Today, almost everyone is familiar with Subaru's history . It's one of Japan's smaller car manufacturers, yet it achieves a significant impact in certain countries. The US is a stronghold it clings to fiercely, as a large portion of its annual sales come from that region. But its reach isn't solely based in America, and although Europe is a smaller market , there are countries where its cars are very popular.
There are several reasons why Subaru models are so sought after in Europe . But two stand out: their quality and reliability, and the driving dynamics resulting from their effective and proven AWD system. There's also a third reason worth mentioning: the sporty STI versions , which have long since faded into obscurity. Although they could soon make a comeback, perhaps with some modifications, like the STe. Don't you like it…?
The name Subaru STe could be the future of STI but in an electrical key...
Before you throw your hands up in despair and think Subaru has done something crazy, calm down. It's not official at this point that STI is going to die, not by a long shot. And it's also not official that these legendary initials are going to change in favor of STe or anything else. What's happening is that Subaru has applied for legal protection of the STe name at the German Patent and Trademark Office. And not only that, they've also registered the logo you see above.
Hence, this legal move has sparked a flurry of increasingly outlandish rumors . Some suggest that STe is destined to replace STI as the brand name for Subaru's sportier models. However, we don't believe this will happen, as Subaru Tecnica International , which is what the initials stand for, is a company in itself that lends itself to a very specific brand name…
Then there are rumors suggesting the brand is developing a particular model. Hence, it's necessary to clarify a detail that may have been overlooked: this trademark has only been registered in Germany . Therefore, it's likely we're looking at what could be the precursor to a special version associated with one of their models. Although it could also be the refinement of a prototype that was unveiled some time ago…
Remember the Subaru STI E-RA Concept? Well, some are already suggesting that STe will be the name it receives when it hits the market. They even claim it's been registered in Germany because they're supposedly at the Nürburgring on a vital mission: testing its technology . However, nothing is certain, just pure speculation, so we'll have to keep a close eye on Subaru's next moves. Who knows, maybe they'll give us a surprise sooner rather than later, right?
Source – European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) – German Patent and Trade Mark Office
