TORONTO - Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) announced that the price of the all-new high-performance 2008 Impreza WRX STI will be $44,995 - $4,000 less than the previous STI.

The new STI is powered by turbo-charged intercooled 2.5-litre Subaru Boxer engine with Dual Active Valve Control System (Dual AVCS) that produces 305 horsepower (SAE) at 6,000 rpm and 290 lb.-ft. of torque at just 4,000 rpm. The Driver Control Centre Differential (DCCD) - exclusive to the Impreza WRX STI - now offers three selectable automatic performance modes in addition to the six manual differential-locking settings.

"With the STI's pricing as aggressive as its performance, we anticipate a lot of interest from driving enthusiasts," said Katsuhiro Yokoyama, president, chairman and CEO of SCI. "This is an exceptional price for a high-performance vehicle with a rally-winning heritage and an engine, drivetrain, suspension and interior created exclusively for the 2008 Impreza WRX STI."

The new Impreza WRX STI also manages to be extremely practical. It was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (Impreza is the first and only Small Car to be designated a Top Safety Pick) for occupant protection, thanks in part to Subaru's Vehicle Dynamics Control, which is standard on STI. And the 2008 WRX STI achieves the very stringent Bin 5 Tier 2 (EPA) and LEV2-California Tier 2/Bin 5 emissions certifications.