Search the Community

Today in Tokyo, Subaru put forth an ambitious plan. By the mid-2030s, the Japanese automaker will only sell electric vehicles worldwide. This announcement comes as no surprise as both China and Europe have announced stricter emissions regulations that will be coming in the near future. But to reach that goal, Subaru will be working with Toyota (which owns a 8.7 percent stake in Subaru) on developing both hybrid and electric vehicles. In a statement, Subaru executives said work has started on a “strong hybrid” vehicle using Toyota technology. No other details were provided. The two are also working on full-electric vehicles that will launch sometime this decade. These vehicles will play a key role in Subaru's goal of having 40 percent of vehicles sold be all-electric and electrified cars by 2030. Despite this change in direction for powertrains, Subaru executive's stress their vehicles will retain the key traits that have their vehicles unique. “Although we’re using Toyota technology, we want to make hybrids that are distinctly Subaru,” said Subaru's Chief Technology Officer Tetsuo Onuki. “It’s not only about reducing CO2 emissions. We need to further improve vehicle safety and the performance of our all-wheel drive.” Source: Reuters, Autoblog View full article

Carline Dec-19 Dec-18 % Chg Dec-19 Dec-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 16,436 17,642 -6.8% 180,179 171,613 5.0% Impreza 5,740 5,880 -2.4% 66,415 76,400 -13.1% WRX/STI 1,561 2,417 -35.4% 21,838 28,730 -24.0% Ascent 8,280 7,733 7.1% 81,958 36,211 126.3% Legacy 3,415 3,374 1.2% 35,063 40,109 -12.6% Outback 16,661 15,851 5.1% 181,178 178,854 1.3% BRZ 131 349 -62.5% 2,334 3,834 -39.1% Crosstrek 10,140 11,295 -10.2% 131,152 144,384 -9.2% TOTAL 62,364 64,541 -3.4% 700,117 680,135 2.9%

October 1, 2019 , Camden, N.J. - SUBARU OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER SALES 67 Consecutive Months of more than 40,000 Units 74 Consecutive Months of more than 10,000 Forester Units 67 Consecutive Months of more than 10,000 Outback Units Subaru of America, Inc. today reported 51,659 vehicle sales for September 2019, a 9.4 percent decrease compared with September 2018 due to low days supply and three fewer selling days compared to September 2018. Year to date, Subaru has sold a record 525,329 vehicles, up 4.4 percent compared with the same period last year despite a tightening market. “2019 is already turning out to be another record year for Subaru thanks to the excellent efforts of our retailers,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. “Due to the rapid sell-down of the last generation Legacy and Outback models, our yearly, month-over-month sales streak of 93 consecutive months came to an end in September. We look forward to robust sales in October and are on target to achieve our 700,000-vehicle sales goal for 2019, marking 12 consecutive years of sales increases.” “Buoyed by the sales success of the all-new Forester, and strong demand for the outgoing Outback and Legacy, we started September with historically low inventory levels,” said Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales. “With the all-new 2020 Outback and Legacy starting to arrive at retailers and a strong book of presold orders waiting to be delivered, we look forward to strong sales in October and the remainder of the year.” Carline Sep-19 Sep-18 % Chg Sep-19 Sep-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 13,421 13,453 -0.2% 131,447 121,924 7.8% Impreza 5,861 6,186 -5.3% 49,293 59,540 -17.2% WRX/STI 1,385 2,383 -41.9% 17,367 21,957 -20.9% Ascent 5,319 5,859 -9.2% 60,042 16,580 262.1% Legacy 2,386 3,608 -33.9% 26,177 31,080 -15.8% Outback 11,281 12,895 -12.5% 140,530 137,992 1.8% BRZ 111 284 -60.9% 1,976 2,930 -32.6% Crosstrek 11,895 12,376 -3.9% 98,497 111,415 -11.6% TOTAL 51,659 57,044 -9.4% 525,329 503,418 4.4%

Toyota is in plans to purchase additional shares of Subaru to raise its stake to over 20% from around 17% today. Subaru in kind will also invest back in Toyota via a similar stock purchase of Toyota. If the deal is approved by Toyota's board, it is a step towards making Subaru a whole owned subsidiary that would create a 'Mega Toyota'. Toyota recently announced a similar purchase of Suzuki shares to form a new alliance for the Indian market. Toyota and Subaru have worked together before on projects such as the Subaru BRZ / Toyota 86 and Subaru for a time built Toyota Camrys at its plant in Indiana. Toyota sees Subaru as being strong in sport utility vehicles and in all-wheel drive technology. Toyota and Subaru have also announced plans to jointly build a platform for an electric SUV. View full article

