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Where Subaru cars are made. Where are Subaru cars made

13.02.2021

Subaru

First President of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI) - Kenji Kita Mr. Kita was an ardent proponent of the passenger car industry and was passionate about everything about the company's first prototype passenger car, the P-1, in 1954.
He organized a competition for the choice of names for the car, but nothing of the proposed touched his soul. After much deliberation and discussion, Mr. Kita settled on Subaru.


Subaru (pointing the way or bringing together) is a cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus. Six stars can be seen in the night sky with the naked eye, and about 250 more, if you use a telescope. In the West they are called the Pleiades. In Japan, this name is consonant with Mitsuraboshi - "Six stars", often found in old Japanese documents and literature. It is also noteworthy that the FHI company was formed as a result of the merger of exactly six companies, once again confirming the validity of the Subaru name.

The history of development

FHI is the successor to Nakajima Aircraft, which was originally established as an Aircraft Research Laboratory. The laboratory, founded in 1917 by Chikuhei Nakajima (1884-1949) in Gunma Prefecture (approximately 70 km north of Tokyo), is now the location of Subaru's main modern manufacturing base.
Nakajima was the eldest son of a farmer in Gunma Prefecture. At the age of 19, he entered the naval academy, and there he was caught by the news of the first successful plane flight carried out in the United States by the Wright Brothers. Nakajima wanted to participate in the creation of aircraft for the Japanese armed forces. After leaving the army, he founded the Aviation Research Laboratory. The laboratory soon became Nakajima Aircraft Co., Ltd. This renaming highlighted the fact that the company has moved on a par with the leading aircraft manufacturers in Japan.
By the end of the Second World War, in 1945, the production of aircraft was stopped.


The company was able to carry out a new start under a different name - Fuji Sangyo Co., ltd. I had to start with a thorough search for consumers of those high technologies that were used in the aviation industry.
In February 1954, FHI announced its own prototype of a passenger car called the P-1, which was later named the Subaru 1500.
This passenger car has shown excellent driving characteristics thanks to its suspension. But sales were delayed due to difficulties in finding funding to equip the plant and set up a car sales network.


This car was of great importance in the further development of the Subaru 360 and Subaru 1000 models.
In 1958, on March 3, a car appeared on the market and immediately made me fall in love with a car: Subaru 360. Due to its beetle-like appearance, Subaru 360 began to be affectionately called the Ladybug. At that time, car manufacturers in Japan were working on the development of a minicar according to a plan to build a people's car, which was supported by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan. It was required to create a small and affordable car that would nevertheless have good characteristics. Few automakers have tackled this challenge. The Subaru 360 has been designed exactly according to this concept. Throughout its 11 years of production, the Subaru 360 has enjoyed immense popularity. In May 1970, the production of the car was completed.


Subaru Leone was born in June 1971, and after it, in September 1972, a version appeared - Subaru Leone 4WD Station Wagon with all-wheel drive.
When the car was introduced to the market, it was offered exclusively for snowy or mountainous areas. But the car confidently expanded the circle of admirers. Subaru's original all-wheel drive (4WD) system has made the car the best-selling four-wheel drive passenger car.


In October 1983, the debut of the Subaru Domingo single-volume minibus took place. This car made it possible not only to accommodate seven passengers with a fairly compact body, but also to transform the seats in various ways with the help of rotating and reclining seats, first developed in Japan.

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is an automotive competition in which commercial vehicles compete against each other. The creators of Subaru decided to enter the competition to demonstrate the high potential of the all-wheel drive vehicle. In addition, participation in a competition of this class allowed collecting and analyzing data on the behavior of a car in difficult conditions and taking into account the results when creating mass-produced cars.
Subaru's creators have always taken the issue of vehicle handling very seriously. The company's engineers carried out test tests in any conditions on special roads and public roads at the stage of car design. The data collected after passing these tests has been thoroughly studied and used to improve the vehicle's performance.


In 1989, from January 2 to January 21, the first generation Subaru Legacy set the 100,000 km world speed record at the Arizona Test Center, located on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. The car covered the distance of 100,000 kilometers in 447 hours 44 minutes and 9.887 seconds at an average speed of 223.345 km / h, setting a new world speed record.


