Subaru plans to double sales with diesel

Date: 25 September 2007   |   Author: Guy Bird

Subaru's long-awaited new diesel engine due in January 2008 could catapult its lacklustre sales from about 7500 in 2006 to 15,000 by 2010 if UK importer IM's projections are accurate.

According to managing director Lawrence Good, almost all the incremental sales will be diesels. The existing Legacy gets the Subaru in-house-developed 150PS 2.0-litre engine first in January and Good reckons the model's sales mix will instantly switch to about 90% diesel power in 2008 as a result.

The engine, which Good said has been benchmarked against the acclaimed BMW 320d for torque, CO2 and quietness, will then be slotted into the all-new Impreza and Forrester by September 2008.

Before that engine arrives, Subaru will launch the petrol-powered 230PS 2.5 Impreza WRX rally model in November for £19,995. The famous rally-inspired model will be limited to 1000 units before being dropped altogether partly due, insiders suggest, to concerns over its impact on the brand's overall CO2 emissions average. However, the also go-faster STi model will be retained, arriving in March 2008, and will remain unlimited in sales volumes.

Meanwhile, Subaru is focusing on finding 2500 new buyers for its naturally aspirated petrol Impreza models - the 107PS 1.5 and 150PS 2.0 - to shift its reliance on the performance STi and WRX models, currently 75% of its total current Impreza sales.

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