Subaru looks to build on sales success (what we might see in 2019+)

2562 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Camaromjr, Sep 25, 2017

HeubergerMotors

Discussion Starter · Sep 19, 2017

http://www.autonews.com/article/20170904/OEM04/170909998/subaru-future-product

Thoughts?

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

MotoSteve

· #2 · Sep 19, 2017

I think the 3 row larger SUV makes a lot of sense. Subaru has the wagon, SUV, and Sedan pretty squared away when it comes to AWD cars and such. However, in order to compete with the bigger rides like the escalades and yukons, a bigger SUV is a great move.

Sedan wise you can go smaller on an impreza or jump a little bigger to a legacy
Wagon wise you can go crosstrek or outback
Performance wise you can go BRZ coupe or WRX for a sedan..or step it up to an STI for even more power/performance.
SUV wise: Forester and then ascent...it makes sense.

Re: Electric vehicle, that will be interesting to see what they come up with.

HeubergerMotors

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 19, 2017

MotoSteve said:
I think the 3 row larger SUV makes a lot of sense. Subaru has the wagon, SUV, and Sedan pretty squared away when it comes to AWD cars and such. However, in order to compete with the bigger rides like the escalades and yukons, a bigger SUV is a great move.

Sedan wise you can go smaller on an impreza or jump a little bigger to a legacy
Wagon wise you can go crosstrek or outback
Performance wise you can go BRZ coupe or WRX for a sedan..or step it up to an STI for even more power/performance.
SUV wise: Forester and then ascent...it makes sense.

Re: Electric vehicle, that will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Agreed, I dont see them doing the FA motor in the STi until 2020, even then, I'd only want it if it was a wagon.

I am excited for the Ascent! its going to be a huge hit on the 3rd row market and it looks great. plus besides the Q's from Audi, we will have the only symmetrical AWD SUV in the market.

Time will tell on the EV, being a gear head and all, its hard to get excited over a non-combustion engine vehicle.

XJman

· #4 · Sep 19, 2017

I genuinely hope a hybrid or electric vehicle

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rqjoe

· #5 · Sep 20, 2017

I also like the Ascent and think it will be a hit. I have serious doubts about the plug-in being a profitable thing, and who knows about an all electric. If Tesla keeps the EV hype going as it has been, then it will be a very good thing that Subaru has an offering.

I liked the first sentence, "...nd is setting sales records every month." I sit on my stock and wait for it to take off again.

Turbonator90

· #6 · Sep 21, 2017

rqjoe said:
I also like the Ascent and think it will be a hit. I have serious doubts about the plug-in being a profitable thing, and who knows about an all electric. If Tesla keeps the EV hype going as it has been, then it will be a very good thing that Subaru has an offering.

I liked the first sentence, "...nd is setting sales records every month." I sit on my stock and wait for it to take off again.

Our sales goal for the year from Subaru was 688. As of today we are sitting at 751. Still over 3 months left to go!

As much as I hate it, I do think the plug in may sell pretty well. Especially being a Subaru. I guess time will tell and we will see.

Doctor Jeff

· #7 · Sep 22, 2017

Here's what I'd like to see:

A WRX coupe or AWD BRZ with a turbo

Convertible based on the above

Redesigned Baja with a turbo

Also I'd like the WRX to move toward the original concept design from a few years ago--sleeker, more aerodynamic

All of the above are probably why I'm not in design and marketing...

Turbonator90

· #8 · Sep 22, 2017

Doctor Jeff said:
Here's what I'd like to see:

A WRX coupe or AWD BRZ with a turbo

Convertible based on the above

Redesigned Baja with a turbo

Also I'd like the WRX to move toward the original concept design from a few years ago--sleeker, more aerodynamic

All of the above are probably why I'm not in design and marketing...

I would actually love to see a factory turbo brz. idk about awd, but ppl are turboing them anyways. That would be pretty sweet.

