The 2026 Subaru WRX interior changes meaningfully across trim levels — not just in material quality but in seating specification, accent color, and the presence or absence of certain technology features. The base cloth cabin in the Base trim and the tS’s blue-bolster Recaro cabin are radically different interiors despite living in the same external bodyshell. For Nassau County buyers who spend commuting time in the WRX and want to understand what they’re actually sitting in, the interior differences between trims are as important as the performance specifications.
Bottom Line: The WRX interior evolves from cloth with red stitching (Base) through Ultrasuede with red bolsters (Limited/Limited SPT/GT) to Recaro with blue bolsters (tS) and Recaro with yellow stitching (Series.Yellow). The accent color — red, blue, or yellow — distinguishes the trims visually throughout the cabin.
- Base: Black Cloth with Red Stitching on front seats
- Premium: Premium Black Cloth with Red Stitching on front seats
- Limited / Limited SPT / GT: Black Ultrasuede® Insert with Red Bolsters
- tS: Black Ultrasuede® Insert with Blue Bolsters (Recaro)
- Series.Yellow: Black Ultrasuede® Insert with Black Bolsters and Yellow Stitching (Recaro)
Base Interior: Black Cloth with Red Stitching
Seats: Black Cloth with Red Stitching (front seats) Interior Accent: Red stitching Seat Adjustment: Manual
The Base WRX interior is clean and functional. Black cloth upholstery with red stitching on the front seat fabric is appropriate for the WRX’s performance-focused character — the red stitching ties the interior color identity to the exterior red stitching and WRX branding. The cloth seats are firm, which is appropriate for a sport sedan; soft, cushy seats are not what the WRX’s seating is designed to provide.
Standard cabin features include dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless access with push-button start, aluminum-alloy pedal covers, and the 11.6-inch multimedia display. The Base is a complete, functional interior — it is not spartan, but it does not have the premium material upgrades of higher trims.
What’s absent: Heated seats are not included on Base — they arrive with the Premium’s All-Weather Package. The rear seat armrest with cup holders is a Premium addition.
Premium Interior: Premium Cloth, All-Weather, and Red Accents
Seats: Premium Black Cloth with Red Stitching (front seats) Interior Accent: Red stitching and accents Seat Adjustment: Manual (heated with All-Weather Package)
The Premium interior upgrades the seat fabric to Premium Black Cloth — a higher-grade cloth that feels more substantial than the Base material while remaining in the cloth category (not Ultrasuede or leather). The All-Weather Package, standard on Premium, adds heated front seats and heated mirrors — a meaningful comfort upgrade for Nassau County winter driving.
The Red WRX Dash Emblem is a Premium addition — a design element on the dashboard that adds brand identity to the interior environment. The rear seat armrest with cup holders, also standard on Premium, adds practicality for rear passengers.
Package B addition: Premium buyers who opt for Package B receive the Harman Kardon speaker system and Power Moonroof — two features that transform the Premium’s cabin feel. The Harman Kardon system improves audio quality substantially, and the moonroof opens the cabin’s sense of space.
Limited Interior: Ultrasuede with Red Bolsters — The Significant Upgrade
Seats: Black Ultrasuede® Insert with Red Bolsters and Leather-Trimmed Interior Accent: Red bolsters Seat Adjustment: 10-Way Power Driver’s Seat
The step from Premium’s cloth to the Limited’s Ultrasuede® is the most significant material upgrade in the WRX trim ladder. Ultrasuede is a synthetic microfiber material that is soft to the touch, grips the seat occupant during lateral movement (relevant in a sport sedan), and has a premium visual appearance that is distinctly different from cloth. The red leather bolsters add contrast color against the black Ultrasuede inserts and contribute to the WRX’s sport interior aesthetic.
The 10-way power driver’s seat allows precise adjustment — seat height, lumbar support, fore-aft position, seatback angle — that the manual seats on Base and Premium do not offer. For daily commuting in a sport sedan, the ability to dial in the exact seating position is a comfort-over-time improvement.
Body Color Side Mirrors with Integrated Turn Signals: A Limited addition that changes the exterior mirror appearance — body-color matched rather than black-cap style.
Limited SPT Interior: Identical to Limited with SPT-Specific Controls
Seats: Black Ultrasuede® Insert with Red Bolsters (same as Limited) Additional Controls: Paddle-shift switches on steering wheel, electronic parking brake switch
The Limited SPT’s interior is identical to the Limited’s in upholstery and materials. The changes are control-oriented: paddle-shift switches mounted to the steering column, an electronic parking brake switch on the center console (replacing the mechanical handbrake lever), and SI-DRIVE mode selector integration. These functional additions change how the driver interacts with the car without changing the seat material or accent color.