At the 81st Geneva Motor Show, which was held in March 2011, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), Subaru's car manufacturer, unveils a concept car for the first time in Europe

The assembly of the 2018 Subaru Forester for Russia is carried out at only one enterprise, although for 19 years it has been produced at factories in several countries. Four-wheel drive with a ground clearance of more than 20 cm is in demand in Europe, Japan and North America, Africa and even Australia. It was also popular in Russia - the carmaker was even going to open a Russian plant. However, the assembly of the Forester in the Russian Federation did not begin either on schedule or in 2017 - there is no reason to assume that the assembly lines will work in the future.

Where is Subaru Forester assembled

At the very beginning of production, the car was delivered only to Japanese car dealerships. However, with an increase in demand for an urban SUV, it began to be sold to other countries. The production volumes of the car, the 4th generation of which was shown in 2012, also gradually increased. The company presented the latest version of the car in March 2018.

It's easy to answer where the new Subaru Forester is assembled for Russia:

  • Cars have been produced for a long time only at one plant - Gunma Yajima in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. They are also assembling for Ukraine, the EU and other markets.
  • Several years ago, a modification of an SUV for Asia called the Chevrolet Forester was assembled at the Indian enterprise General Motors. Production ceased after GM sold its stake in Subaru.
  • The Forester model was also produced in the USA - the SIA plant in Lafayette (Indiana). From here, cars were supplied to the North American market. Now only Legacy and Outback models are assembled here, to which the Impreza car was added in 2016.

In 2014, the car was going to be produced at the Kaliningrad enterprise "Avtotor". However, the company's plans no longer include work in this direction. The reason for abandoning the plans is a decrease in demand for this model - in 2015, domestic car dealerships sold no more than 10,000 cars. Although this situation simplifies the answer to the question of where Subaru Forester is assembled for Russia and any other country.

Build quality

Comparing different assemblies of Subaru Forester, you can notice the difference in trim levels produced for the Japanese market and for Russia - although from the outside they are completely identical. The first difference is the interior of the car, which in the Russian version did not receive such a high-quality finish and does not seem so roomy. Cars and engines differ - modifications for the Russian Federation are equipped with a less efficient motor, which is why their dynamics are worse.

There are drawbacks to the soundproofing of such an SUV. On the other hand, domestic versions are more adapted to Russian roads, pass holes faster and successfully cope with off-road conditions. Although even the driver of such a car is not recommended to brake off-road.

Despite slight differences in assembly, both the Japanese version, and models for the domestic market, and previously produced cars for other countries provide maximum comfort for both the driver and passengers. This also applies to heated seats, and convenient control of car systems directly from the steering wheel, and electrical adjustment of windows, seats and mirrors.

The history of the Japanese automobile company "Subaru" began in 1954, after the concern "Fuji Heavy Industries" received an order for the production of an inexpensive car from the Japanese government. The first prototypes were released in the same year, and in 1955 the first pre-production samples were released, called the Subaru 1500. However, due to lack of funding, the start of serial production was postponed until 1958. Going on sale, two options were presented to equip the model with a 1.5-liter power unit with a capacity of 47 horsepower and a 1.8-liter one with a capacity of 54 horsepower. Successful sales of the 1500 model allowed Fuji Heavy Industries to start developing a compact truck on its basis, which will later be sold under the Sambar brand.

The next passenger model of the company « Subaru”Was introduced in 1966. Since fuel consumption has always been a key factor in the success of a particular vehicle, the compact sedan Subaru 1000, equipped with a 0.9-liter boxer engine with a capacity of 55 horsepower. In addition, the firm decided to move away from the then classic rear-wheel drive chassis design, introducing one of the first Japanese cars with front-wheel drive.

However, engineers of the company "Subaru" did not stop there, starting in the same year to develop a lightweight platform that could allow the use of four-wheel drive, while maintaining the lightness and compactness of a compact car. So, in 1971, a compact sedan model was introduced Subaru leone, equipped with all-wheel drive and power units with a capacity of 55 to 90 horsepower. In addition to a rich range of engines, the car was equipped with several body options, among them there was a station wagon-type body, which became especially popular in the automotive market of the United States of America and Canada in 1977, immediately after the release of this modification. However, a key factor in the success of the model was the fuel crisis, which completely changed the automotive industry in the 70s and 80s of the 20th century.

