patterns however give it a similarity to the hyundai getz.. n look at the bottom of the bumper.. isn’t that so bmw???

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  • 308HP…no more gentlemen agreement ah?

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  • it sure looks like the old hyundai accent wrc model from the side view…^^

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  • the back of this car look’s more like the toyota axis in Singapore. hahhaa.

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  • fking ugly, even my mother in law looks better.

    come on man, go back to version 8 and 9’s design style.

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  • well,hatchback is far more better with this GRB

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  • revolver on Apr 03, 2010 at 9:14 am

    hatch is more “mengancam” for me.

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  • Looks ugly…..

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  • MeMine on Apr 03, 2010 at 9:23 am

    I think the rear looks funny as this impreza is designed as a hatch in the 1st place.
    So the boot was added on for the sedan version. Just like how the mazda 2 sedan
    as well as the ford focus. Weird when it comes to sedan design.

    When the 1st launch the impreza hatch, the look kinda sucks, but it grows on me.
    And i really like the sti hatch, very fierce design. I guess this one will turn out to be
    quite alrite when you see it in flesh

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  • niamafufu on Apr 03, 2010 at 10:43 am

    looks abit lyk chevy optra …but i lyk it

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  • Azuma (Member) on Apr 03, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    yah..tail light seriously comes from chevy
    wth they are thinking. but i like the spoiler
    they shortened the rear as well?

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  • Look like Korean design…Korean culture was there…tail lamp…ugly….

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  • ya…that is what I know for subaru…
    that calls subaru impreza wrx sti…
    dxxx nice

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  • rimuz53 on Apr 03, 2010 at 8:59 pm

    it still retains the subaru signature…..me likey….

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  • wisedriver (Member) on Apr 03, 2010 at 10:40 pm

    the front view facelift is great but the back part is a bit simple… its like having a normal (not sti car) and just put a bodykit…. i think the plate number should be on the bumper and the tail light should be extend a bit to make more unique and a bit ganas compare to normal version

    i donno what is will looks like when see in front of your eyes

    p/s: iye laa.. why its tail lights looks like getz ???

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  • transformer (Member) on Apr 03, 2010 at 11:45 pm

    prefer this sedan layout then the donald duck(from side view) version…

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  • ezmil75 on Apr 05, 2010 at 8:29 am

    People buys Impreza or even Evo not for its looks, but for its performance…

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  • finally…. the hatch was ugly…… by the time it is out as a sti… new model out oledi…. how do u cut the back of a hot sedan……and its like when ppl say subaru, ppl think of impreza …..like mitsu and the evolution…….

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  • bLo0d on Apr 05, 2010 at 12:06 pm

    nice,, they made it even “Fuglier”

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  • RamuNik on Apr 06, 2010 at 1:09 pm

    Since when u buy impreza/evo judging by the look? Hello~
    Who cares weather it looks even like kancil oso… when I have the $$$, I dont give a damn. Admire my “accent” lookalike b*tt coz u will stay there for long period.

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  • Cibik Burukz on Apr 15, 2010 at 8:23 pm

    Legend is back?huh,where are the frameless doors?

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  • subarufan on May 03, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    sekali tengok, mcm gaya evo 6 pon ada..kalau tengok rupa memang le makin lama makin agak teruk tapi prestasi best..tgk kt forum amerika, ramai gak peminat impreza kontot..model baru ni dpt sambutan hangat

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  • skyLine4ever on Oct 19, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    the front was ok but the back is not….

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  • Malaysia Tak Boleh on Feb 03, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    Hayyyyyyyooooooo…. why Subaru has lacked their presence in Malaysia???

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  • Sti23 on May 15, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    When this Version will is available in Malaysia?I want to buy it lar…..got lucky i don’t buy the Version 10 at first…huhuhuhu….rugi2…..can’t wait this version landed in this country…..=)

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  • STI12MY on Jun 11, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    I was at the JAPAN GT in Sepang yesterday and they launched this car there..why no pictures from PAULTAN.ORG? I saw it, I WAS FANTASTIC!! White color somemore!! I was like wa lao wei!! My friend told me that the Subaru PJ has one there..I wanna GO SEE IT TODAY!! :D

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