The Subaru WRX and WRX STI performance cars are alive and well ahead of the next-generation models. As the 2021 Subaru WRX and STI begin arriving into Subaru retailers this spring, the two performance sports cars finished 2020 with a bang. Subaru of America reported the two sports cars were up 26.1 percent in December and finished the year just slightly down 3.0 percent for the year,
In a year that saw considerable challenges for the Japanese automaker, the sport-tuned WRX and performance-tuned STI were a bright spot for Subaru of America. The WRX and STI had 21,178 vehicle sales in 2020 compared with 21,838 for 2019. They could have sold more, but supplies were limited due to plant closures at Subaru Corporation’s Yajima factory in Japan.
Subaru of America reported year-end sales, and the Forester compact SUV just passed the Outback wagon as SOA’s best-selling nameplate in its all-wheel-drive stable of vehicles. Forester has been in the lead most of the year and finished 2020 with 176,996 total sales, well ahead of the Outback with 153,294 vehicle sales.
Outback was the top model in 2019 with 181,178 sales, just ahead of Forester with 180,179 models delivered to customers. But in 2020, Forester moved well ahead of the popular wagon. Even during a challenging year with COVID stopping production, Forester finished 2020 down 1.8 percent, while Outback slipped 15.4 percent compared with the previous year.
In December, new 2021 Forester models arrived and were down 2.6 percent as Subaru made the change from 2020 to 2021 models. Forester finished December with 16,006 vehicles delivered to customers compared with 16,436 units in December 2019.