( or ; ) is the
automobile manufacturing division of Japanese
transportation
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
conglomerate Subaru Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was formerly named ( ...
(formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the
twenty-first largest automaker by production worldwide in 2017.
Subaru cars are known for their use of a
boxer engine
A flat engine is a piston engine where the cylinders are located on either side of a central crankshaft. Flat engines are also known as horizontally opposed engines, however this is distinct from the less common opposed-piston engine design, wh ...
layout in most vehicles above 1,500 cc. The
Symmetrical All Wheel Drive drive-train layout was introduced in 1972. Both became standard equipment for mid-size and smaller cars in most markets by 1996. The lone exception is the
BRZ, introduced in 2012 via a partnership with
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
, which pairs the boxer engine with
rear-wheel-drive
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars.
Most rear-wheel ...
. Subaru also offers
turbocharged versions of their passenger cars, such as the
WRX,
Legacy and
Outback XT,
Ascent
Ascent or The Ascent may refer to:
Publications
* ''Ascent'' (magazine), an independent, not-for-profit magazine
* ''Ascent'' (journal), a literary journal based at Concordia College
* ''Ascent'' (novel), by Jed Mercurio
* '' Times Ascent'', a ...
, and formerly the
Legacy GT and
Forester XT.
In Western markets, Subaru vehicles have traditionally attracted a small but devoted core of buyers. The company's marketing targets those who desire its signature engine and drive train, all-wheel drive and rough-road capabilities, or affordable sports car designs.
''Subaru'' is the Japanese name for the
Pleiades
The Pleiades (), also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45 and other names by different cultures, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. At a distance ...
star cluster M45, or the "Seven Sisters" (one of whom tradition says is invisible – hence only six stars in the Subaru logo), which in turn inspires the logo and alludes to the companies that merged to create FHI.
History
Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) and Subaru's first cars
Fuji Heavy Industries started out as the Aircraft Research Laboratory in 1915, headed by
Chikuhei Nakajima
, was a Japanese naval officer, engineer, and politician, who is most notable for having founded Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1917, a major supplier of airplanes in the Empire of Japan. He also served as a cabinet minister.
Biography
Nakajim ...
. In 1932, the company was reorganized as ''
Nakajima Aircraft Company
The was a prominent Japanese aircraft manufacturer and aviation engine manufacturer throughout World War II. It continues as the car and aircraft manufacturer Subaru.
History
The Nakajima Aircraft company was Japan's first aircraft manufactur ...
, Ltd'' and soon became a major manufacturer of
aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engine ...
for Japan during World War II. At the end of the Second World War, Nakajima Aircraft was again reorganized, this time as Fuji Sangyo Co, Ltd. In 1946, the company created the
Fuji Rabbit
The Fuji Rabbit is a motor scooter produced in Japan by Fuji Heavy Industries (now Subaru Corporation) from 1946 through 1968. The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan rates the Fuji Rabbit S-1 model introduced in 1946 as one of their ''240 ...
, a
motor scooter, with spare aircraft parts from the war. In 1950, Fuji Sangyo was divided into 12 smaller corporations according to the Japanese government's 1950 anti-
zaibatsu
is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertically integrated business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period unt ...
legislation, the Corporate Credit Rearrangement Act. Between 1953 and 1955, five of these corporations and a newly formed corporation decided to merge to form ''Fuji Heavy Industries''. These companies were: ''Fuji Kogyo'', a scooter manufacturer;
coachbuilder ''Fuji Jidosha''; engine manufacturer ''Omiya Fuji Kogyo'';
chassis builder ''Utsunomiya Sharyo'' and the ''Tokyo Fuji Sangyo''
trading company.
![Subaru 1500 at SUBARU Visitor center 2014-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Subaru_1500_at_SUBARU_Visitor_center_2014-2.jpg)
Kenji Kita,
CEO of Fuji Heavy Industries at the time, wanted the new company to be involved in car manufacturing and soon began plans for building a car with the development code-name P-1. Kita canvassed the company for suggestions about naming the P1, but none of the proposals were appealing enough. In the end he gave the company a Japanese name that he "had been cherishing in his heart": Subaru, which is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster. The first Subaru car was named the
Subaru 1500
The Subaru 1500 is the first car built by Fuji Heavy Industries, with the development code-name of P1. The prototype used a monocoque body structure and adopting the " ponton" style appearance, with an independent front wishbone suspension and a ...
. Only twenty were manufactured owing to multiple supply issues. Subsequently, the company designed and manufactured dozens of vehicles including the 1500 (1954), the tiny air-cooled
360 (1958), the
Sambar (1961), and the
1000 1000 or thousand may refer to:
* 1000 (number), a natural number
* AD 1000, a leap year in the Julian calendar
* 1000 BC, a year of the Before Christ era
* 1000 metres, a middle-distance running event
* 1000°, a German electronic dance music magazi ...
(which saw the introduction of the Subaru boxer engine in 1965).
Later partnerships
Nissan acquired a 20.7% stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru's parent company, in 1968 during a period of government-ordered merging of the Japanese auto industry in order to improve competitiveness under the administration of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Eisaku Satō
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1972. He is the third-longest serving Prime Minister, and ranks second in longest uninterrupted service as Prime Minister.
Satō entered the National Diet in 1949 as a membe ...
