Subaru (スバル, Subaru?) is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (FHI).
They are known for their use of boxer engines in their vehicles and standard AWD, as well as their turbocharged performance vehicles, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX.
Fuji Heavy Industries, and in turn, Subaru are currently affiliates of Toyota Motor Corporation, which owns 8.7% of FHI.
Subaru has built a reputation for producing high quality, reliable vehicles that did not sacrifice performance for everyday practicality.
The company is named after the star cluster Pleiades, whose Japanese name is "Subaru", that roughly translated into English means, "to govern", "unite," or "gather together". The company logo reflects the star design.
Modified versions of the Impreza WRX and WRX STi have been competing successfully in car rallies; drivers Colin McRae Richard Burns and Petter Solberg have won World Rally Championship titles with the Subaru World Rally Team. The Subaru World Rally Championship cars are prepared and run by Prodrive, the highly successful British Motorsport team. Several endurance records were set in the early and mid-nineties by the Legacy.
FHI started out as "The Aircraft Research Laboratory" in 1917 headed by Chikuhei Nakajima. In 1931, the company was reorganized as "Nakajima Aircraft Company, Ltd", the main airplane manufacturer for Japan in WWII.
At the end of the Second World War, Nakajima Aircraft was again reorganized, this time as Fuji Sangyo Co, Ltd. In 1946, Fuji Sangyo created its first Rabbit motor scooter with spare aircraft parts from the war. In 1950, Fuji Sangyo was divided into 12 smaller corporations according to the 1950 Corporate Credit Rearrangement Act, but between 1953-1955, four of these corporations and a newly formed corporation formed by an alliance of the four aforementioned companies were again merged together to form the Fuji Heavy Industries we know today.
Kenji Kita, the CEO of Fuji Heavy Industries at the time, wanted the new company to be involved in car manufacturing, and chose the name Subaru to grace its first car, the Subaru P1 in 1954. From 1954 to 1989 the company designed and manufactured dozens of vehicles including the P1 (1954), the tiny air-cooled 360 (1958), the Sambar (1961), the 1000(1965), the 1100 and the R2(1969), the leone (1971, 1975 and 1977), the Domingo (1983), the Alcyone (1985) and the Legacy (1989)
It is currently an affiliate of Toyota Motor Corporation, with their owning 8.7% of FHI. They acquired that stake from General Motors, who bought 20% of FHI in 1999 to have an extended presence in international markets, and collaborate technologically with FHI. Before that, the stake owned by GM was owned by Nissan, who acquired the stake in 1968 during a period of government-ordered merging of Japanese auto industry to merge in order for improved competitiveness under the administration of Prime Minister Eisaku Sato. Later on, they would utilize FHI's bus manufacturing capability and expertise for their Nissan Diesel line of buses. In turn, many Subaru vehicles, even today, use parts from the Nissan manufacturing keiretsu. In fact, it was Subaru that introduced Renault to Nissan when they asked for assistance in all-wheel drive (AWD) technology, when FHI told Renault to discuss their plans with Nissan, the discussions eventually led to the successful Renault-Nissan alliance.
In the United States, the Subaru attracted a following among the young and educated, and as a lightweight SUV alternative to the likes of the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wagoneer or even the expensive Volvo. It has historically been popular in US regions such as the Pacific Northwest , the North American Rocky Mountains region, and especially in New England, with relatively high resale values and owner loyalty rates. However, facing pressure from competition from the large Japanese brands, Subaru would switch to marketing only AWD cars and wagons. The Subaru Outback wagon, based on the Legacy and modified with SUV-like stance, bumpers, and roof, became the best selling wagon in the US during the 2000s.
In the 1990s the company moved away from small commercial vehicles and concentrated on the development of mainstream passenger car models, starting with the Legacy and including the controversially styled six-cylinder SVX (1992), and the Impreza (1992).
When Subaru introduced the Legacy in 1989, it was a new direction for Subaru, as the Legacy was considered mainstream in its appearance and a departure from their previous vehicles, which had a reputation of being "quirky". It was perceived by some as Subaru's attempt to compete with new luxury brands Lexus, Infiniti and Acura, as Japanese vehicles were increasing in popularity, particularly in the USA.