1978 based on the model Subaru leone production of a small pickup BRAT developed for the Japanese domestic automotive market. In addition, modifications were introduced in 1979 Subaru Leon to participate in the World Rally Championship. From 1980 to 2011 the factory team " Subaru”Was a constant participant of the championship, but after a series of failures, it was decided to curtail the sports program of the Japanese brand. During the debut of the very first model Subaru wrx, Italian teams reigned on the rally tracks, driving cars of the brands " Lancia" and " FIAT". However, after tightening the rules, the palm alternately passed from “ Audi" To " Lanche », « Peugeot" and " Toyota". Company management " Subaru»In 1994, after a series of setbacks, again decided to curtail the rally program immediately after the end of the 1995 season, and the first rider of the team was informed about this. Colin McRae... Updated Subaru Impreza in the 555 modification allowed the driver to win only two victories in the 1995 season, but thanks to the incredible reliability of the car, McRae certainly finished in the top three, which ensured him the champion title, and the long-awaited victory for the Japanese brand. The next victory has already been won Richard Burns in 2001, and after 3 years the success was consolidated by the Norwegian Peter Solberg having tried on the crown of the champion in 2004, replaying the future legend of rally racing Sebastian Loeb.

Against the background of the development of the racing traditions of the team “ Subaru”, Production cars have undergone a number of changes. So in 1983 was introduced minivan Subaru Domingo, ranked second in terms of sales in its segment in the United States of America automobile market. This was followed by city cars for the domestic market, but the real success was much later.

In 1987, the first generation of the midsize sedan was introduced Subaru legacy, built on a platform of a new generation, which in some modifications had front or all-wheel drive, which made it possible to lay the technical basis for the creation of a new class of cars - the crossover segment. Under the hood Subaru Legacy a two-liter turbocharged power unit with a capacity of 217 horsepower is located. In 1989, a modification was introduced Legacy Outback, which had a station wagon and permanent four-wheel drive.

Amid the growing success of the compact sedan Mitsubishi Lancer, which in 1991 was built on the same principle as Subaru Legacy, but due to its compact dimensions and lower weight, it began to gradually replace the brand “ Subaru»From the positions taken by her. In a hurry, the company's engineers developed a competitor Mitsubishi Lancer introducing it in 1992 under the name Impreza... The key difference between the model, however, was not technical data, but pricing policy. Basic version of the car Subaru Impreza with front-wheel drive accounted for 80% of the cost of the basic version Mitsubishi Lancer, which allowed the company “ Subaru"Permanently return their positions back.

However, the fast-growing segment of midsize crossovers continued to beckon the company's management “ Subaru”, Which led to the start of work on a full-fledged SUV of the brand. In 1997, the first generation of the model was presented Subaru Forester, equipped with a 250 horsepower turbocharged engine. By the way, this model also added to the number of Subaru cars, which received many modifications and updates, constantly forming part of the company's current model range.

In 2000, there was a complete renovation cars of the brand "Subaru" but financial difficulties gradually wore out the Japanese company. In 2002, after an expensive model launch Subaru outback as an independent car caused the concern's losses to become too large. Problems of the brand " Subaru”Attracted not only the Japanese government, which was in dire need of debt repayment, but also investors who wanted to acquire a promising brand. The decision was made much simpler than originally planned. A technological cooperation contract was signed with the Swedish brand " Volvo", Which in exchange for technology and development" Subaru”, Paid part of the company's debt. But this turned out to be not enough, and in 2004 the brand got a new co-owner - the largest automaker " Toyota», Which planned to include another well-known brand in its composition. True, the country's government blocked the deal, citing antimonopoly legislation. As a result, the firm “ Toyota"Managed to get only about 7% of the shares" Subaru».

Having secured itself financially, the company “ Subaru»Started further work on new cars. In 2005, a special special version was introduced Subaru Impreza, which received a 390 horsepower engine and an aerodynamic body kit developed in conjunction with the racing department of the brand " Audi". And the following year, the firm tried itself as a luxury car manufacturer, introducing the model Subaru Tribeca, which was supposed to compete with brands such as “ Lexus" and " Infinity ».

The next blow to the company's well-being “ Subaru»Caused the global economic crisis, which forced the Japanese brand to reduce production volumes, as well as switch to a shift work schedule. In addition, 2008-2010 became so unfortunate that one of the brand's factories was temporarily closed. Concern came to the rescue again " Toyota", Which provided" Subaru»A new low-cost model and, having covered all the debts of the brand, received an additional 0.5% of the shares. Subaru BRZ model is a complete analog of Toyota 86, except that it was decided to sell the twin cars in different countries, without creating artificial competition.