. Nissan would utilize FHI's bus manufacturing capability and expertise for their
Nissan Diesel
UD Trucks Corporation (UDトラックス株式会社, ''UD Torakkusu Kabushikigaisha'') is a Japanese company whose principal business is the manufacturing and sales of diesel trucks, buses, bus chassis and special-purpose vehicles. Its headquarte ...
line of buses. In turn many Subaru vehicles, even today, use parts from the Nissan manufacturing
keiretsu. The Subaru automatic transmission, known as the
4EAT, is also used in the first generation
Nissan Pathfinder
The Nissan Pathfinder is a range of sport utility vehicles manufactured by Nissan since 1985. The vehicle was originally sharing Nissan's compact pickup truck platform, and having been through four generations is now in its fifth incarnation. Si ...
. While under this arrangement with Nissan, Subaru introduced the
R-2 (1969), the
Rex and the
Leone (1971), the
BRAT
Brat, Brats, The Brat or similar may refer to:
Term for young people
* Spoiled child
* Military brat
** Military brat (U.S. subculture)
* Trenchard Brat, a nickname for aircraft apprentices in the British Royal Air Force
Films
* ''The Br ...
(1978),
Alcyone (1985), the
Legacy (1989), the
Impreza
The is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Subaru Leone, Leone, with the predecessor's Subaru EA engine, EA series engines replaced by the new Subaru EJ ...
(1993) (and its WRX subtype), and the
Forester
A forester is a person who practises forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Foresters manage forests to ...
(1997).
Upon Nissan's alliance with
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...
, its stake in FHI was sold to
General Motors in 1999. Troy Clarke of General Motors served as representative to Fuji Heavy Industries on their corporate board. During that time, Subaru introduced the
Baja (2003), and the
Tribeca
Tribeca (), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Stree ...
(2005). The Subaru Forester was sold as a Chevrolet Forester in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in exchange for the
Opel Zafira
The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.
The Zafira was also marketed unde ...
being sold as a
Subaru Traviq
The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.
The Zafira was also marketed unde ...
in
Japan. Also, the Chevrolet Borrego concept was presented in 2002, a crossover coupe/pickup truck being derived from the Japanese-market Legacy Turbo platform. During the brief General Motors period, a
badge engineered
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a ma ...
Impreza
The is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Subaru Leone, Leone, with the predecessor's Subaru EA engine, EA series engines replaced by the new Subaru EJ ...
was sold in the United States as the
Saab 9-2X
The second generation of the Subaru Impreza compact car was introduced in 2000 and manufactured up to 2007 by Subaru in Ota, Gunma, Japan, in both sedan (GD series) and five-door wagon (GG series) bodystyles, as well as two intermediate facel ...
. An SUV (
Subaru Tribeca
The Subaru Tribeca is a mid-size crossover SUV made from 2005 to 2014. Released in some markets, including Canada, as the Subaru B9 Tribeca, the car derives its name from the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City. Built on the Subaru Legacy plat ...
/Saab 9-6X) was also planned
but the Saab version did not proceed, and styling was recycled in the 2008 Tribeca refresh.
GM liquidated their holdings in FHI in 2005. Nearly all Saab-Subaru joint projects were dropped at that time, other than Subaru supplying parts for the Saab 9-2x.
Toyota Motors
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
bought a little over 40% of GM's former FHI stock, amounting to 8.7% of FHI.
(The rest of GM's shares went to a Fuji stock buy-back program.)
Toyota and Subaru have since collaborated on a number of projects, among them building the Toyota Camry in Subaru's Indiana U.S. plant beginning in April 2007. Subaru introduced the
Exiga in 2008.
Toyota increased their share of FHI to 16.5% in July 2008. Subsequently, Toyota and Subaru jointly developed the
Subaru BRZ
The Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ are 2+2 sports cars jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru, manufactured at Subaru's Gunma assembly plant.
The 2+2 fastback coupé has a naturally-aspirated boxer engine, front-engined, rear-wheel-drive confi ...
, first sold in January 2012. Toyota sold the BRZ as the
Scion FR-S until 2018, where it was renamed to the
Toyota 86
The Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ are 2+2 sports cars jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru, manufactured at Subaru's Gunma assembly plant.
The 2+2 fastback coupé has a naturally-aspirated boxer engine, front-engined, rear-wheel-drive confi ...
due to the discontinuation of
Scion
Scion may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
*Scion, a playable class in the game '' Path of Exile'' (2013)
*Atlantean Scion, a device in the ''Tomb Raider'' video game series
*Scions, an alien race in the video game ''B ...
in 2016. Around the time of Toyota's increased ownership, Subaru also declared that they would no longer develop their own
Kei cars and trucks, instead selling rebadged products from Toyota's
Daihatsu
, commonly known as Daihatsu, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers. The company's headquarters are located in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture.
Historically, Daihatsu was ...
subsidiary. This also allowed Subaru, a small manufacturer, to focus on their core of boxer-engined family cars.
The last of Subaru's own kei vehicles to be built was the sixth generation
Subaru Sambar
The Subaru Sambar is a cabover truck and microvan manufactured and marketed by Subaru as Japan's first truck compliant with the country's strict Keitora (軽トラ) or ''Kei'' vehicle tax class. Introduced in 1961 in microvan and Kei pickup co ...
, which was taken out of production in March 2012 after 54 years of continuous manufacturing in this category.
