Subaru

For other uses, see Subaru (disambiguation).

Subaru
Native name
スバル
Company typeDivision
IndustryAutomotive
PredecessorNakajima Aircraft Company
Founded15 July 1953; 71 years ago (1953-07-15)[1][2]
FounderKenji Kita
Chikuhei Nakajima
Headquarters
Ebisu, Shibuya
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Atsushi Osaki (president, Representative Director & CEO)
Tomomi Nakamura (chairman & director)
ProductsAutomobiles
Production output
Decrease 912,452 units (Jan–Dec 2023)[3]
Number of employees
16,961 (2022) Edit this on Wikidata
ParentSubaru Corporation
DivisionsSubaru Tecnica International
Websitesubaru.co.jp

Subaru (スバル, /ˈsuːbəruː/ or /sʊˈbɑːruː/;[4][5] Japanese pronunciation: [sɯꜜbaɾɯ][6]) is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the twenty-first largest automaker by production worldwide in 2017.[7]

Subaru cars are known for their use of a boxer engine layout in most vehicles above 1,500 cc. The Symmetrical All Wheel Drive drive-train layout was introduced in 1972. Both became standard equipment for mid-size and smaller cars in most markets by 1996. The lone exception is the BRZ, introduced in 2012 via a partnership with Toyota, which pairs the boxer engine with rear-wheel-drive. Subaru also offers turbocharged versions of their passenger cars, such as the WRX, Legacy and Outback XT, Ascent, and formerly the Legacy GT and Forester XT.

In Western markets, Subaru vehicles have traditionally attracted a small but devoted core of buyers. The company's marketing targets those who desire its signature engine and drive train, all-wheel drive and rough-road capabilities, or affordable sports car designs.[8]

Subaru is the direct translation from Japanese for the Pleiades star cluster M45, or the "Seven Sisters" (one of whom tradition says is invisible – hence only six stars in the Subaru logo), which in turn inspires the logo and alludes to the companies that merged to create FHI.[9]

  1. ^ "Corporate Profile | Subaru Outline". SUBARU. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
  2. ^ "Corporate Information | Overview". Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. 2015-03-31. Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  3. ^ "Global Retail Sales Report (Flash Report)" (PDF) (Press release). Japan: Subaru. 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  4. ^ Subaru UK Boxer Diesel TV Ad. 2009-06-15 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Subaru Impreza 22B STI: The Original Rally Icon! – Ignition Episode Ep. 98. 2014-01-06. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ Japanese pronunciation of Car Brands. 2014-09-23. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2019-08-11 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "World Motor Vehicle Production" (PDF). OICA. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  8. ^ Jie, Ma; Hagiwara, Yuki (2013-08-09). "Subaru's 412% Surge Leads Carmaker to Debate Niche Status". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  9. ^ "Origins of Subaru name". Subaru-global.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-11. Retrieved 2010-10-05.