For the 1990 Formula 1 season, Subaru fielded the Subaru Coloni C3B. It featured a 12 cylinder boxer engine, but was not competitive because of horsepower and weight disadvantages. With the rise of rally racing, and the Import scene in the US, the introduction of the highly anticipated Subaru Impreza WRX in 2001 was successful in bringing high performance, AWD compact cars into the sports car mainstream just like VW/Audi did years before.In 1995 the company created the Sambar EV electric van. In 1997 the Forester was introduced to the world market, followed by the third generation design of the Legacy platform (1998).
During the General Motors period, a modified Impreza was sold in the United States as the Saab 9-2X. A SUV (Subaru Tribeca / SAAB 9-6X) was also planned but the SAAB version did not proceed.
From 1995 to 2000, Subaru ran a series of advertisements for the Subaru Outback which starred Paul Hogan. The advertisements were intended to highlight Subaru's all wheel drive, and depicted the Outback in a number of rugged Australian locations. The tagline "the world's first sport utility wagon" was successfully used by Subaru, though the AMC Eagle had tried much the same idea, with less success in the 1980s.
On October 5, 2005 Toyota stated that it will purchase 8.7% of the shares of FHI from General Motors. GM announced that it will divest its 20% stake in and eventually sever all ties with FHI. FHI has stated that there have been 27 million shares (3.4%) acquired before the start of trading by an unknown party on October 6, 2005. It has been speculated that a bank or perhaps another automaker was involved. Toyota announced a contract with Subaru on March 13, 2006. The under-utilized Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant in Lafayette, Indiana will hire up to 1,000 workers and set aside an assembly line for the Camry model, beginning in spring 2007.
Subaru displayed a variable vane, common rail turbodiesel boxer engine at the 2007 Frankfurt International Motor Show. It is the world's first horizontally-opposed diesel engine. The engine is rated at 110kW(147hp) and 350Nm(258Ft/lb) with a displacement of only 2.0 liters. In March 2008, Subaru offered the Legacy wagon with the 2.0 liter turbodiesel in the UK with a 5 speed manual transmission only.
Tribeca
The Subaru Tribeca (previously called the B9 Tribeca) is a five- or seven-seat mid-size, luxury crossover SUV which was launched for the 2006 model year and went on sale in June 2005 in the United States. It is based on the Subaru Legacy platform and the B9X concept car. The production version of this SUV is named for New York City's famed TriBeCa neighborhood. It is the first Subaru vehicle, excluding the Japan-only Subaru R1/R2 featuring the new Subaru design language of a triangular grille and a rounded bodyshape, which many in the Subaru community have found controversial. Subaru also used the grille styling on the Impreza with similar controversial results. Subaru has since abandoned this concept for its models introduced in 2006 and beyond.
It is believed that the controversial grille design was conceived by a designer who was formerly employed by European carmaker, Alfa Romeo, who took the trademark Alfa grille, which is an inverted triangle, then they up-ended the triangle, widened the top and rounded the bottom of the grille. An alternate explanation is that the grille design is "meant to convey parent-company Fuji Heavy Industries' glorious history in aviation."
The B9 Tribeca was initially powered by a 3.0 L boxer engine and was priced from US$ 30,695 to 38,320. Saab was planned to have also received a version of the vehicle, called the 9-6X, but such plans have been stopped with Toyota's acquisition of the FHI stake held by General Motors (Saab's parent company). It would have been built alongside the Tribeca at Subaru's Lafayette, Indiana factory. Saab revised their plans to base their SUV on the Tribeca and in mid-2007 introduced the 9-7x based on the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy platform instead.
In the United States, Subaru's television ad campaign for the Tribeca has prominently featured the Kansas song "Dust in the Wind".
