Impreza sedan to spearhead Subaru growth

SUBARU will rely on its newly-released Impreza sedan, particularly the three-box WRX variant, to help establish its 11th consecutive sales record this year - as well as help sustain market share during 2009.

This will be backed up by the all-new fifth-generation Liberty and Outback range, due in the third quarter of 2009, as well as the introduction of a turbo-diesel boxer engine choice soon after that.

The possibility of the Exiga seven-seater people-mover coming into the Australian arena will also help Subaru next year, even though it has not yet been approved for release here.

According to Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior, the G3-series Impreza sedan will make the big difference.

The Japanese-designed four-door sedan re-exposes Subaru to the 50 per cent of the leading small car market denied to it since the release of the G3 Impreza hatch in late 2007.

Ironically, the opposite was true for the Impreza’s nemesis, the Mitsubishi Lancer, when it debuted in sedan-only CJ guise at around the same time last year, and only gained the Sportback hatch variant a few weeks ago.

“Impreza sales are up seven per cent this year in a small car market that is only marginally up year-to-date, and that is despite the fact that we haven’t had a sedan, which accounted for about 50 per cent of sales in our previous Impreza,” Mr Senior explained.

Sitting at 32,613 units to the end of October, Subaru is 470 sales up year-on-year, with all models bar the ageing Liberty and (especially) Outback recording small volume increases.

With two months to go, the 2008 target total for growth is 38,445 – which is 5832 units away this is a goal that Mr Senior expects to pass by the end of next month.

Left: Subaru Liberty, Outback and Exiga.

“In a difficult market over the last six months, on the back of solid performances from Impreza and Forester, we are up,” he reported.

“And last year’s figures included 1700 rental cars… we haven’t done any this year, so in real terms I think it is a solid performance - and helped by Tribeca, which is up 24 per cent.” Mr Senior says the WRX sedan may go as far as doubling or even tripling the sales of the WRX hatch’s 50-unit monthly average.

Subaru believes it will appeal to the more traditional WRX buyer, whereas the WRX hatch has brought in new buyers to the fold.

“We are anticipating that WRX sales will increase,” he said.

“The WRX has always been a sedan model, with (the old sedan accounting for) about 90 per cent of (WRX) volume,” Mr Senior added.

Subaru is staying mum about the next Liberty/Outback, but did reveal that there will be considerably more rear legroom than before as a result of a significant growth spurt, as well as more discernable visual differences between the two models, as the company seeks to create a unique look for the Outback versions.

“I think you guys will be pleasantly surprised by the greater differentiation between Liberty and Outback,” Mr Senior quipped.

As with the latest Impreza and Forester, the next Liberty/Outback is expected to lose the frameless side window feature that has been a Subaru hallmark since the 1970s.

The Outback will also herald Subaru’s first diesel engine, due at the very end of next year, with the Liberty models likely to follow suit sometime later on.

However, fans of the popular Forester compact SUV must wait until 2010 before the diesel version finds its way to Australia, thanks to Subaru’s obligation to fulfil European demand for this vehicle.

The delay of an automatic-transmission diesel is also slowing its arrival to Australia, as Subaru sees it as an imperative addition to the range.

Meanwhile, should the Exiga be added to the local line-up, it will only arrive in naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer versions of around 2.5 litres in capacity.

“There won’t be a turbocharged version,” Mr Senior stated, adding that Subaru will probably be ready to make an announcement on the future of the Impreza-based Exiga people-mover in Australia by the end of January next year “We have one here, doing some preliminary testing work,” he revealed.

“But we haven’t pressed the button on it yet - that will probably come after a few more discussions in January… and if it is (given the go-ahead), it’s probably (due out) late next year.” On the Forester front, the model mix for the latest, third-generation version introduced earlier this year is richer than on the previous iteration.

Subaru says the top-line XT turbo model has been especially well received and counts for up to 20 per cent of volume, compared to less than half of that for the G2-series Forester XT.

Subaru also managed to break a record last month, achieving at least three per cent market share in each state and territory in Australia for the first time, with South Australia and Queensland putting in big gains.

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