It’s hard to believe that fewer than 50,000 Subarus were sold in Europe last year, but it’s true. This brand is mainstream almost everywhere else in the world, but here, it’s more exclusive than Porsche.
The numbers I looked at even include Turkey, and 42,623 units sold in 2012 makes Subaru the 30th most popular brand in Europe (Porsche was in 29th position, with 47,033). We all know what can happen if the CO2 numbers of your engines in key markets such as the UK aren’t as low as those of your rivals. Just look at the collapse of Honda before the recent arrival of the much-needed 1.6-litre diesel engine. But Subaru isn’t Honda; it has always been a niche player in this region.
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So that no one can accuse me of wanting to beat up Subaru, I will here confess a long history of admiration for its parent company’s choice to walk the lesser-trodden path. When other Japanese companies were building boring, live-axle shockers with wayward handling, it was making admittedly unusual looking front- and four-wheel drive cars such as the Leone. Frameless doors, flat-four engines, and little levers to pull which would activate drive to the rear axle – these were just two things you could always find on a Subaru.
On my most recent three-day trip to Geneva and surrounding towns and villages, I saw loads of Subarus, as I did when I last visited my homeland – the Swiss and Aussies have known for decades just how long-lasting and totally dependable this company’s cars are.
Curious, I thought I’d take a look at how Subaru does in the land that gave the world Romansh, Rolex and Roger. Thanks to the wonderful stats presented for free by bestsellingcarsblog.com, I now know a Subaru managed to take the number one position in a European market last year. Truly. In August, the XV outsold all comers, and then ended up in 14th place for the year. That, in a country where some 328,000 cars were sold over the twelve-month period.
Would that it was the same situation in the UK. You don’t see many XVs here, which is a shame. The tax system penalises the 4×4 versions of many vehicles – witness all those FWD Nissan Jukes and Qashqais. For lots of people, having something that looks like an SUV is enough. Maybe more of them should consider the XV.
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By GlobalDataThis model started out as the XV concept at April 2011’s Shanghai motor show. Five months later, the production version was making its world premiere at the Frankfurt IAA. I mentioned Australia being one of Subaru’s best markets (over 30,000 cars are sold there most years): this was the first place to launch the XV (January 2012), fully eight months ahead of Japan. Europe and North America followed.
The Americans know this car as the XV Crosstrek and for them, it replaced the Outback Sport. Just like that former model, it can be thought of as a crossover version of the Impreza hatchback. So, a higher ride height, grey plastic cladding over the wheel arches and some big roof bars. The UK importer doesn’t offer the Impreza five-door, which is all to do with exchange rates – cars for our market come from Japan and the yen was until recently, extremely strong against sterling – but hopefully that will change later in 2013.
In Britain, the XV goes up against both the Qashqai and Juke, each of which has the major cost advantage of being manufactured here. Other rivals include the Mitsubishi ASX, Skoda Yeti, Mini Countryman and Vauxhall’s new Mokka, while another wave of soon to be launched crossovers such as the Trax, Captur, 2008 and EcoSport, is about to break on these shores. These multiple, albeit smaller arrivals should energise a booming segment still further, so Subaru may yet see a boost for the XV as awareness grows from cross-shoppers.
Fuji Heavy Industries’ global average annual sales goal for the XV is said to be 60,000 units, of which just over 5,000 units are being assembled in Malaysia. CKD build there began in December and even though obviously these are RHD cars, none is headed to Britain. The main reason is the existing demand not just from the Malaysian market, but also neighbouring Thailand and Indonesia. Factor in the diesel variants that UK buyers want, and it makes more sense to continue sourcing our cars from Japan.
The Gunma Main plant in Ota-city north of Tokyo is the source not only for all fully manufactured XVs and XV Crosstreks, but also multiple other models. This highly flexible plant builds the related Impreza five-door, plus the old-shape WRX-STI sedan, Forester crossover, Legacy sedan and wagon, Legacy Outback crossover and Exiga MPV. All of these models use variations of the same platform. Gunma even makes another three models on a different architecture: the BRZ, as well as its near-identical Scion FR-S and Toyota 86/GT86 brothers.
That’s the production story, but what about the vehicle as an ownership proposition? I said earlier that sales should get a boost this year thanks to the ongoing surge in interest for SUVs and crossovers, as well as the general ongoing growth of the British new vehicle market. IM Group, the importer, improved its warranty offer to five years from the former three as of January. It hasn’t raised prices in a while. That means the car I tried, a 2.0-litre petrol, starts at £24,295 in SE form.
For exactly £1,000 less, you can have a 1.6-litre petrol engine but this base variant also means the lower spec S trim. You have an advantage in insurance groupings (17E versus 21E) but VED bands are an identical D, which means £170 for the annual road tax bill. Whichever petrol engine you prefer, you have the option of automatic transmission. Fuji Heavy calls the CVTs it fits to its self-shifting cars ‘Lineartronic’.
One of the things that might help improve XV sales in the UK could be a diesel-Lineartronic combination but sadly that doesn’t exist. Instead, you get a six-speed gearbox, which no doubt suits Subaru’s traditional buyers who tend to live in rural areas, but city dwellers like me would much rather have the option of an automatic.
It’s easy to understand why Subaru has only a minor presence here in Britain, and just as easy to remember that its cars aren’t to everyone’s taste. The XV appeals to me, but then I don’t expect a magic carpet ride from a 4×4. Not that the car rides badly: it doesn’t. No, the problem is that Middle Britain has come to expect crossovers to be comfy and silent, not slightly rorty (that 2.0-litre boxer engine has such a distinctive sound) and OK, perhaps a bit on the plasticky side in its interior. Me, I’d have a DS3 over a Mini, and one of these over a Qashqai, any day. Maybe I should move to Switzerland.
Author: Glenn Brooks