Marketing
Some of the advertising slogans Subaru has used in the past include: "Inexpensive, and built to stay that way" (USA 1970s – early 1980s), "The World's Favourite Four Wheel Drive" (in the UK), "Plus on y pense, plus on a le goût de la conduire" (French: "The more you think about it, the more you want to drive it.") in French Quebec, "We built our reputation by building a better car", "What to Drive", "The Beauty of All-Wheel Drive", "Driven by What's Inside", "Think, Feel, Drive", "Love. It's what makes Subaru, a Subaru" (USA early 2010s) and currently "Confidence in Motion" in North America, "All 4 The Driver" in Australia, "Uncommon Engineering, Uncommon Stability, Uncommon Roadholding, Uncommon Sense" in the UK and "Technology that gives you Confidence in Motion" in Southeast Asia.
In the 1990s, an ad firm hired by Subaru found the all-wheel-drive cars were popular among
lesbians. The company started including subtle marketing to this demographic.
According to Automotive Lease Guide, Subaru ranked second place in vehicles that have the highest overall predicted resale values among all industry and all luxury vehicles for MY 2009. The awards are derived after carefully studying segment competition, historical vehicle performance and industry trends. According to a study done by
J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power is an American consumer research, data, and analytics firm based in Troy, Michigan. The company was founded in 1968 by James David Power III. It conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for the au ...
for the 2008 Customer Retention Study, Subaru ranked at 50.5%, which was above the national average of 48%.
Subaru launched an animation series ''
Wish Upon the Pleiades
is an original net animation series produced by Gainax in collaboration with Japanese automaker Subaru. The series was released on YouTube in four parts on February 1, 2011, with the English-subtitled version appearing six days later. An ani ...
'' developed jointly with
Gainax. The 4-part mini episode series was released on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
on 1 February 2011. It featured a
magical girl plot with Subaru as a leading protagonist.
Current operations
Subaru's corporate headquarters are located in
Ebisu, Tokyo
is major district of Shibuya-ku in Tokyo, Japan. It was developed on the site of a former brewery and is now home to Yebisu Garden Place. It has a high concentration of bars and restaurants.
Geography and transportation
Ebisu is a majo ...
.
Manufacturing facilities
Subaru is distinct from many of its Japanese competitors in that as of early 2016 it still made almost 75% of its cars sold internationally in Japan. Subaru's facilities designated to automotive manufacturing are located in
Ōta,
Gunma Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 Square kilometre, km2 (2,456 Square mile, sq mi). Gunma P ...
, consisting of four locations: Subaru-chō is where the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 is built; having been re-purposed from ''kei'' car production, Yajima Plant is where all current Subaru cars are built; Otakita Plant is where commercial ''kei'' trucks are built (originally a factory location of
Nakajima Aircraft Company
The was a prominent Japanese aircraft manufacturer and aviation engine manufacturer throughout World War II. It continues as the car and aircraft manufacturer Subaru.
History
The Nakajima Aircraft company was Japan's first aircraft manufactur ...
); and Oizumi Plant in
Oizumi,
Gunma Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 Square kilometre, km2 (2,456 Square mile, sq mi). Gunma P ...
, is where engines and transmissions are built.
Subaru's major overseas manufacturing facility is located in
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...
; the factory is called
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. Due to continued sales growth in North American markets, vehicle production capacity at the Lafayette assembly plant is set to expand to 390,000 vehicles annually. Under the current strategic plan, Subaru will have a total production capacity of 1,026,000 vehicles per year at the end of 2016.
Subaru in Asia
In Asian countries outside of Japan, Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories are supplied by Motor Image Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed and Singapore-headquartered
Tan Chong International Limited under businessman Glenn Tan.
Subaru has entered the
Philippine
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
operations started in 1996 under the Columbian Motors Philippines ownership but withdrew in 2000. Subaru models were temporarily sold in GM Autoworld dealerships from 2000 to 2005. The brand re-entered the market in 2006 under the new management by Motor Image Pilipinas, Inc. Subaru has seventeen dealerships in the country: Greenhills,
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along t ...
,
Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...
,
Alabang
Alabang is a barangay in Muntinlupa, Philippines. At one time the area was a farming district, and has since grown from a village to a major commercial center, which includes the Filinvest City and Madrigal Business Park, and a transportation hub ...
,
Davao,
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...
,
Cagayan de Oro,
Iloilo
Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...
,
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose.
Santa Rosa may also refer to:
Places Argentina
*Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city
* Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca
* Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca
* Santa Rosa, La Pampa
* S ...
,
Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and La ...
,
Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig
Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...
,
General Santos,
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
,
Legazpi, Albay,
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur ( bcl, Habagatan na Camarines; tl, Timog Camarines), officially the Province of Camarines Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte an ...
,
Bacolod, and
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
. Subaru has seen popularity in their SUV line-up in the market in recent years, with the
Forester
A forester is a person who practises forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Foresters manage forests to ...
and the
XV being one of their popular selling models.
Subaru once had a presence in South Korea, established in 2009 in Yongsan, Seoul under Choi Seung-dal.
Sales started in April 2010 with the Legacy, Outback and Forester as the initial lineup for the South Korean market.
They were the fifth Japanese automobile manufacturer to enter after Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi.
According to the company, they delayed their entry due to market dominance by Hyundai and Kia.
By 2012, Subaru Korea announced that they would discontinue selling 2013 car models due to low sales.
On 23 April 2019, Subaru officially opened its production plant in
Lat Krabang
Lat Krabang ( th, ลาดกระบัง, ) is one of the eastern districts of Bangkok.
