Subaru Developing New Hot Hatch With Toyota

Not many collaboration cars have been successful over the years. However, Subaru and Toyota have knocked the BRZ and 86 out of the park. The first-generation car is nearly a decade old now, and rumblings of the two automakers collaborating again on a new project have been around for a while. With the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 model’s success, we don’t think it’s too optimistic to expect the Subaru and Toyota partnership to create another car.

According to Japanese language car news site Best Car Web, that’s exactly what’s happening; the Japanese brands are developing a new all-wheel-drive hot hatchback together.

The report/rumor suggests that the car will be a new Impreza-sized hot hatch with a horizontally opposed engine and symmetrical all-wheel drive. The new car is being developed through the “Super AWD” project that created the GR Yaris, but it won’t use the same all-wheel-drive system. Power will come via a version of Subaru’s turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder boxer engine.

It strikes us that the Subaru car could be a twin to the Toyota GR badged hot hatch reportedly destined for the US. On the Toyota side, this car is rumored to be tagged as the GR Corolla.

If the rumor is accurate, the new car will either slot into the Subaru lineup under the WRX or become the new WRX and WRX STI. Subaru spun the WRX name off from the Impreza a while back, so it’s possible that the automaker could keep the Impreza as an entirely different model. Speculatively, this could be part of Subaru’s plan to return to the World Rally Championship that inspired the WRX name.

The rumors suggest the reveal date for the new car will be in September 2022. However, we do expect more rumors and details to filter through before then.