GT Interior: Recaro Seats with Red Bolsters and Full LCD Gauge Cluster
Seats: Recaro 8-Way Power Ultrasuede® and Leather-Trimmed Seats with Red Bolsters Interior Accent: Red bolsters, Full LCD Digital Gauge Cluster
The GT upgrades from standard Ultrasuede to Recaro seats — an upgrade that is immediately perceptible. Recaro is a dedicated performance seating brand; their seats are designed with aggressive bolstering that holds the occupant in position during lateral movement. In a sport sedan that is driven with intention, Recaro seats perform differently than standard seats — they maintain body position through corners and provide better thigh support for sustained driving.
The red bolster color on the GT Recaro seats matches the Limited’s red interior accent scheme, maintaining visual continuity with the lower trim levels while significantly upgrading the seat hardware.
The Full LCD Digital Gauge Cluster transforms the driver’s instrument panel to a fully digital format — replacing the analog-hybrid cluster with a configurable LCD display that integrates EyeSight status, Drive Mode Select indication, and performance data.
The center console also changes with the electronic parking brake and Drive Mode Select controls being more prominently positioned.
tS Interior: Recaro Seats with Blue Bolsters — The Defining Difference
Seats: Recaro 8-Way Power Ultrasuede® and Leather-Trimmed Seats with Blue Bolsters Interior Accent: Blue bolsters, blue stitching throughout, Red STI Start Button
The tS interior is the most distinctive in the WRX lineup and is the primary visual marker that separates the tS from every other trim. Where all other performance-focused WRX interiors use red accents, the tS uses blue throughout: blue Recaro bolsters, blue interior stitching, blue accent details.
The Red STI Start Button — the engine start button in the tS is red-finished rather than the standard silver or black — is a specific tS detail that signals performance intent every time the car is started. It is a small element with significant character impact.
Moonroof Delete: The tS does not have a moonroof. This is intentional — removing the moonroof’s weight lowers the center of gravity and eliminates the structural opening in the roof, contributing to body rigidity. The absence of a moonroof is as much a performance specification as a feature deletion.
The combination of blue bolsters, blue stitching, red STI start button, and the absence of a moonroof creates an interior that communicates its purpose unmistakably.
Series.Yellow Interior: Recaro with Yellow Stitching
Seats: Recaro 8-Way Power Ultrasuede® and Leather-Trimmed Seats with Black Bolsters and Yellow Stitching Interior Accent: Yellow stitching throughout
The Series.Yellow interior is the most visually unified in the lineup — the Sunrise Yellow exterior color is echoed in yellow stitching throughout the cabin. The Recaro seats have black bolsters (not yellow) but yellow stitching, keeping the yellow as an accent rather than a dominant color. The steering wheel, dashboard stitching, and other accent points carry the yellow through consistently.
Like the tS, the Series.Yellow has no moonroof — it is based on the tS specification and retains the Moonroof Delete.
Common Interior Features Across All Trims
Regardless of trim level, every 2026 WRX includes:
- Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control
- Keyless Access with Push-Button Start
- Aluminum-Alloy Pedal Covers
- Auto Up-Down: Driver / Front Passenger Windows (Base) or All Windows (Premium+)
- LED Low and High Beam Headlights
"The interior differences between WRX trims are bigger than most buyers expect from reading specs. Sitting in a Base and sitting in a tS feels like two different cars inside, even though the outside looks very similar. The Recaro seats on the tS and GT hold you in place in a way that cloth or standard Ultrasuede can't — you feel them immediately on a corner. The blue bolsters on the tS are polarizing, but they're intentional. Every tS that's ever been made has had blue, and it creates an identity that's completely different from the red-accent WRX. If you're unsure about blue, come sit in one before you decide."
General Manager, Grand Prix Subaru
Vehicle specs and safety data sourced from NHTSA, IIHS, and EPA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get red interior accents on the tS? No. The tS has blue bolsters and blue interior stitching — that is the tS-specific interior scheme. Red bolsters are available on Limited, Limited SPT, and GT.
What is the difference between the Limited’s Ultrasuede and the GT’s Recaro? Both use Ultrasuede® insert material, but the GT’s seats are Recaro units — meaning they have Recaro-designed bolstering, frame geometry, and lateral support that the standard Ultrasuede seats on the Limited do not have. The Recaro seats are performance-focused seating that holds the occupant more aggressively during spirited driving.
Does the WRX have heated rear seats? No. The 2026 WRX does not offer heated rear seats on any trim. Heated front seats are available on Premium and standard on Limited and above through the All-Weather Package.
Why does the tS not have a moonroof? The tS deletes the moonroof intentionally for performance reasons: removing it reduces roof-level mass (lowering the center of gravity) and eliminates the structural opening in the roofline. The tS is a performance-specification trim and every specification decision reflects that priority.
Experience the WRX Interior at Grand Prix Subaru
Browse current WRX inventory at Grand Prix Subaru to find trims available for a sit-in or test drive. Contact the team at 500 S Broadway in Hicksville to arrange a comparison across trims.