Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, traces its roots to 1915 when it began as an aircraft research company. Later, it produced airplanes that were used by the Japanese military during World War II.
Fuji expanded into car production in the 1950s, introducing the 1954 Subaru 1500, a compact sedan sourced from French automaker Peugeot. The Subaru name means “unite” in Japanese and is also a term that identifies …show more content…
Beginning in 1997, the brand switched exclusively to all-wheel drive, with the lone exception being its Subaru BRZ sports car, a rear-wheel drive model introduced in 2013.
In 1990, the Subaru Legacy was introduced, a model originally sold as a sedan and wagon. The current Subaru Legacy is offered as a midsize sedan only.
Three other Subaru models were introduced in the 1990s and remain in production to this day. The Impreza, a compact model that later yielded the performance Impreza WRX and WRX STi was introduced in 1992. Two crossover SUVs followed, the midsize Outback and the smaller Subaru Forester.
In 2005, Subaru introduced its first model with room for seven, the B9 Tribeca. That model was later renamed the Subaru Tribeca before being discontinued in 2014.
The Subaru BRZ broke the exclusive all-wheel drive line up when this rear-wheel drive, two-seater was introduced in 2013. This model is built in cooperation with Toyota and is twin with the Scion FR-S.
In 2014, the Subaru line was expanded further with the introduction of the compact XV Crosstrek SUV. The following year, Subaru officially separated its Impreza and WRX lines, the latter including its high-performance STi …show more content…
Its competitors include such mainstream brands as Dodge, Nissan, Kia, Volkswagen, Jeep, Honda, Hyundai, Scion, Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, GMC and