Toyota and Subaru are working on their next generations of the 86 and BRZ respectively and it is rumored that the concepts of the next generation cars will be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show next month. The production versions would follow in 2021. While there is talk of a new platform, it is likely that it will be an upgraded version of the existing platform as neither of Toyota's TNGA or Subaru's Global Platform allow for the size and rear-wheel drive nature of the cars. Power will still come from a boxer 4-cylinder, but it will be upgraded from 2.0 liters to 2.4 liters producing around 220 horsepower. A 6-speed manual will still be available along with the 6-speed automatic. The change of engines would address one of the biggest complaints about the 86/BRZ twins, namely by boosting power. View full article

Carline Aug-19 Aug-18 % Chg Aug-19 Aug-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 17,076 15,435 10.6% 118,026 108,471 8.8% Impreza 7,519 8,154 -7.8% 43,432 53,354 -18.6% WRX/STI 1,876 2,523 -25.6% 15,982 19,574 -18.4% Ascent 7,319 4,235 72.8% 54,723 10,721 410.4% Legacy 3,121 3,452 -9.6% 23,791 27,472 -13.4% Outback 17,110 18,006 -5.0% 129,249 125,097 3.3% BRZ 158 383 -58.6% 1,865 2,646 -29.5% Crosstrek 15,860 11,900 33.3% 86,602 99,039 -12.6% TOTAL 70,039 64,088 9.3% 473,670 446,374 6.1%

Carline Jul-19 Jul-18 % Chg Jul-19 Jul-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 14,731 13,759 7.1% 100,950 93,036 8.5% Impreza 6,225 7,386 -15.7% 35,913 45,200 -20.6% WRX/STI 1,732 2,013 -14.0% 14,106 17,051 -17.3% Ascent 7,296 4,589 59.0% 47,404 6,486 630.9% Legacy 3,244 2,605 24.5% 20,670 24,020 -14.0% Outback 18,428 16,113 14.4% 112,139 107,091 4.7% BRZ 167 297 -43.8% 1,707 2,263 -24.6% Crosstrek 12,283 12,664 -3.0% 70,742 87,139 -18.8% TOTAL 64,106 59,426 7.9% 403,631 382,286 5.6%

Subaru has announced pricing for the 2020 Subaru Legacy and 2020 Subaru Outback. Both get modest price increases, but also increases in base equipment. The Legacy starting price is $200 more than last year at $24,995, and the Outback is $300 more at $26,645. Some of the biggest equipment upgrades is that Subaru's Eyesight now features Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, a heads up monitoring system, LED headlights for low and high beam, and high beam assist. Both cars are built on Subaru's new global platform that offers increased safety, and reductions in noise, vibration, and harshness. The base engine is a revised 2.5 liter boxer-four that produces 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque. An upgraded 2.4T boxer engine is standard in Limited XT models and produces 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. Both engines come with start-stop to improve fuel efficiency. Fuel economy figures are as follows: Legacy 2.5 - 35 MPG highway Legacy XT - 32 MPG highway Outback 2.5 - 33 MPG highway Outback XT - 30 MPG highway The only transmission available is Subaru's Lineartronic CVT that now has an 8-speed manual shift mode via paddles on the steering wheel. Six different trims are available on the Legacy and seven different trims available on the Outback. Inside, the infotainment system features dual 7.0 inch touch screens. The upper screen controls the audio with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, while the lower screen controls climate control, controls for Eyesight, and other vehicle systems. Both the Legacy and Outback are built in Lafayette, IN, and will go on sale this fall. View full article

Carline May-19 May-18 % Chg May-19 May-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 16,028 14,530 10.3% 71,466 65,313 9.4% Impreza 5,532 7,843 -29.5% 24,130 30,130 -19.9% WRX/STI 2,110 2,859 -26.2% 10,510 12,713 -17.3% Ascent 7,509 0 0.0% 33,094 0 0.0% Legacy 2,994 3,461 -13.5% 14,204 18,191 -21.9% Outback 18,017 16,702 7.9% 76,206 74,907 1.7% BRZ 231 364 -36.5% 1,337 1,650 -19.0% Crosstrek 11,551 14,387 -19.7% 47,067 60,115 -21.7% TOTAL 63,972 60,146 6.4% 278,014 263,019 5.7%