Geography & history
Lat Krabang (literally translating to "slope of shield") is a second largest district of Bangkok (the first one is neighbouring distr ...
,
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, the plant is a joint venture between Subaru Corporation and Hong Kong-listed Tan Chong International (TCIL), which holds a 74.9 percent stake. The plant was formerly a Mitsubishi Fuso factory that was repurposed, and will supply Subaru vehicle to markets in Asia, including Australia and New Zealand. According to media interview with Glenn Tan, the plant will have a maximum capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year, and up to a maximum of 4 models to be manufactured. Current production in 2019 is planned for 6,000 vehicles for Forester model only.
Subaru in the United Kingdom
In 1974,
Robert Edmiston was finance director at sports car manufacturer Jensen Motors. When the company went bankrupt, he used a redundancy payout to set up
International Motors, which acquired the UK franchise for Subaru and
Isuzu. The
Coleshill-based company is still the parent for Subaru in the UK.
Subaru in Australia
Subaru have operated in Australia since the mid-1950s with imports of the 360 & ff-1 Star 1000.
Official operations began since 1973 & have multiple showrooms across the country.
Subaru in the United States
Subaru of America
Subaru of America, Inc. (commonly known as SOA), based in Camden, New Jersey, is the United States-based distributor of Subaru's brand vehicles. SOA is a subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. The company markets and distributes Subaru veh ...
(SOA) was established in 1968 in
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Route 1 (City Avenue). It was originally two sep ...
, by
Malcolm Bricklin
Malcolm N. Bricklin (born March 9, 1939) is an American businessman, widely known for an unorthodox career spanning more than six decades with numerous prominent failures and successes — primarily manufacturing or importing automobiles to ...
and Harvey Lamm and relocated to
Pennsauken, New Jersey
Pennsauken Township is a township in Camden County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 37,074, reflecting an increase of 1,189 (+3.3%) from the 35,885 count ...
, shortly thereafter. In 1986, SOA relocated to
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Fuji Heavy Industries (now known as
Subaru Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was formerly named ( ...
) acquired full ownership in 1990. In 2018, SOA relocated to a brand new headquarters in
Camden, New Jersey. SOA operates regional offices, zone offices and parts distribution centers throughout the United States. SOA also operates port facilities on both the West and East coasts.
In 1989, Subaru and then-partner Isuzu opened a joint factory in
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...
, called Subaru-Isuzu Automotive, or SIA, which initially manufactured the
Subaru Legacy
The is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine. The Legacy was sol ...
and
Isuzu Rodeo
The Isuzu Rodeo is an automotive nameplate that was used by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Isuzu between 1988 and 2004. Isuzu has utilized the "Rodeo" name on two different vehicles—a compact pickup truck sold in Japan—and a midsize S ...
. In 2001 Isuzu sold their stake in the plant to Fuji Heavy Industries for $1 due to flagging sales and it was renamed
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. SIA has been designated backyard wildlife
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
by the
National Wildlife Federation and has achieved a zero-landfill production designation (the first automotive assembly plant in the United States to earn that designation).
Motorsports
Subaru Rally Team Japan led by Noriyuki Koseki (founder of
Subaru Tecnica International
Subaru Tecnica International (in ja, スバルテクニカインターナショナル株式会社, Subaru Tekunika Intānashonaru Kabushiki-gaisha), or STI (prior to 2006, STi), is Subaru Corporation's motorsports division. STI, along with Prodri ...
, STI) ran
Subaru Leone
The Subaru Leone is a compact car produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Subaru from 1971 to 1994. The word ''leone'' is Italian for lion.
It was released as a replacement for the Subaru 1000 and was the predecessor of the Subaru Impreza. Al ...
coupé, sedan DL,
RX (SRX) and
RX Turbo in the World Rally Championship between 1980 and 1989. Drivers for individual rallies included
Ari Vatanen
Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen (; born 27 April 1952) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rall ...
,
Per Eklund
Per Torsten Eklund (born 21 June 1946) is a Swedish Rally and Rallycross driver. His nickname is "Pekka". In rallying he never made it to the very top but he has been very successful in his later rallycross career.
Biography
Saab works d ...
,
Shekhar Mehta
Chandra Shekhar Mehta (20 June 1945 – 12 April 2006) was a Kenyan rally driver. He was born in Uganda and won the Safari Rally a record five times (1973, 1979–82), including four consecutively, and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally ...
,
Mike Kirkland,
Possum Bourne
Peter "Possum" Raymond George Bourne (13 April 1956 – 30 April 2003) was a champion New Zealand rally car driver. He died under non-competitive circumstances while driving on a public road that was to be the track for an upcoming race.
Awards ...
and Harald Demut. Mike Kirkland finished 6th overall and won the A Group at the 1986
Safari Rally
The Safari Rally is a rally held in Kenya. It was first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. It is historically r ...
. That year Subaru was one of the only manufacturers combining 4WD and turbo after
Audi
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
Th ...
's successful
quattro system had been introduced in 1980, but Audi withdrew from the WRC after safety concerns and Ford's serious accident early in the 1986 season. Subaru changed the rally model to Legacy RS for the 1990–1992 period and took part in the first complete season in the World Rally Championship with the same model in 1993.