The Tribeca was slightly reworked for 2007 to address many of the complaints of reviewers. The updated model, debuting at the Chicago Auto Show, includes some work on the nose with a blacked-out grille, and revised struts, stabilizer bars, and spring rates for better handling. Inside, XM Satellite Radio and iPod connectors are pre-wired, while a backup camera and parking assist system can be added to the navigation system. A US$1300 Special Edition package includes a mesh grille, XM radio, and special wheels.
The 2008 model was introduced at the New York International Auto Show in April 2007. It will receive a facelift with more conventional styling, as well as a larger 3.6 L engine. "B9" will be dropped from the model name, leaving it just Subaru Tribeca.
This car was introduced in Australia and New Zealand in late 2006.
Forester
The Subaru Forester, is a compact crossover SUV produced since 1997 by the Japanese automaker Subaru. Released in the United States in 1998, it is based on the chassis of the Subaru Impreza.
As with all Subaru models marketed in the United States and other international markets since the early 1990s, the Forester is equipped with an all-wheel drive drivetrain. Subaru advertising employed the slogan "SUV tough, Car Easy" to appeal to the SUV-oriented market; and to this end, the Forester has features associated with SUVs such as a large, boxy cargo area and more ground clearance than other Subaru models (although it employs a unibody architecture, rather than a body-on-frame construction associated with some large trucks and large SUVs). The Forester, up until recently, was also sold in India as a Chevrolet alongside other Chevrolet models sold there. However since General Motors no longer holds an ownership stake in Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, sales in India of the Chevrolet-badged Forester have ended. The Forester is produced at the Gunma Yajima Factory in Japan.
Subaru chose to continue their longstanding traditional use of the boxer engine in the Forester, as well as their other products, to simplify the powertrain implementation of all wheel drive and because of the natural smoothness of the engine design. According to Subaru, because the engine sits inline with the transmission, instead of being offset, as can be commonly found by other FWD and AWD vehicles, body roll is minimized. The weight of the engine and transmission are balanced instead of being offset, which causes the weight of the engine and transmission to be unbalanced in the engine bay in other vehicles. The boxer engine also affords a low center of gravity because the engine sits low in the engine bay and close to the ground, as opposed to other vehicles, allowing the vehicle to stay more stable in moderate to high speed maneuvers. Other manufacturers attempt to counteract the offset weight by making their powertrains weight evenly distributed, which overall causes the powertrain to be heavier than the Subaru layout, which is lightweight from the beginning, having being manufactured from aluminum. The boxer design also provides perfect vibration mitigation because the movement of each piston is exactly countered by the corresponding piston in the opposing cylinder bank, eliminating the need for a harmonic balancer attached to the front of the engine at the crankshaft. Torque steer is also reduced with this type of powertrain layout. This is achieved by having the front driveshafts being of equal weight and length, and extend from the transmission to the front wheels at almost perpendicular from the transmission.
The Forester was Car and Driver magazine's Best Small SUV for 2004, 2005 and 2006.
The Forester is redesigned for the 2009 model year, and was unveiled in Japan Christmas Day 2007. The North American version debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The clean sheet, new styling, a first for the Forester line, gives it a similar appearance to the larger Tribeca after its recent restyle. The Tribeca is built on the Subaru Legacy/Outback platform, while the Forester will continue to be built on the smaller Impreza platform.
Impreza/WRX STI
The Subaru Impreza is a compact car that was first introduced by Subaru in 1993.
"Impreza" is a coined word, deriving from an originally Italian word, impresa, meaning a feat or achievement. In Polish, "Impreza" means "party", "event" or "show".
The Impreza was introduced after the popular Leone/Loyale was cancelled with the aging EA series engine. The Impreza was introduced with the popular EJ series engine found in the larger Subaru Legacy.
Compared to vehicles in a similar size class such as Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Mitsubishi Lancer and Mazda 323, only the Impreza has always offered AWD, and as of 1996 Subaru made this feature standard equipment in some markets.
