In more ways than one, 2026 has proven to be a bingo card full of suboptimal sales conditions for the automotive industry. Tariffs, gas prices… just take your pick.

However, that’s not to say that things have been all bad. Between Ford’s rebound in Mustang sales and Honda’s growing Passport Trailsport base, some enthusiast vehicles are still putting up positive numbers. 

Subaru

Now, a beloved Subaru may also be on the cusp of a turnaround. Following an ongoing slump throughout the start of this year, the brand’s WRX finally has a bit of good news to report.

That’s because it was among just three models to post an improvement for April 2026 compared to April 2025. As a whole, Subaru was down 5.9 percent for the month, but the WRX, the Crosstrek, and the Solterra each showed growth.

Subaru

Now, they’re vehicles that are performing on completely different orders of magnitude. Subaru moved some 15,667 Crosstreks for April compared to 1,178 WRXs (and 1,128 Solterras).

Nevertheless, the WRX’s numbers amounted to a 52.6 percent gain over the same period last year. It’s an especially telling improvement given that the brand’s other enthusiast option in the BRZ dropped 14.5 percent.

Granted, the little two-seater is far more of a niche item at just 282 units for April. However, the trend seems to track with Subaru’s reintroduction of the affordable base-level WRX trim earlier this year. By contrast, the BRZ lost its cheapest option following a poor 2025 performance.

Subaru

In any case, when you consider that even established brand mainstays like the Forester and the Outback were down at minus 7.7 and 8.3 percent, respectively, the WRX definitely had an exceptional month. It still has to claw back from a 16.4 percent drop on the year, but this could be a sign that the winds are starting to change.

What’s more, that’s not the only way in which Subaru’s lineup is showing promise. With gas prices on the rise, the Solterra bettered its performance last year by 18.9 percent, up to 1,128 cars from 949.

Subaru

While this means that growth has slowed compared to past years, with a 2.2 percent improvement to 4,169 total Solterras for the year, the situation has changed. In addition to doing without EV tax incentives, it’s no longer Subaru’s sole EV.

During April, the brand debuted its new Trailseeker and Uncharted EVs following their respective announcements last year. They both also demonstrated a respectable start with 406 sales and 519 sales a pop. 

For perspective, during its first April on the market back in 2023, the Solterra found 603 buyers, and that was even with the benefit of a few months in 2022 to start gathering sales momentum. Only time will tell whether they’ll be able to keep up the pace throughout the rest of the year, but these EVs should grow in their appeal with the increase in the price at the pump.

Subaru

To that end, as much as the WRX might seem on the up-and-up, its numbers could just as well be a brief exception. For the time being, though, these performances are certainly a unique intersection for the Subaru brand.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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Electric Vehicles, Sports Cars