The return of the base model follows a steep 41.2 percent drop in WRX sales in 2025, the year Subaru removed the entry-level trim. The carmaker sold only 10,930 WRX units last year. That dip coincided with a price spike across the lineup and limited production, as Subaru prioritized its more profitable Forester model. With manufacturing capacity now freed up, the brand is rebalancing its strategy to reintroduce the base WRX and potentially revive interest in its sporty sedan.
While 2025 marked a shift toward higher pricing, Subaru’s 2026 approach shows a clear reversal, bringing back affordability and performance with added features at a lower cost. The full lineup also sees price reductions, and a new limited edition enters the range.
A Cheaper WRX With More Standard Equipment
The 2026 base WRX doesn’t just return at a lower price, it arrives better equipped than before. Priced at $33,690, this trim undercuts the 2025 WRX Premium by $5,230. Even compared to the original launch price of the 2025 Premium, it’s still $3,230 less expensive. The new entry-level WRX will hit dealerships this spring.
Buyers can expect a number of welcome additions: keyless entry, push-button start, summer performance tires, a sport-tuned suspension, and a tire pressure monitoring system all come standard. Subaru has increased the base model’s value without diluting the WRX’s performance-oriented DNA.
The cabin also includes wireless phone connectivity, a rear-view camera, dual-zone climate control, auto-up/down front windows, LED headlights, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Upholstery remains cloth, but drivers still get a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, a touch rarely offered at this price point.
Full Lineup Gets Price Cuts and New Top-Tier Edition
Beyond the base trim, the full 2026 WRX lineup sees meaningful pricing adjustments. The WRX Premium drops to $35,190 (from $38,920), the WRX Limited falls to $40,190 (from $43,695), and the WRX GT decreases to $46,190 (from $48,875). All models feature Subaru’s turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer engine delivering 271 horsepower, with a six-speed manual standard across most trims.
The WRX tS returns at $46,190, also down $2,685 from last year. It includes STI-tuned electronically controlled dampers, Brembo brakes, Recaro front seats, and Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires. The only automatic gearbox, the Subaru Performance Transmission, is available on the Limited and standard on the GT.
At the top of the 2026 WRX range sits a brand-new, limited-edition variant: the WRX Series.Yellow, priced at $47,190. This edition features a Sunrise Yellow exterior, 19-inch black wheels, black badging, and interior yellow stitching, combining performance from the tS trim with exclusive styling cues.
Production Capacity Shift Allows WRX Comeback
The reintroduction of the base WRX follows a significant shift in Subaru’s production priorities. In 2025, the automaker limited WRX output to increase Forester production, which had become both more profitable and in-demand. That move coincided with the removal of the base WRX and a steep price bump across the lineup.
Subaru began expanding Forester production in the United States, which allowed the company to free up space at its Gunma factory in Japan, the sole production site for the WRX. That extra capacity now appears to have made it possible for the WRX base model to return to the lineup.
According to Subaru, the 2026 WRX’s refreshed structure and pricing may help it recover in a segment that’s increasingly scarce.