Modified versions of the
Impreza WRX and
WRX STi have been competing successfully in
rallying. Drivers
Colin McRae
Colin Steele McRae, (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007) was a Scottish rally driver. He was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion, and in 1995 became the first British driver and the youngest person to win the World Rally Championship ...
(
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
),
Richard Burns
Richard Alexander Burns (17 January 1971 – 25 November 2005) was an English rally driver who won the 2001 World Rally Championship, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 and 2000. He also helped Mitsubishi to the world ...
(
2001) and
Petter Solberg
Petter Solberg (born 18 November 1974) is a Norwegian former professional rally and rallycross driver.
Solberg debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1998 and was signed by the Ford factory team in 1999. The following year, Solberg started ...
(
2003) have won
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
drivers' titles with the
Subaru World Rally Team and Subaru took the
manufacturers' title three years in a row from 1995 to
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
. Subaru's World Rally Championship cars are prepared and run by
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and advanced engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Aston Martin, Bahrain Raid Xtreme and Team X44. Its advanced technolo ...
, the highly successful British motorsport team. Several endurance records were set in the early and mid-nineties by the
Subaru Legacy
The is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine. The Legacy was sol ...
. The
Subaru Justy also holds the world record for the fastest sub 1.0L car without a turbo: 123.224 mph average, it was set in 1989.
Subaru was briefly involved in
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
circuit racing when it bought a controlling interest in the tiny Italian
Coloni team for the
1990 season. The Coloni 3B's 12-cylinder engine was badged as a Subaru and shared the boxer layout with the company's own engines, but was an existing design built by Italian firm
Motori Moderni
Motori Moderni was a Formula One engine manufacturer from 1985 through 1987. It was established by the experienced Italian engine designer Carlo Chiti.
Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo Formula One chief engineer, formed Motori Moderni to make turboch ...
. The cars were overweight and underpowered and the partnership broke down before the season finished. With the rise of rally racing and the
Import scene
The import scene, also known as the import racing scene or tuner scene, is a subculture of modifying mostly Japanese-import cars, particularly in the United States and Europe.
History
Car modifying has been popular among youths in the US, espec ...
in the US, the introduction of the highly anticipated
Subaru Impreza WRX
The is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Leone, with the predecessor's EA series engines replaced by the new EJ series. It is now in its sixth gene ...
in 2001 was successful in bringing high-performance AWD compact cars into the sports car mainstream. Subaru supplies a factory-backed team,
Subaru Rally Team USA for
Rally America and has won the driver's title six times, most recently in 2011 with
David Higgins. ''
Grassroots Motorsports
''Grassroots Motorsports'' (GRM) is an American print and digital periodical devoted to hardcore sports cars, driving skill improvement, technical advice, and amateur motorsports such as road racing, autocross and rallying. It was established in ...
'' awarded Subaru with the Editors' Choice Award in 2002.
Since 2005, Cusco Racing have entered an Impreza and a
BRZ in the
Super GT championship. In 2008, the Impreza was the first 4-door and first 4WD vehicle to win a race.
Starting in 2006, Subaru of America (SOA), as the official distributor of Subaru vehicles in the United States participates in the
Subaru Road Racing Team
Subaru of America, Inc. (commonly known as SOA), based in Camden, New Jersey, is the United States-based distributor of Subaru's brand vehicles. SOA is a subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. The company markets and distributes Subaru veh ...
(SRRT) with a
Subaru Legacy
The is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine. The Legacy was sol ...
2.5 GT Spec-B in the
Grand-Am
Grand-Am Road Racing or Grand-Am was an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America. Its primary focus was the Rolex Sports Car Series, an endurance racing championship series. ...
Street Tuner class. In 2010, SRRT campaigns a
Subaru Impreza WRX STI
The is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Subaru Leone, Leone, with the predecessor's Subaru EA engine, EA series engines replaced by the new Subaru EJ ...
in the Grand Sport class. In 2011, SRRT switched from the hatchback to a 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI sedan.
On 16 December 2008, it was announced that Subaru would no longer be competing in the World Rally Championships. The decision was made by Subaru's parent company,
Fuji Heavy Industries
is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was formerly named ( ...
(FHI), partly as a result of the economic downturn but also because it was felt Subaru had achieved its sporting and marketing objectives.
Ikuo Mori denied that alterations to the WRC technical regulations in 2010 or a rumored deterioration in the working relationship with
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and advanced engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Aston Martin, Bahrain Raid Xtreme and Team X44. Its advanced technolo ...
had any impact on the decision. He also said that the possibility of a Subaru car back in the top category of WRC in the future is not zero, but for this moment there can be no assumption of a comeback.
In 2011,
Mark Higgins used a stock Impreza to set a lap record at the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
course. In 2016, Higgins again broke the record in a modified WRX STI.
On 4 May 2012,
Subaru Rally Team USA announced that a new rallycross team, Subaru
Puma Rallycross Team USA, will participate in the 2012
Global RallyCross Championship
The TitansRX International Series (formerly known as Red Bull Global Rallycross or Global Rallycross) is a group of rallycross series, currently organised by racing driver Max Pucher and businessman Chip Pankow. The initial series was series ru ...
season with
Dave Mirra
David Michael Mirra (April 4, 1974 – February 4, 2016) was an American BMX rider who also competed in rallycross racing. He set the record for most medals in BMX Freestyle at the X Games (later tied by Scotty Cranmer) and earned at least one ...