Subaru chose to continue their longstanding use of the boxer engine in the Impreza. According to Subaru, their configuration of the engine inline with the transmission minimizes body roll due to the lower center of gravity compared with the offset engines in most other vehicles. The Subaru layout is also light-weight and lends itself easily to support all-wheel-drive. The boxer design provides perfect vibration mitigation due to the fact that the movement of each piston is exactly countered by the corresponding piston in the opposing cylinder bank, eliminating the need for a counter-rotating weighted crankshaft (harmonic balancer). Torque steer is also reduced with this type of powertrain layout since the front drive shafts are of equal length, but as Subarus are all wheel drive, this is a non-issue.
On 2007-04-03, Subaru officially unveiled the next generation Impreza WRX at the 2007 New York Auto Show.
The new base model Impreza is 50 mm shorter than its previous version but is wider and has a longer wheel base. The dashboard in the Impreza is much more open and is easier to configure. Also for the first time the windows now have frames on them to improve NVH levels and rigidity of the car.
In its home market the range comprises the 1.5 litre 15S, the 2.0 litre 20S and the 2.0 litre turbocharged S-GT. Variations are found in other markets around the world: In Australia the range at launch included three 2.0 litre models (the R, RX and RS) and a 2.5 litre turbocharged WRX.
In the North American market (the only one which receives the sedan variants), the model range consists of the 2.5 litre 2.5i and Outback Sport and the 2.5 litre turbocharged WRX. The new Impreza is offered as both a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback. The EJ253 engine carries over from the previous generation to power the 2.5i and the EJ255 engine carries over from the previous generation (although it now uses many external engine components from the Legacy GT) to power the turbocharged WRX trim levels.
From September 2007 the Impreza range in Australia has been changed with models designated R, RX, RS and WRX. Initially only hatch models will be offered, and a sedan version will be available in 2008. The R, RX and RS all share the same engine - a new 2.0 L, with 110 kW @ 6400 rpm and 196 Nm @ 3200 rpm. Subaru recommend that the new engines be run on 95 RON premium unleaded fuel. Another noticeable difference from the Japanese Impreza is the removal of the "Engine Start" button from the Australian model. The iconic WRX has largely unchanged engine power output of 169 kW and 320 Nm from its 2.5 L engine. As with previous versions, there will only be a manual version of the WRX. The weight of the car also has been lightened to just 1400 kg, and gives the WRX a 0-100 km/h time of 5.8 seconds.
The latest-generation of the STi (which will be in hatchback guise only) debuted in the Tokyo Auto Show in October 2007. The release date for a US launch is expected to be in March 2008.
The
Subaru Impreza WRX STI (formerly
STi, officially changed in 2006) is the highest standard-edition trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.
While the 2008 Impreza WRX was officially unveiled at the 2007 New York Autoshow, currently very little information is publicly known about the new STI. The STI will receive a higher degree of parts to differentiate it from its Impreza WRX brethren. Unlike the Impreza WRX, the STI will use aluminum body panels, will be available only as a 5-door hatchback, and will have different fenders than that of the WRX (breaking with previous tradition). Apparently, a Subaru rep stated to an IWSTI.COM member that the new STI would be 8.5" wider than the new WRX, and that power output would be at least 320 HP coming from a Legacy GT-derived 2.5L motor. According to leaked documents posted on NASIOC.com, the Impreza WRX STI will be sold to public starting January 2008 as a 2009 model. (An update: It will be sold in December 2007 as a 2008 model.) At the New York Autoshow, a Subaru spokesman confirmed that the Impreza WRC will be based off the hatch platform, due to its lower polar moment of inertia.
The car will appear on its definitive version at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Subaru has released official photos on 2007/10/11. A final announcement is scheduled for 2007/10/24. The J-spec version will have a 2.0L 304 hp (227 kW) EJ207 engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger, while other versions of the car will have a 2.5L 305 hp (227 kW) EJ257 engine with a single-scroll turbocharger. The 2008 car is expected to benefit from a lower polar moment of inertia due to smaller overhangs, and also features a double wishbone rear suspension.
The Subaru Website confirms that this latest US model of the STI will have 305 horsepower (227 kW) and 290 ft·lbf (390 N·m). of torque. Edmunds Inside Line reveals a range in price from $35,640 to $39,440, depending on the options included.
