When Subaru first got here to the US, it offered small funky automobiles that have been decidedly un-American. As the corporate grew its personal identification and have become extra established within the U.S., it grew to become the primary automaker to supply an all-wheel-drive passenger automotive in 1975. Subaru was additionally an early-adopter of turbocharged engines to deliver extra energy to its line of quirky automobiles and wagons. Subaru was additionally one of many first producers to provide a crossover SUV with the Forester within the late ’90s.
Because the crossover craze has quickly ballooned right into a crossover pandemic, Subaru didn’t should abandon its historical past to align with client demand, it simply stored producing the identical form of car it had produced since 1975. In distinction, the world stopped when Porsche first launched the unique Cayenne in 2002 as a result of an SUV was a sacrilegious departure from Porsche’s historical past of manufacturing racing legends and ultra-high-performance automobiles. When Subaru launched the Forester as its first crack at an SUV, it flew below the radar because it nonetheless aligned with Subaru’s historical past.
AWD passenger automobiles began coming into the mainstream within the ’80s and ’90s, however once more Subaru was forward of that curve. It had a preexisting fanbase who valued this function, permitting it to take care of a particular identification by its big range of AWD passenger automotive choices.
Subaru was additionally an early innovator of AWD as a performance-enhancing function on its sportier fashions. These days, most automotive fashions no matter their dimension or EPA dimension classification supply an AWD variant from the Toyota Prius to the Mazda 3 to the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.
The mix of Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD system that delivers an excellent energy break up between entrance and rear wheels, Subaru’s well-known boxer engines, and concentrate on security come collectively to kind dynamically competent and compelling packages which have extensive client enchantment. Subaru’s concentrate on selling lively life has actually resonated with fashionable shoppers who search a do-everything car that will get good gas mileage, gives the safety and functionality of AWD, gives distinctive occupant security, in a bundle that doesn’t break the financial institution.
Within the early days, Subaru’s gross sales mirrored its then-niche enchantment, however as client preferences have shifted, Subaru’s distinctive recipe ended up aligning superbly and present gross sales mirror that. December 2023 marked 17 consecutive months of Subaru’s gross sales development, and in response to Good Automotive Dangerous Automotive, Subaru had the very best development of all mainstream manufacturers within the US from 200,000 in 2009 to 700,000 in 2019; breaking its annual gross sales file yr after yr.
I’m truly the one individual in my household who doesn’t personal a Subaru. I inspired my mother to take a look at a 2010 Subaru Outback after our second Dodge Grand Caravan lastly bit the mud, and my mother instantly fell in love with the Outback’s solidity, AWD safety, and tidy packaging. After that, my dad determined to purchase a 2008 Forester XT Sports activities to switch his 1986 Ford Mustang SVO and he was shocked by the comparable efficiency between the 2 automobiles. My brother then purchased a 2003 WRX wagon and nonetheless loves it to this present day. Subaru has skilled this spectacular development by staying true to its model identification and producing reasonably priced and versatile autos.