,
Bucky Lasek, and
Sverre Isachsen. They also competed in the
2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship
The 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy was the first edition of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. The season consisted of twelve rounds and started on 3 May with the Portuguese round at Montalegre
Montaleg ...
.
Also in 2012, Subaru became the naming rights sponsor of the chief domestic road cycling competition in Australia, the
National Road Series.
The Impreza has won hillclimbs such as the
Silverstone Race to the Sky and
Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race.
Eyesight system
In 2008, Subaru introduced their EyeSight
collision avoidance system, a type of
advanced driver-assistance system
An advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) is any of a groups of electronic technologies that assist drivers in driving and parking functions. Through a safe human-machine interface, ADAS increase car and road safety. ADAS uses automated technol ...
(ADAS). Unlike most such systems, which use radar sensors, EyeSight initially launched with dual
CCD cameras mounted at the top of the windshield. Depth information is derived from the parallax between two video signals and used to judge the distance to the next vehicle for features such as pre-collision braking and adaptive cruise control. Real-world studies of early EyeSight generations show that this system reduces rear-end crashes with injuries by 85 percent, and reduces pedestrian-related injuries by 35 percent.
As of 2022, Subaru sold 5 million cars equipped with the system, and EyeSight-equipped vehicles account for 91% of total vehicle sales. In the U.S., the EyeSight system is standard on most models equipped with CVTs, and is also standard on automatic transmission BRZ models.
Unlike some other manufacturers (e.g. Toyota), Subaru North America has not provided clear and consistent branding of their Eyesight generations — though some versions are referenced in their owners manuals. This makes it challenging to distinguish key differences, performance, and improvements among model years. Much more detailed information is available in the
Japanese EyeSight article.
Technology and fuel consumption
Diesel
The
2007 Frankfurt International Motor Show saw Subaru introduce a
horizontally opposed, water-cooled,
common rail turbodiesel
The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output ...
using a
variable geometry turbocharger
Variable-geometry turbochargers (VGTs), occasionally known as variable-nozzle turbines (VNTs), are a type of turbochargers, usually designed to allow the effective aspect ratio of the turbocharger to be altered as conditions change. This is done ...
called the Subaru EE engine, the first of its type to be fitted to a passenger car. Volkswagen had experimented with this idea during the 1950s and made two air-cooled boxer
prototype diesel engines that were not turbocharged. VW installed one engine in a
Type 1 and another in a
Type 2.
The Subaru engine was rated at and with a displacement of 2.0 liters. In March 2008 Subaru offered the Legacy Sedan and Wagon and the Outback Wagon with 2.0 liter turbodiesel in the
EU with a 5-speed manual transmission.
In September 2008, Subaru announced that the diesel Forester and diesel Impreza will be introduced at the
2008 Paris Motor Show
The 2008 Paris Motor Show took place from 4 October to 19 October 2008, in Paris expo Porte de Versailles.
This edition of the Paris Motor Show featured a high number of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs), that led a blogger with ''The New York Ti ...
, with Forester sales to begin October 2008 and diesel Impreza sales to start January 2009 in the UK. The Forester and Impreza will have a 6-speed manual transmission, whereas the Legacy and Outback have 5-speed manual transmissions.
Electric vehicles
In June 2006, Fuji Heavy Industries, Inc. (FHI) launched its
Subaru Stella Plug-in electric vehicle
A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which then ...
which is a
kei car equipped with a
lithium-ion
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...
battery pack. The vehicle has a short range of but it actually costs more than the
Mitsubishi iMiEV, at (), including Japanese Government
consumption tax
A consumption tax is a tax levied on consumption spending on goods and services. The tax base of such a tax is the money spent on consumption. Consumption taxes are usually indirect, such as a sales tax or a value-added tax. However, a consumpti ...
es with an exemption of $2,240. It also qualified for a rebate from the Japanese Government of up to $14,200, bringing the price down to $30,660. The vehicle is much like the i-MiEV, with a 47-kilowatt motor and a quick-charge capability, but the two-door mini-car has a boxy shape. FHI set a goal of selling 170 vehicles by March 2010.
In Japan, Subaru tested two electric vehicles called the
Subaru R1e and
Subaru G4e
The Subaru G4e is a concept electric car developed by Japanese automaker Subaru in conjunction with Tokyo utility TEPCO as a possible successor to the R1e. It was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.
Design
The G4e name is intended to stand ...
between 2003 and 2009.
The
Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept is a four-seat vehicle with
gull-wing door
In the automotive industry, a gull-wing door, also known as a falcon-wing door or an up-door, is a car door that is hinged at the roof rather than the side, as pioneered by Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, first as a race car in 1952 ( W194), and then ...
s that combines a 2-liter turbocharged direct-injection gasoline engine with a continuously variable transmission and two axle-mounted motors. A lithium-ion battery pack provides energy storage for the vehicle.
In early 2018, Subaru, along with
Suzuki,
Daihatsu
, commonly known as Daihatsu, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers. The company's headquarters are located in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture.
Historically, Daihatsu was ...
and
Hino Motors, joined the nascent EV C.A. Spirit venture to collaborate on electric vehicle technology development. The project was launched by Toyota,
Mazda
, commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan.
In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
and automotive component manufacturer
Denso in September 2017.