Subaru (UK) Limited plans to introduce a higher-spec Impreza 2.5 WRX STI Type UK later in 2008 with a power boost courtesy of Prodrive of Banbury, rumoured to boost power by around 100 bhp (75 kW).
Outback
Created in response to the popularity of the truck-based sport-utility vehicle, Subaru made largely visual changes to the existing Legacy extended roof Touring Wagon platform to suggest a more adventurous, rugged and capable persona. The Outback was introduced internationally where sales of their existing Legacy was being sold as a companion to the Legacy. The Outback name was used internationally except for Japan, where it was known as the Legacy Grand Wagon, then renamed Lancaster in model year 1997, then renamed again in 2005 as the Outback. Speculation has suggested the popularity of the first generation Legacy wagon air suspension height control inspired Subaru to replace the air bags that would begin to leak with age with a permanent increased ride height and larger wheels and tires. Over the years since its introduction, Subaru has incorporated the Outback nameplate variously to the Outback wagon itself, an Outback Sports Utility Sedan or SUS (in 1998, Subaru test-marketed the SUS in New England to gauge public opinion) and an Impreza-based Outback Sport model. As of the 2008 US lineup, the Outback nameplate will once again apply only to wagon models. The Outback wagon has steadily outsold the Legacy wagon in the US. All American Outbacks are built at the Lafayette, Indiana location.
Subaru chose to use the boxer engine in the Outback as well as their other products, to simplify the powertrain implementation of all wheel drive and because of the natural smoothness of the engine design. According to Subaru, because the engine sits inline, or longitudinal, with the transmission, instead of being offset,or transverse, as can be commonly found by other FWD and AWD vehicles, body roll is minimized. The weight of the engine and transmission are balanced instead of being offset, which causes the weight of the engine and transmission to be unbalanced in the engine bay in other vehicles. The boxer engine also affords a low center of gravity because the engine sits low in the engine bay and close to the ground, as opposed to other vehicles, allowing the vehicle to stay more stable in moderate to high speed manovers. Other manufacturers attempt to counteract the offset weight by making their powertrains weight evenly distributed, which overall causes the powertrain to be heavier than the Subaru layout, which is manufactured from lightweight alluminum. The boxer design also provides perfect vibration mitigation due to the fact that the movement of each piston is exactly countered by the corresponding piston in the opposing cylinder bank, eliminating the need for a harmonic balancer attached to the front of the engine at the crankshaft. Torque steer is also reduced with this type of powertrain layout. This is achieved by having the front driveshafts being of equal weight and length, and extend from the transmission to the front wheels at almost perpendicular from the transmission.
Initial US advertising included Subaru's trademarked phrase: "The World's First Sport Utility Wagon," despite AMC's having earlier launched in 1979 its Concord-based AMC Eagle, a 4-wheel drive wagon discontinued in 1988. Subaru itself has manufactured four-wheel drive station wagons since 1975. (4WD was only available in the wagon version until 1977 with the introduction of the BRAT).
Other US Outback advertisements featured Australian "Crocodile Dundee" star Paul Hogan, placing the Outback in adventurous situations besting its competitors, notably the Ford Explorer.
Trim levels on all past and current USA Subarus can be easily identified by the color of the outside door handles. Base trim levels can be identified by black plastic door handles, whereas uplevel have painted door handles that match the exterior color.
In 2003, with the debut of the fourth-generation Legacy at the 60th Frankfurt Auto Show, the Outback name is now being used worldwide (Australia, Europe, Japan and USA) with the launch of the third-generation Outback wagon. Models equipped with a 3.0 L H6 were introduced at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show.
The Outback carries the same model codes as the Legacy Wagon, BP9 for the 2.5 liter, and BPE for the 3.0 liter model.
Subaru beefed up their AWD 4EAT transmission's design and released the 5EAT w/ SportShift in 2005
The Outback received styling revisions for the 2008 model year, notably an enlarged, chrome-ringed grille.