MotoSteve

· #9 · Sep 22, 2017

Problem with a brz being turbo (AWD or not) is then it becomes faster and wipes the WRX away. Heck it's so tiny, it has STI potential.

You cannot let your 25k entry level model compete with your 36/40k flagship model.

That's why even the Brz TS or RA whatever they're calling it isnt even turbo. They just can't make it compete.

zax

· #10 · Sep 22, 2017

MotoSteve said:
Problem with a brz being turbo (AWD or not) is then it becomes faster and wipes the WRX away. Heck it's so tiny, it has STI potential.

You cannot let your 25k entry level model compete with your 36/40k flagship model.

That's why even the Brz TS or RA whatever they're calling it isnt even turbo. They just can't make it compete.

Subaru has been conservative over the last few decades. The company appears uinterested in competing in the horsepower wars and I respect them more for this reason.

The BRZ was intended to be a lightweight, NA sports coupe. More power would undermine this strategy and add significant weight.

It would need the driveline and brakes to support the additional power which comes at a weight penalty. I respect that the BRZ knows what it is and doesn't give a **** what horsepower muscle heads think.

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MotoSteve

· #11 · Sep 22, 2017

zax said:
Subaru has been conservative over the last few decades. The company appears uinterested in competing in the horsepower wars and I respect them more for this reason.

The BRZ was intended to be a lightweight, NA sports coupe. More power would undermine this strategy and add significant weight.

It would need the driveline and brakes to support the additional power which comes at a weight penalty. I respect that the BRZ knows what it is and doesn't give a **** what horsepower muscle heads think.

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Also an extremely valid point.

Doctor Jeff

· #12 · Sep 22, 2017

Well I see your point--saw a BRZ TS last week, and it looks really boss. For a sec I thought of trading my WRX in, if my WRX weren't still in the shop from the hailstorm damage...Even a tiny vestigial rear seat...

And I'm not a HP fool.

Having said that, coming from BMW their philosophy is "whatever people will pay for." The Z4 came with either a 2.4L or 3.0L NA, then a 2L turbo or 3L TT. If they added a turbo and made it a bit more robust and charged well into the 30's, well it might do something for sales.

zax

· #13 · Sep 22, 2017

Doctor Jeff said:
If they added a turbo and made it a bit more robust and charged well into the 30's, well it might do something for sales.

So? Subaru had to throttle back sales because they were overselling in their main revenue generators.

If you think that a turbo BRZ is going to make any significant difference to revenue when the Outback, Forester, and Crosstrek outsell the WRX/STI 20 to one, I'm calling you crazy.

You are significantly overestimating the size of the market that cares anything about performance.

WRX John

· #14 · Sep 22, 2017

BRZ sales are infinitesimal compared to the major Subaru models. And even compared to our WRX/Sti's, they are really small. Thanks to josnroh, we know that last month's comparative Subaru sales were:

Subaru Sales: Aug. 2017
WRX / STI : 2528
Outback: 20,327
Forester: 15,528
Crosstrek: 12,823
Impreza; 9990
Legacy: 4210
BRZ: 337

The BRZ could well be improved, even consequently doubling its monthly sales, but that will not address or significantly improve Subaru's sales.

I am not unique in just being "forced" to buy another brand (a 2017 Mazda GT for my wife) because there was nothing exciting in the Subaru line up with both a manual trans and a hatch. I still excitedly have my '17 WRX, but my wife said the rest of the Subaru lineup was boring to her and would not address our needs for a hatch, and so she is now happily driving her Mazda.

I have friends who likewise at least temporarily gave up on their hope to buy a WRX for that reason -- and also bought another brand, i.e., there are three of us who are now waiting until 2020 to see if the rumored WRX hatch becomes a reality. If not, we will go elsewhere -- and maybe for good.

I like the three row Subaru and other upcoming ideas, but doing away with the WRX/Sti hatch in 2014 sucked, and still does.