In the U.S., the short-lived Crosstrek hybrid was on the market only for the 2014 to 2017 model years. In 2018, for the 2019 model year, Subaru unveiled the 2019 model year Crosstrek Plug-in Hybrid, based in large part on technology from shareholder Toyota's
Prius Prime
The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (often abbreviated as the Prius and known as the Prius Prime in North America, South Korea, and New Zealand) is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 t ...
platform. The EV range is . It is only available in California and parts of the East Coast.
Subaru's first all-electric car, named
Solterra, is the first vehicle to be based on the e-Subaru Global Platform (e-SGP) co-developed by Toyota and Subaru. The Solterra debuted at the
Los Angeles Auto Show on November 17, 2021, and worldwide sales of the Solterra commenced in mid-2022.
Electronics
Since the 2005 model year, Subaru has adopted
CAN bus
A Controller Area Network (CAN bus) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other's applications without a host computer. It is a message-based protocol, designed originally for mu ...
technology for the US and Canada markets. Starting in the 2007 model year, all Subaru vehicles use the CAN technology. Typically, two CAN-buses are used on vehicles: a high-speed CAN running at 500 kbit/s for powertrain communication, and a low-speed CAN running at 125 kbit/s for body control functions and instrument panels. A body-integrated unit (BIU) is used between these two networks.
Clarion and
Harman Kardon
Harman Kardon (stylized as ) is a division of US-based Harman International Industries, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, and manufactures home and car audio equipment.
Harman Kardon was originally founded in 1953 by business partners, Sid ...
are among the audio, video, and navigation technology suppliers for Subaru products in North America. Clarion announced in 2015 that it was introducing its "Smart Access" platform, formerly only offered on Clarion's aftermarket products, to the units to be installed in certain Subaru 2015 models in North America. Smart Access is able to work with the driver's smartphone (either iPhone or Android) and allows access to various car-safe apps running on the phone via the car's built-in infotainment screen.
Subaru and Clarion have also, with Liberty Mutual Insurance, introduced the "RightTrack" in-vehicle app which will be able to monitor the driver's habits, make suggestions for safer driving, and possibly offer insurance discounts.
Subaru Global Platform (SGP)
Subaru debuted its new chassis design, dubbed the
Subaru Global Platform, with the release of the 2017 model year Impreza. Having spent over a billion dollars on research and development the company plans to extend the architecture to all of its other models, with the exception of the BRZ which is co-developed with Toyota. By incorporating high-strength steel into the chassis updated vehicles will have stiffer bodies that increase safety through greater impact absorption while also improving ride comfort. Another focus of the new platform is modularity, allowing Subaru to reduce development costs by streamlining production throughout its network of facilities. The platform will be able to accommodate a variety of powertrains, including gasoline, hybrid, and fully electric designs.
Environmental record
!['09 Subaru Legacy Wagon PZEV (MIAS)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/%2709_Subaru_Legacy_Wagon_PZEV_%28MIAS%29.JPG)
Subaru claims to have implemented advanced policies which include recycling, reducing harmful emissions, and educating their employees. Their efforts have helped them in their environmental initiatives. The Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana (SIA) was the first auto assembly plant to achieve zero-landfill status;
nothing from the manufacturing process goes into a landfill. The company has developed a recycling plan for the "end-of-life" of their cars. Most of their modern products use highly recyclable materials throughout the vehicle, in the engine, transmission, suspension and elsewhere in each vehicle leaving Subaru with a 97.3% recycling ratio rate for their end-of-life vehicles.
An excerpt from the Subaru website stated "In 2006, SIA was awarded the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Gold Achievement Award as a top achiever in the agency's WasteWise program to reduce waste and improve recycling." The website also stated that "It also became the first U.S. automotive assembly plant to be designated a wildlife habitat."
Subaru currently offers a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (
PZEV A partial zero-emission vehicle, in the United States, is an automobile that has zero evaporative emissions from its fuel system, has a 15-year (or at least 150,000-mile) warranty on its emission-control components, and meets SULEV tailpipe-emissio ...
) certified Legacy, Outback, Impreza, XV/Crosstrek and Forester models which are available for sale anywhere in the U.S. Subaru PZEV vehicles meet California's Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle exhaust emission standard.
All other models have been certified
LEV2.
Subaru vehicles
Other manufacturers
Subaru has partnered with various manufacturers over time. Below are some of the models sold in Asia and Europe. In Japan they are in the
Kei car class with either front or all wheel drive and a
straight engine.
An article posted by
Autoblog
A spam blog, also known as an auto blog or the neologism splog, is a blog which the author uses to promote affiliated websites, to increase the search engine rankings of associated sites or to simply sell links/ads.
The purpose of a splog can be ...
on 16 April 2008, stated that due to a corporate investment by
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
, all Kei cars built by Subaru will be replaced by Daihatsu models beginning in 2010.
*
Subaru Bighorn (1988–1993, rebadged
Isuzu Trooper
The Isuzu Trooper is a full-size SUV that was produced by the Japanese automaker Isuzu between 1981 and 2007. In the domestic Japanese market it was sold as the Isuzu Bighorn, the car was exported internationally mainly as a Trooper but it also ...
)
*
Subaru Justy (1994–2010, 2016–present: rebadged
Suzuki Cultus (1994–2003),
Suzuki Ignis
The is an automobile nameplate that was first produced by Suzuki in 2000 as a subcompact car, replacing the Suzuki Cultus, and subsequently as a crossover-styled city car from 2016.
The Cultus retailed under various names globally, notably as th ...