In 2011, the compact crossover Subaru XV built on the basis of the legendary Impreza models but with increased ground clearance and more electronics. Urban crossover breaks the record for sales in its class in the auto markets of Japan, the United States of America and Canada, falling short of the model Toyota Rav4 only a few hundred copies sold.

In 2012, the brand unveiled one of the most impressive vehicles to date, co-developed with Toyota. It was a Subaru BRZ with a boxer engine and rear wheel drive.

The Subaru BRZ is a compact rear-wheel drive sports car in the back of a two-door coupe, developed and produced jointly by Subaru and Toyota, and was officially unveiled at the December 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. BRZ stands for Boxer, Rear Wheel Drive, Zenith. The model is sold under three different brands: Toyota (Toyota 86 in Japan, Australia, North America and North Africa, Toyota GT-86 in Europe, Toyota FT-86 in Nicaragua and Jamaica), Subaru (Subaru BRZ) and Scion (Scion FR- S).

The car is built on a modified Subaru Impreza platform. The sports car has a low center of gravity, located at a height of 460 mm, thanks to the boxer engine and low seating position of the driver and passenger, and the gearbox, like the engine, is located as far down and back as possible.

The fourth generation of the STI car began in 2014. This year saw the release of the fourth generation WRX STI. Probably, it is this generation that is most different from all the previous ones in technical equipment.

Subaru WRX STI is a real legend and without exaggeration a cult car. Its rise to the Olympic rally and nationwide fame began more than 20 years ago, in the early 90s, when Subaru began to cooperate with the British firm Prodrive and took part in the WRC World Rally Championship with a new model. Impreza, and now it's just a Subaru WRX STI. Although, as before, it is built on the basis of a civilian sedan. Along with part of the name, "unnecessary modifications" are gone - now the STI is produced only in the sedan body and only with a manual transmission. Together with the new body, the charged sedan received a completely new design. Smooth lines have given way to straight and sharper lines, and the front of the car has become more formidable.

In the fourth generation, Subaru WRX STI has become a little more civilian, but only for those who fully understand what the previous generations of STI are. For everyone else, this is a powerful, tough and hurricane car. And in the hands of an experienced driver, it is also an excellent tool for victory on the track, because the WRX STI is now actively performing on the asphalt of the legendary Nürburgring track, but believe me, gravel is still not alien to it, and, as before, STI remains an excellent "blank" for tuning lovers.

Summing up, we can say that in the absence of its main competitor, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, Subaru felt much freer and we hope it will delight us with new products more often.

Country of origin "Subaru" - Japan, and that says it all. The auto industry in the state is developed in such a way that a vehicle of low quality will not leave a single plant for the production of cars.

Specifically, Subaru is a brand with a rich history. A pioneering company, on account of which the discovery of several technologies that have become the most important in the field of mechanical engineering. Let's talk about how it developed for which Russian car owners love it so much.

"Subaru": country of origin and history of brand creation

Founded in Japan, the brand belongs to Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), which manufactures cars and trucks, as well as engines and components. FHI was founded in 1917 by Chikuhei Nakajima as the Nakajima Aircraft Aviation Research Laboratory in Gunma Prefecture. And it is in this place that Subaru's main production facilities are now located. In addition, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. still takes part in aircraft construction, is engaged in the production of industrial equipment.

The first president of FHI was Kenji Kita. This is a man who was madly in love with cars. He was especially zealous for everything connected with their production. Kenji Keith's ardent love was the P-1, produced by the company in 1954.

Subaru logo and name designation

Since the country of origin of "Subaru" is Japan, and the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun treat the stars with special trepidation, the Subaru logo uses these symbols as an image. When the corporation began to be divided into several departments, it became necessary to create a name and logo. First, a competition was arranged by Mr. Kit. But he did not like any of the proposed options, and he himself believed that "the Japanese car should have a Japanese name", he had to solve this issue on his own. And Kenji Keith did it. Subaru is the Japanese name for a cluster of stars, which translates to "coming together" or "pointing the way." Actually, thanks to this, there was no need to come up with a logo - the picture took shape by itself.

