In return, almost half of their global sales is now in this market.
The crossover utility vehicles from this company handle like cars more than any other automaker and their hatchbacks and sedans stand out because of their all-wheel drive function. They are also known for their unique boxer style engines which deliver better performance. They are also known from their rally ready racing cars that come AWD.
But still, they are very small when compared to the giants of the industry, and this means they are going to have a tough time fighting the tough regulations which are coming up purely because of the cost that is involved.
They are one of the intermediate automakers and will be subject to the zero-emission vehicle requirements in California which begins with the 2018 model year.
They are planning on meeting these regulations by launching a hybrid plug-in vehicle which has not been unveiled as of yet even though it is possible that they will only sell it in the states which has adopted these emission rules.
The only electrified vehicle in its fleet right now is the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. This is a mild hybrid of its famous compact crossover hatchback.
Crossover Utility Car
However, a report from Japan says that Subaru is planning on launching a new all-electric crossover utility car by 2021. The company has declined to confirm this, though. The vehicle was mentioned was on the 8th of August in an article in a Japanese newspaper. There is nothing wrong with having goals. Some people believe that if taxes and regulations were not so costly, this type of car would already be here.
The report suggests that the crossover will be based on one of the future generations of the Forester compact crossover's engine or the Outback's mid-size utility vehicle engine.
Both of the vehicles are then going to be moved to Subaru's flexible global architecture which had been unveiled earlier in the year which is going to underpin all of Subaru's future vehicles.
This component set has been designed to accommodate not just the AWD and flat four engines of the company but also the plug-in hybrids, hybrids, and full-electric vehicles.
Future Models
The first vehicle that is going to be using this new architecture is going to be the 2017 Subaru Impreza which will be unveiled later on in the year.
This model is going to be produced at their Indiana assembly plant (this plant is 100% efficient as well, articles have been written on this plant before) later on in the year along with the Legacy and Outback which have been built there for the last 25+ years.
The supply of the Impreza and the Crosstrek are constrained in Japan, but North American production is supposed to help solve this issue. The 2017 Impreza is going to be followed by the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek and then a new crossover for the Forester in 2019.
Finally, 2020 will have a new Outback wagon and Legacy sedan which will see the company complete their transition to the new architecture in North America. This is going to coordinate well with the idea that the Outback or Forester are going to serve as the basis for their all-electric SUV.
With luck, perhaps this vehicle will do well among the progressive, affluent, outdoorsy, and active-sports buyers of the brand.