(2003–2007),
Daihatsu Boon
The is a subcompact car produced by Japanese automaker Daihatsu since 2004, and also sold under Toyota brand as the . The Passo was once sold at ''Toyota Corolla Store'' Japanese dealerships until it was consolidated with other Toyota dealers i ...
(2007–2010) and
Daihatsu Thor (2016–present). Nameplate originally used from 1984 to 1994.)
*
Subaru Traviq
The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.
The Zafira was also marketed unde ...
(1999–2005, rebadged
Opel Zafira
The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.
The Zafira was also marketed unde ...
)
*
Subaru Dex (2006–2012, rebadged
Toyota bB
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
)
*
Subaru Dias Wagon (2009–present, rebadged
Daihatsu Atrai Atrai may be refer to:
* Atrai River, a trans-boundary river between Bangladesh and India
* Atrai Upazila, a upazila of Naogaon District, Bangladesh
* Daihatsu Atrai, the minivan version and also a flagship model of Daihatsu Hijet
* CGS Atrai, a P ...
)
*
Subaru Lucra (2010–2015, rebadged
Daihatsu Tanto
The is a kei car manufactured by the Japanese carmaker Daihatsu. It was introduced at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show as a vehicle based on the Move's "tall" body style, and followed by the Tanto Custom in July 2005.
The name "Tanto" is derived fr ...
)
*
Subaru Trezia
The is a mini MPV produced by Japanese automaker Toyota. It is a five-seater mini MPV based on the Vitz, and was introduced in October 2005 as the successor of the Yaris Verso/FunCargo. The name "Ractis" is derived from "Run", "Activity" and "S ...
(2010–2016, rebadged
Toyota Ractis
The is a mini MPV produced by Japanese automaker Toyota. It is a five-seater mini MPV based on the Vitz, and was introduced in October 2005 as the successor of the Yaris Verso/FunCargo. The name "Ractis" is derived from "Run", "Activity" and "S ...
)
*
Subaru Pleo (2010–2018 as a rebadged
Daihatsu Mira, nameplate in use since 1998)
*
Subaru Stella (2010–present, rebadged
Daihatsu Move
, commonly known as Daihatsu, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers. The company's headquarters are located in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture.
Historically, Daihatsu was ...
)
*
Subaru Pleo Plus (2012–present, rebadged
Daihatsu Mira e:S)
*
Subaru Sambar
The Subaru Sambar is a cabover truck and microvan manufactured and marketed by Subaru as Japan's first truck compliant with the country's strict Keitora (軽トラ) or ''Kei'' vehicle tax class. Introduced in 1961 in microvan and Kei pickup co ...
(2012–present as a rebadged
Daihatsu Hijet
The is a cab over microvan and kei truck produced and sold by the Japanese automaker Daihatsu since 1960. Despite the similarities between the Hijet name and Toyota's naming scheme for its trucks and vans ( HiAce and Hilux), the name "Hijet" ...
, nameplate in use since 1961)
*
Subaru Chiffon (2016–present, rebadged
Daihatsu Tanto
The is a kei car manufactured by the Japanese carmaker Daihatsu. It was introduced at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show as a vehicle based on the Move's "tall" body style, and followed by the Tanto Custom in July 2005.
The name "Tanto" is derived fr ...
)
*
Subaru Rex
The , also known as Ace, Viki, Sherpa, 500/600/700, Mini Jumbo, Mini Subaru or M60/M70/M80 in various export markets, is a kei class automobile produced from 1972 to 1992 mainly for sale in Japan by Subaru, although it was also sold in Europe, ...
(2022–present, rebadged
Daihatsu Rocky)
See also
*
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and advanced engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Aston Martin, Bahrain Raid Xtreme and Team X44. Its advanced technolo ...
Motorsport team selected by ''Subaru'' to run their World Rally Team
*
Subaru Technica International (also known as STI)
*
List of Subaru engines
Subaru uses a four or five character code to identify all of their engines. As of August 2022 these are the engines presently in models sold by Subaru
* FB20D: 1995 cc DOHC, 2017+ Subaru Impreza, and 2018+ Subaru Crosstrek
* FB25D: 2498 ...
*
List of Subaru transmissions
Subaru motor vehicles have used manual, conventional automatic, and continuously variable (CVT) transmissions. Subaru manufactures its own manual and CVT transmissions (for non-Kei cars). Since the 1970s, all Subaru conventional automatic tra ...
*
Subaru EA engine
The Subaru EA engine is a series of automobile internal combustion engines manufactured by Subaru, a division of Fuji Heavy Industries. All EA series engines are of a flat-4 design, and have always been water cooled.
Design and history
Prior ...
series
*
Subaru EF engine
The EF is an automotive engine made by Subaru, introduced in 1984 for the Subaru Justy.
It is a water-cooled, straight-three, four-stroke engine with a belt-driven single overhead camshaft, and a chain-driven balance shaft. It has an alloy cylinde ...
series
*
Subaru EJ engine
The Subaru EJ engine is a series of four-stroke automotive engines manufactured by Subaru. They were introduced in 1989, intended to succeed the previous Subaru EA engine. The EJ series was the mainstay of Subaru's engine line, with all engines ...
series
*
Symmetrical All Wheel Drive
References
External links
*
*
*
{{authority control
Car manufacturers of Japan
Companies based in Gunma Prefecture
Formula One engine manufacturers
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1953
Electric vehicle manufacturers of Japan
Car brands