04:33 13-07-2026
2026 Subaru WRX: Base Trim Returns and Prices Drop Across the Lineup
The 2026 Subaru WRX lineup gets more affordable: the base trim is back at $32,495, several trims dropped in price, and EyeSight is now standard on manual cars.
The 2026 Subaru WRX just got an update that’s rare on today’s market: it became more affordable. A base version is back in the lineup, several trims got cheaper, and EyeSight is now standard even on manual-transmission cars.
The 2026 WRX lineup spans six trims: Base, Premium, Limited, GT, tS and Series.Yellow. Every version uses a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine rated at 271 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque. A six-speed manual remains standard across almost the whole range, except for GT. The Subaru Performance Transmission automatic is optional on Limited and standard on GT.
The headline news is the return of the WRX Base. Pricing starts at $32,495 before destination, which adds about $1,195 in most states. For an all-wheel-drive, turbocharged car with a manual gearbox, that’s a strong deal, especially in a market where new cars usually only get pricier.
The base trim doesn’t feel stripped down. Subaru fitted 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry with push-button start, 245/40 summer tires, a sport-tuned suspension and an 11.6-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Manual cars get hill-start assist as well. In other words, this isn’t a price-list lure — it’s a genuine entry point for enthusiasts.
Premium starts at $33,995, a $3,755 drop from the outgoing model. Limited with a manual is priced at $38,995, or $39,995 with the automatic — cuts of roughly $3,155 and $3,685 respectively. GT now costs $44,995, matching tS, with both trims down $2,710. The limited-run Series.Yellow tops the range at $45,995.
The biggest change for drivers who insist on rowing their own gears is that EyeSight Driver Assist Technology is now standard. These features used to be tied mostly to automatic models, but a manual-transmission WRX now comes with adaptive cruise control with lane centering, lane-departure and sway warning, and pre-collision braking. DriverFocus, which monitors driver distraction, is included too. At the top of the range, the WRX remains stiffer and pricier.
The tS gets electronically controlled dampers with STI tuning, gold Brembo brakes with six-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, 19-inch wheels wrapped in 245/35 Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires, and Recaro seats. GT also offers Recaro seats and adjustable suspension but comes only with the automatic. The Series.Yellow stands apart: based on the tS, finished in Sunrise Yellow, with matte-black wheels, black badging and yellow interior stitching.
Production is capped at 350 units. The WRX matters for more than just price — there are barely any cars left on the market that combine all-wheel drive, a manual gearbox, a turbocharged engine, a practical sedan body and a genuine rally pedigree. The return of the base trim brings the model closer to the buyers for whom the WRX was never a status symbol, but an affordable way into a real driver’s car.
32CARS.RU previously reported that the Subaru Sambar gained new safety systems and a digital instrument cluster.