As of the 2008 model year, the Legacy wagon and Outback sedan were discontinued in the United States, leaving the Legacy sedan and Outback wagon.
The JDM model has been shown with a "Start/Stop" button which suggests that the vehicle has been equipped with keyless ignition, found in Lexus, Infiniti, Audi and other high end makers.
Legacy
The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car introduced by the Japanese manufacturer Subaru in February 1989 as a larger, upscale companion to the company's Leone/Loyale. Worldwide distribution started in 1990. In Australia, the Legacy bears the name Liberty out of respect for Legacy Australia, an organisation which aids veterans and their families during and after wars.
The standard equipped symmetrical all-wheel drive system is currently unique to the Legacy in this class size of vehicle. German automaker Volkswagen, the parent owner of Audi, produces the closest competitor Audi A4 and Volkswagen Passat with their AWD offering Quattro or 4motion and a 4-cylinder engine on the Audi and only on the 6-cylinder on the VW, however the AWD is an extra cost option on both vehicles in the USA.
Subaru chose to use the boxer engine in the Legacy, as well as their other products, to simplify the power train implementation of all-wheel drive and because of the natural smoothness of the engine design. According to Subaru, because the engine sits in-line, or longitudinal, with the transmission, instead of being offset, or transverse, as can be commonly found by other FWD and AWD vehicles, body roll is minimized. The weight of the engine and transmission are balanced instead of being offset, which causes the weight of the engine and transmission to be unbalanced in the engine bay in other vehicles. The boxer engine also affords a low center of gravity because the engine sits low in the engine bay and close to the ground, as opposed to other vehicles, allowing the vehicle to stay more stable in moderate to high speed manoeuvres. Other manufacturers attempt to counteract the offset weight by making their power trains' weight evenly distributed, which overall causes the power train to be heavier than the Subaru layout, which is manufactured from lightweight aluminium. The boxer design also provides perfect vibration mitigation due to the fact that the movement of each piston is exactly countered by the corresponding piston in the opposing cylinder bank, eliminating the need for a harmonic balancer attached to the front of the engine at the crankshaft. Torque steer is also reduced with this type of power train layout. This is achieved by having the front driveshafts being of equal weight and length, and extend from the transmission to the front wheels at almost perpendicular from the transmission.
The EZ series of flat-6 cylinder engines, used in current Legacy products, replaced the EG series found in the Subaru SVX.
On May 23, 2003 Fuji Heavy Industries debuted the redesigned Legacy, known as the BL for sedan models and BP for wagons. It was released worldwide in 2004, with Subaru of America commencing production in January 2004 for the United States and Canadian markets.
The chassis was redesigned and made stiffer, and it marked the return of a turbocharged engine to North American Legacies, featuring a 2.5 liter unit derived from that of the North American Impreza WRX STI. Due to advancements in turbocharger technology and tightening emission standards, the twin-turbo setup was dropped from the lineup. Turbocharged models and the H6 offered Subaru's first 5-speed automatic transmission, featuring SportShift technology licensed from Prodrive, Ltd.
European models have not featured a turbocharged gasoline engine due to emission standards, while RHD export markets initially received 2.0 liter engines derived from Japanese Domestic Market models, later updated to the 2.5 liter engine found on USDM Legacies.
The BL/BP Legacy was refreshed in 2006, with a refreshed grille, bumper and taillights. Normally aspirated models received the gauge cluster from the earlier turbocharged BL Legacy, and turbocharged models were updated with the SI-Drive adaptive throttle system, and updated gauges, showing realtime fuel consumption.
During MY 2005, Subaru introduced Active Valve Control System, or AVCS on both the 2.5 Flat-4 and 3.0 Flat-6 engines as standard equipment.
As of the 2008 model year, the Legacy wagon and Outback sedan were discontinued in the United States, leaving the Legacy sedan and Outback wagon. The Legacy wagon was not discontinued in Canada. 2008 also brought the 3.0 L Flat-6 engine to the North American Legacy sedan. The Flat-6 has been available in the Outback sedan wagon since 2000.
