Subaru Has Made Its 20 Millionth AWD Vehicle
There are some automaker milestones worth celebrating. Some manufacturers share exciting news about recent award achievements, industry nominations, and sales numbers. Subaru has a number worthy of its own ticker-tape parade.
The Japanese carmaker officially produced its 20 millionth all-wheel drive vehicle. Can you imagine? When you make that many vehicles, it means you’re also selling them. Here’s a look into Subaru’s latest announcement and high-five moment. It seems Subaru’s all-wheel-drive approach to vehicle design is growing more popular among consumers and in terms of sales figures.
Subaru has some pretty impressive sales numbers
The pandemic put car buying on hold for all automakers. However, what matters is how well sales have rebounded throughout the end of 2020 and this year so far. As Subaru shares news of having produced its 20 millionth AWD vehicle, it also had some sales figures worth toasting to, as well.
Nearly 98 percent of all Subaru’s global sales are vehicles with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive core technology. PR Newswire shared Subaru’s 8.8 percent increase in sales this May from last May. The automaker’s year-to-date figures are already 278,373, more than 30 percent above where sales were in 2020.
Additionally, the sales numbers according to GoodCarBadCar suggests Subaru has the highest growth of all “mainstream brands” in the U.S., from roughly 200,000 sales in 2009 to 700,000 in 2019. Breaking its annual sales records proves consumers certainly love their AWD Subaru models. It’s a feature the brand continues to lead across more than just a few vehicles in its lineup.
A look at Subaru’s AWD model vehicles
In 1996, the automaker decided to incorporate the Subaru Symmetrical AWD as a standard feature across its entire portfolio. This design may be Subaru’s calling card, with its distinctive symmetrical drivetrain married to the longitudinally-mounted Subaru BOXER® engine. This design offers a lower center of gravity, lending more stability, traction, and safety to the AWD feature. To this day, every Subaru model, including cars and SUVs alike, comes standard with Subaru Symmetrical AWD.
However, not all AWD designs are created equal. Among the lineup of Subaru vehicles, you can expect a different ratio of torque when you consider older variations. For example, the Subaru Outback, Tribeca, and Legacy have a drivetrain distribution of 45:55. The Crosstrek, Legacy, and Impreza WRX models older than 2015 will have the CVT version of the AWD.
What’s new for Subaru’s AWD fleet?
Subaru continues to evolve its designs and performance features, including a refined version of its AWD to incorporate in the upcoming all-electric SUV, the Solterra. The popular Subaru Forester is expecting a mid-cycle refresh in 2022. Furthermore, there are also talks of the Impreza getting a much-needed, complete redesign next year.
Meanwhile, the 2022 Subaru Outback will get a few upgrades and remained the top-selling model for the automaker through 2019 before the Forester surged ahead in sales in 2020. However, the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek is the model to really keep an eye out for, as reports suggest it may be getting a 1.5-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine. According to Torque News, consumers can also expect redesigns for the performance models of the BRZ, the WRX, and the WRX STI in 2022.
Congratulations are in order for Subaru with its recent milestone achievement. Producing 20 million AWD vehicles is quite the victory lap. The company’s dedication to improving its already popular AWD standard fleet only spells success with future introductions. It also means consumers who drive Subaru models won’t likely face any inclement weather conditions they can’t navigate.
