The Subaru Forester STI Must Be Built

Let’s be frank, performance crossovers are kind of lame.

Without a clear focus on performance or off-roading, they usually end up in an awkward middle ground – never feeling that sporty but never feeling overly capable, either. But this Subaru Forester STI Concept, put together for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon in January, might be a performance crossover we can actually get behind.

As you can see, the Subaru Forester STI Concept features some typical STI appendages like 19-inch alloy wheels, lime green brake calipers, large slotted rotors, lime green body accents and front, side and rear lip extensions. Subaru isn’t mentioning power upgrades, but it says the concept features the 2.0-liter flat-four eBoxer engine. The mild hybrid powertrain is good for 157 hp and 187 lb-ft of torque in the standard Japanese market Forester, so this concept is more of an accessories package than a full fledged performance model.

SEE ALSO: 2019 Subaru WRX STI Review

But while the Forester STI Concept is just an appearance pack, it could preview a pretty cool product from Subaru. The spirit of the WRX STI, with is rally racing roots and all-weather capability, would be transferred into a Forester body quite nicely, we think. Safety-obsessed Subaru probably won’t ever make a 300+ hp Forester STI for North America, we but hey, can dream. And with crossover sales skyrocketing, there are more far-fetched ideas than a US-spec Forester STI.

For now, North American STI fans can look forward to the debut of the high-performance WRX STI S209, which will appear at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit when the show kicks off on January 14. This Japanese-market Forester STI Concept will appear at the Tokyo Auto Salon shortly before, with the doors for the show set to open on January 11.

ALSO SEE: 2019 Subaru Forester Review