USA Trim level designations have been updated and are listed in order of least expensive:
2.5i, 2.5i Limited, 2.5 GT Limited., 3.0R, 2.5GT Spec.b
In 2006, the trim level 2.5 SE was slotted between the 2.5i and the 2.5i Limited and the GT spec B was added.
In 2007, the 3.0R was added with the 6 cylinder engine.
European Legacy have two trim levels: the 2.0R and the 3.0R spec B.
In Japan, the Legacy comes in three variations: Legacy Touring Wagon, Legacy B4 sedan and Legacy Outback. Japanese versions are being offered radar-guided cruise control, referred to as SI-Cruise on all upper level products. The JDM Outback engine choices are either the 3.0 or 2.5 DOHC.
Pleo
The Subaru Pleo is a compact keicar made by Subaru, and only sold in Japan. It was launched in October 1998 when Japanese regulations dictated a size change in the keicar tax bracket, and every keicar model from every make was redesigned as a result.
The Pleo is taller than conventional keicar hatchbacks, but still shorter than the definitive keicar minivan, the Suzuki Wagon R.
It was available with a variety of 658 cc I4 engines: SOHC, DOHC, and supercharged in two different trim levels.
The more advanced Subaru R2 was introduced on December 8, 2003. However, the Pleo is still available as an affordable model with low-end engines.
Sambar
The Subaru Sambar is an automobile built by automaker Subaru for the Japanese market. It is available in microvan and pickup truck body styles and adheres to kei car guidelines. Still flourishing in the Japanese automotive industry, the Sambar continues to be produced in Japan, China, Korea, as well as in Finland with a joint venture with Elcat Automotive.
R1
The Subaru R1 was introduced by the Japanese carmaker Subaru on January 4, 2005. It was designed to fit within the Japanese keicar tax bracket.
The R1 is a two-door version of the Subaru R2, but with a shorter body and wheelbase. The R1 is unusual in that it does not use up the maximum length allowed for by the keicar regulations—the only other keicars to have done this since the 1989 Autozam Carol were the Suzuki Twin and the European Smart Fortwo.
The R1 was only available in one spec level up to end of 2005 with one engine. A DOHC 658 cc 16-valve AVCS engine is the middle child in the trio of engines for the R2. It is available with the three engines which are available for the R2: the I with a SOHC 34 kW (roughly 46 horsepower) engine, the R with the above mentioned DOHC engine rated at 40 kW (54 horsepower) and the S with a supercharged and intercooled engine rated at 47 kW (63 horsepower). The R1 is being marketed as a personal car and as a middle-aged couple's second car; a combination of leather and alcantara seating is available. All R1s are equipped with a CVT, and all trim levels are available with front-wheel drive as well as four-wheel drive.
R2
The Subaru R2 was announced in Japan on December 8, 2003. It is Subaru's re-entry in the Japanese keicar market. Photo: http://www.subaru.co.jp/r2/
The R2 name was inspired by the Subaru R-2, the keicar model that was produced between 1969 to 1972. The R2's exterior reflects influence from Andreas Zapatinas, who worked at Alfa Romeo before moving to Subaru. The R2 is the first production Subaru to sport a new family look, including the aviation-inspired "spread wings grille". The R2's exterior dimensions are largely similar to its predecessor, the Subaru Pleo, but unlike the squarish Pleo, the R2 is deliberately rounded and does not use every inch of its dimensions for interior space.
Three variations of the 4-cylinder, 658 cc engine are available:
- SOHC
- DOHC AVCS (variable valve timing)
- DOHC with supercharger and intercooler
The two lower engines are available with either a manual transmission or a CVT. The supercharged engine is coupled to a sportshift version of the CVT. Both front wheel drive and all wheel drive are available.
Initially, the R2 was available in 11 colors and 3 trim levels (one for each engine variation).
On January 4, 2005, the Subaru R1 was introduced. This is a 2-door version of the R2, but with a shorter body and wheelbase.
Stella
The Subaru Stella is a Japanese automobile produced by Subaru. The Stella is based on the same architecture as the Subaru R2.