Subaru of America Sets New Sales Record with Outback, Forester and Ascent Leading the Charge to Best-Ever April Sales Best April ever – monthly sales increase 7.7 percent over April 2018 89 consecutive months of yearly, month-over-month growth Best April ever for Outback, Forester and Ascent 62 consecutive months of more than 10,000 Outbacks sold 69 consecutive months of more than 10,000 Foresters sold Subaru of America, Inc. today reported 57,288 vehicle sales for April 2019, a 7.7 percent increase compared with April 2018, and the best April in the history of the company. The automaker also reported year-to-date sales of 214,042, a 5.5 percent gain compared with the same period in 2018. April marked the 62nd consecutive month of 40,000+ vehicle sales for the automaker. Outback, Forester and Ascent sales were notably strong as each model achieved its best April ever. Outback posted a 16.3 percent increase, while Forester posted an 8.1 percent increase compared to April 2018. In addition, 6,512 of the all-new 3-row Ascent SUVs were delivered in April. Also in April, Subaru was awarded their fifth consecutive “Most Trusted Brand” award by the Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards. Forester and Ascent earned spots on Parents Magazine’s 10 Best Family Cars of 2019. In addition, Ascent made the list of 12 Best New Cars for 2019 from Autotrader. “April saw another Subaru monthly sales record and the reveal of our all-new 2020 Subaru Outback at the New York International Auto Show, both strong indicators of a record sales year to come,” said Thomas J. Doll. “And thanks to the amazing efforts of our retailers, both the current Outback and new Forester maintained a very strong sales pace in a highly competitive marketplace.” “Thanks to our retailer network, we are able to count April as another win in a highly competitive industry,” said Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales. “We’re thrilled to receive Kelley Blue Book’s ‘Most Trusted Brand’ for a fifth consecutive year as it recognizes our commitment to our customers, as well as to providing drivers with the safest, most capable vehicles in the market.” Carline Apr-19 Apr-18 % Chg Apr-19 Apr-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 14,782 13,679 8.1% 55,438 50,783 9.2% Impreza 4,819 5,833 -17.4% 18,598 22,287 -16.6% WRX/STI 2,197 2,663 -17.5% 8,400 9,854 -14.8% Ascent 6,512 0 0.0% 25,585 0 0.0% Legacy 2,991 4,234 -29.4% 11,210 14,730 -23.9% Outback 16,381 14,083 16.3% 58,189 58,205 -0.0% BRZ 287 412 -30.3% 1,106 1,286 -14.0% Crosstrek 9,319 12,266 -24.0% 35,516 45,728 -22.3% TOTAL 57,288 53,170 7.7% 214,042 202,873 5.5%

New XT models with 260-horsepower 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine Debut of Onyx Edition XT trim level with unique exterior and interior Tablet-style high-definition SUBARU STARLINK 11.6-inch touchscreen New Hands-Free Power Gate Available segment-exclusive DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System Standard EyeSight Driver Assist Technology with Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control and new Lane Centering The 2020 Outback delivers the optimal blend of SUV capability and car-like ride and handling with standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Active Torque Vectoring, Vehicle Dynamics Control and X-MODE with Hill Descent Control. The 8.7 inches of ground clearance for all Outback models is greater than that in many SUVs, yet the Outback maintains a comfortably low step-in height for both front and rear passenger entry. For the first time since 2009, the Outback lineup offers a turbocharged engine. Standard on XT models, the 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine delivers robust all-around performance with 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. Meanwhile, the standard naturally aspirated 2.5-liter BOXER, with direct injection and nearly 90 percent of its parts new, delivers 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 176 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. All 2020 Outback models are paired with a CVT featuring an 8-speed manual mode function with steering wheel paddle shifters. The 2.4-liter turbo delivers a 3,500-lb. towing capacity, the most of any Outback in history, while the 2.5-liter provides more than a 600-mile range on a single tank. Manufacturer’s estimated fuel economy is 26/33 mpg city/highway for the 2.5-liter and 23/30 mpg city/highway for the turbo. The 2020 Outback offers a peaceful cabin that is almost 3 dB quieter at highway speeds. Subaru engineers worked extensively to find ways to reduce unwanted noise coming into the cabin, fitting the Outback with new door weather strips that feature a baffle in the mid-section and dual lips on the roof side for improved quietness. Sound-insulated glass, which uses a sound-insulating inner film for the windshield and front-door glass, has been adopted, while glass thickness all around has been increased for quietness SUBARU STARLINK In-Vehicle Technology offers an integrated cockpit experience by allowing the driver to control entertainment and vehicle settings through a large touchscreen display. Pricing for the 2020 Outback will be announced closer to this fall’s on-sale date. View full article

Subaru will be bringing an all-new 2020 Subaru Outback wagon to the New York International Auto Show next week. Like its predecessor, the Outback will continue to be based on the Legacy sedan. Subaru debuted the all-new 2020 Legacy sedan at the Chicago Auto Show in February. We expect many of the updates to carry over from the Legacy. On the Legacy, the overall look doesn't change dramatically, however there is an all new modular platform under the skin with improved torsional rigidity and higher strength steel. The buy-up H6 engine is dropped in favor of a turbo-charged 2.4 liter boxer four-cylinder that produces 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. The base engine is a 2.5 liter naturally aspirated boxer 4 with 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. Both engines push their power through a CVT to Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive. The interior gets a major update in both design and materials. An optional 11.6-inch touch screen can be ordered, but otherwise a 7-inch version is standard. You can read more about the 2020 Legacy at our article below. We'll have more for you when the 2020 Subaru Outback is shown on April 17th at 11:15 am eastern. Gallery: View full article

SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. CELEBRATES BEST EVER MARCH SALES AND SETS RECORD FIRST QUARTER Best March ever – monthly sales increase 6 percent over March 2018 88 consecutive months of yearly, month-over-month growth Best March ever for Ascent and Outback Best month ever for Ascent 61 consecutive months of more than 10,000 Outbacks sold 68 consecutive months of more than 10,000 Foresters sold Subaru of America, Inc. today reported 61,601 vehicle sales for March 2019, a 6 percent increase compared with March 2018, and the best March in the history of the company. The automaker also reported year-to-date sales of 156,754, a 4.7 percent gain compared with the same period in 2018. March marked the 61st consecutive month of 40,000+ vehicle sales for the automaker. Ascent and Outback sales were notably strong as each model achieved its best March ever. Outback sales increased 10.2 percent compared with March 2018. In addition, a record 7,932 of the all-new Ascent SUVs were delivered in March, surpassing December 2018's sales record of 7,733. Earlier in March, Subaru of America, Inc. announced a donation of $27.4 million to national and local charities as part of the 2018 Subaru Share the Love Event, bringing the total donated throughout the life of the program to $145.7 million. Held from mid-November to the end of the calendar year since 2008, the Subaru Share the Love Event donates $250 to the purchaser’s choice of charities for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased at 631 participating Subaru retailers nationwide. “March marks a very important month for our brand, not only due to the continued sales success of our products, but also for the charitable contributions selected by our owners and retailers,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. “We are proud to say that, this year, Subaru and our retailers will donate $27.5 million to national and local charities as part of the 2018 Subaru Share the Love Event. We believe our commitment to supporting causes that are important to our owners, retailers and communities has played a major role in our continued success.” “We’re pleased we could finish March with a sales increase in an industry that was down for the month,” said Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales. “We’re particularly excited that Ascent had its best month ever and Outback its best result in eighteen months. With the support of our retailers, we are well positioned to carry this momentum into the spring selling season.” Also in March, Forester earned spots on U.S. News and World Report’s list of “Best Compact SUVs” in the outlet’s 2019 Best Cars for Families Awards and, along with Crosstrek, made CNET’s Best Small SUV for the Money in 2019 list. Carline Mar-19 Mar-18 % Chg Mar-19 Mar-18 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 14,205 14,616 -2.8% 40,656 37,104 9.6% Impreza 5,305 5,973 -11.2% 13,779 16,454 -16.3% WRX/STI 2,465 3,028 -18.6% 6,203 7,191 -13.7% Ascent 7,932 0 0.00% 19,073 0 0.00% Legacy 3,133 3,889 -19.4% 8,219 10,496 -21.7% Outback 18,539 16,822 10.2% 41,808 44,122 -5.2% BRZ 318 369 -13.8% 819 874 -6.3% Crosstrek 9,704 13,400 -27.6% 26,197 33,462 -21.7% TOTAL 61,601 58,097 6.0% 156,754 149,703 4.7%

With the introduction of the Toyota Supra, rumors have been swirling that the 86/BRZ twins might not be replaced when their production lives were up. Autocar UK has a quote from Toyota's European Marketing Chief saying "[the GT86] has been a successful halo product for us" and added that "...the Supra is not to replace that car." The 86/FR-S/BRZ was released in 2011 as a co-development between Toyota and Subaru. It uses Subaru's boxer engine and transmission. It is highly likely that the next generation model would continue to use the signature engine. The new car would continue sit below the Supra in the Toyota lineup. Akio Toyoda has stated interest in building a full lineup of sports cars. Whatever comes from the next generation 86, we're just glad that SUVs haven't killed yet another sports car. View full article

What you're looking at here is a preview of the next generation Subaru Crosstrek. Unveiled at the Geneva International Auto Show today, the Subaru Viziv Adrenaline concept is a more distinct take on what the Crosstrek could look like. Subaru has increased the amount of body cladding, made the lines sharper, added LED accent lighting, and 6-dot fog lights front and rear. The wheels have white highlights on the rim. The company says the concept shows Subaru's new "BOLDER" design theme. The Crosstrek was recently refreshed for the 2018 model year and a Plug-in Hybrid Crosstrek was introduced at the 2018 LA Auto Show, so it may be a few years before we see the styling updated to this new look. View full article