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RayfieldsWRX

· #15 · Sep 23, 2017

The BRZ addresses a tiny market, the folks that want the classic, Colin Chapman-style sports car...light, RWD, responsive. Folks that want it to be AWD have probably never driven one. The easy, controllable gymnastics that the car can do would likely be lost, and that's frankly a large part of its character. If you're busy comparing it to WRX's and STI's...you missed the point of the car.

All that said, it is indeed time for an update, and there is, of course, room for improvement. It doesn't "need" more power or a turbocharger to be a great enthusiast car...but...I miss FI. If Subaru came out with a successor with a nicely-implemented turbocharger on it, I'd probably start scheming how to buy it. Assuming they didn't flush the character of the car down the toilet with changes.

Doctor Jeff

· #16 · Sep 23, 2017

Well like I said, I'm not marketing genius, but...

I agree with what Rayfield said--great for what it is, but that is why it will remain a niche vehicle. That's fine if you like that kind of thing, and I've had a couple of lightweight RWD cars that were super fun to drive, just not great all-weather cars.

As far as a hatch, I'd like to see a good one, but that's got to be even more of a niche vehicle than the BRZ. How many did they sell back in the early 2010's? Anybody have numbers?

That said, I'm all for more models and in some cases more HP. I hate to keep using BMW as an example, but I know their cars a bit. That's been their model and pretty darn successful in the last 2 decades. BMW and most of the luxury makers have known for years that many of their low-volume "niche" cars are aspirational. People walk into the showroom wanting to look at a fancy coupe or convertible, and end up deciding it isn't practical or is too expensive and wind up with a conventional sedan. That's why BMW still makes a 300-hp Z4--sales are pitiful, but it's a great advertisement for the brand.

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SD_GR

· #17 · Sep 23, 2017

I don't find any of that stuff interesting because it offers nothing that I can't get elsewhere -- and it's usually wiser to just buy a Honda.

They ought to pursue the EV in earnest rather than simply having some marketing guy write a sentence or two.

I don't want to buy anything with an internal combustion engine going forward if I can avoid it at all. This probably excludes Subaru for the foreseeable future.

XJman

· #18 · Sep 23, 2017

SD_GR said:
I don't find any of that stuff interesting because it offers nothing that I can't get elsewhere -- and it's usually wiser to just buy a Honda.

They ought to pursue the EV in earnest rather than simply having some marketing guy write a sentence or two.

I don't want to buy anything with an internal combustion engine going forward if I can avoid it at all. This probably excludes Subaru for the foreseeable future.

I wouldn't bank on all battery electric vehicles being easily accessible for the common man in the next decade plus. Even with all of this talk of solid state batteries we are still years out for the manufacturing to be viable, costs to be affordable, and the public's willingness to buy.

I really want to see more focus on electric hybrid for the time being.

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SD_GR

· #19 · Sep 23, 2017

I'd settle for a hybrid electric as a stop-gap, yes. I was looking (briefly) at the Peugeot 208. It's 100 kg lighter (repeat: LIGHTER) than the 207, and it's got over 10L increased interior space. The 1,6L offers 200HP.

Meanwhile Subaru are now in the business of building Yank tank SUVs?!

For over a decade, since they made the mistake of introducing the 2,5L in the Impreza, I've been braying -- the voice of a lone jackass in the wilderness -- for a smaller, high power, low emission Impreza.

Crickets.

Doctor Jeff

· #20 · Sep 23, 2017

Re' electrics and hybrids let's not forget there are fleet targets for mpg, and most manufacturers are featuring these vehicles in part to lower the average mpg of all their cars, while still offering some that are more performance or power-oriented.

Yes I realize the current US administration is trying to throw out all regulations of the prior administration, but the trendline is clear, and many states (CA) and countries will insist on better fuel economy.

The R&D on the few electric or hybrids they sell eventually will find it's way into the majority of cars. Look at Volvo as an example--going whole hog electric.

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