Subaru has been on a tear with new-name electrical crossovers recently, however primarily based on some trademark filings, the corporate could also be engaged on a complete new member of its household that may truly be enjoyable. Noticed by Australia’s carsales, Subaru has trademarked each “ACX” and “ACX STI” names in that nation.
Granted, the ACX identify is not truly new-new inside Subaru’s again catalog. Bear in mind the ACX-II idea automotive? No? It is cool, neither did I. The ACX-II was a two-door idea Subaru dropped at the 1985 Tokyo Motor Present primarily based on the XT, powered by a 2.7-liter flat-six, and that includes full-time four-wheel drive and a middle diff.
If we needed to guess what the brand new emblems are for, we would put our cash on a Honda Prelude-adjacent, 2+2 Subaru coupe that boasts all-wheel drive as part of its identification as proudly because the BRZ does rear-wheel drive. Out there in base ACX and extra highly effective ACX STI trims, after all—bringing again the STI badge in a correct, non-limited-run, non-concept, non-Japan-only Subaru manufacturing mannequin for the primary time because the WRX STI bowed out in 2021.
BRZ 3.0? Subaru Celica? One other compact crossover?
Alternatively, a brand new ACX might even function a purely in-house non secular successor to the BRZ, particularly given the rumor that Toyota is breaking apart with Subaru for its next-gen GR86.
One other risk is that the Toyota-Subaru three way partnership relationship continues, however within the type of an AWD ACX sharing bits with the upcoming Celica. In case you missed it, a brand new Celica is certainly confirmed, and studies say it will get a hybrid powertrain and AWD as a return to that mannequin’s rally roots.
The extra I give it some thought, truly, the extra sense a rebadged-Celica Subaru ACX makes. Design-wise, it might seem like Subaru’s Sport Mobility Idea from 2023, which blends a two-door physique with the squared-off, vaguely rugged aesthetics of an SUV—precisely how a low-slung, AWD Subaru sports activities automotive ought to look.
However all of this stays hypothesis. The ACX emblems might very properly be for yet one more compact crossover. I feel we are able to all identify at the least two different automakers which have executed rather a lot worse with names far more sacred earlier than.