The first cars of the company

The P-1, produced in 1954, is the first Subaru car in Japan. A year later, the model was named Subaru 1500. It was a passenger-type vehicle. The R-1 model has shown excellent driving characteristics and perfect handling. Subsequently, Subaru 360 and 1000 were created on its basis.

The Subaru 360 is the "ladybug" as it was called because of its size. Japan's first affordable passenger car. By releasing it, Subaru made a technological breakthrough, since before the 360th model in Japan there was no car that could be launched into mass production, making it accessible to the people.

On the basis of the "bug" in 1961, "Subaru" (country of origin - Japan) developed the Sambar Truck. This model is distinguished by an increased level of comfort, meeting all the requirements for convenience for both passengers and the driver. Visually, it was a mini-truck with a lower floor and a free interior, when compared with analogues of other brands.

After Sambar Truck, the Sambar Light Van was released in the same year. Unlike the previous version, this model was not only suitable for commercial use - it was a great family car.

It's also important to mention the Subaru 1000, which came out in 1966. Today, its concept largely distinguishes Subaru from other manufacturers. This model was the first to use a front-wheel drive (FWD) system with a horizontally opposed engine. Thanks to this technology, the car is much more obedient on the road, as FWD has a direct impact on handling.

Subaru lineup today

Subaru models such as Forester, Legacy and Impreza can be called the true pride of the company. The Legacy era begins in 1989. This model is the first to combine standard equipment and a boxer engine, so it could compete even with Alfa Romeo.

The Impreza was launched in 1992. The model was produced with four doors, body types - sedan and station wagon with sports car features. The Impreza had excellent technical characteristics and was equipped with a turbocharged engine. But he debuted a little later, in 1997. His concept was called Best of both, which means "the best of two." Forester is a combination of austere design and an SUV (sport utility vehicle).

In addition to Impreza, Legacy and Forester, Subaru produced another, no less popular car in Russia - BRZ. Developed in partnership with Toyota, this model combines a boxer engine with rear-wheel drive. And it is worth noting that such an unusual association, created by the minds of the largest Japanese automakers, is incredibly impressive. But Subaru doesn't stop there. Who knows, maybe soon a high-tech brand will give the world an even more perfect car.

Subaru is an automobile trademark of a large industrial concern Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. Automobiles are far from FHI's only business; besides them, FHI is engaged in aviation technology, railway transport, shipbuilding, etc. The history of the concern, thanks to which the Subaru brand was born, began in 1917.

A young engineer and aviation enthusiast, Chikuhei Nakajima, opened the Aircraft Research Laboratory in Nakagama this year. At that time, there was no aviation in Japan as such, but thanks to the First World War, which demonstrated its capabilities, in particular, Nakajima's laboratory was opened. In 1931, the laboratory turned into an aircraft company called Nakajima Aircraft Co., Ltd, and Nakajima's aircraft were in great demand in World War II - until 1945. In defeated Japan, the American occupation authorities applied antitrust and prohibitive laws to Nakajima Aircraft, the company was renamed Fuji Sangye Ltd. developments and talents in these areas. Automotive production as such did not yet exist; The Rabbit motor scooter, released in 1946, can be considered its forerunner, in the creation of which aviation spare parts left over from the war were used.

In 1950, Fuji Sangyo split into 12 independent events, some of which ceased to exist after some time. But already in 1953, the five strongest of the splinter companies came together again and merged into Fuji Heavy Industries. Later they were joined by the sixth. Headquartered in Hiroshima, the corporation began manufacturing jets, chainsaws, Rabbit scooters and diesel buses, and gradually achieved more and more success. In 1954, a prototype of a passenger car, the P-1 (Subaru 1500), was created, in which a monocoque body structure was implemented for the first time in the Japanese automotive industry. With all its excellent driving performance and comfort, the car did not go into production due to financial difficulties associated with its production and sales. But later he played a significant role in the development of models and.

By the way, the name Subaru was born thanks to the president of FHI - Kenji Kita. When the P-1 was created, Kita announced a competition for the best name for it. He believed that a Japanese car should have a Japanese name. But none of the proposed names won the competition, and in the end Keith came up with the name himself - it turned out to be the word Subaru. In Japanese, it means "to unite, put together", and is also the name of the constellation Pleiades (part of the constellation Taurus). Without a telescope, six stars can be seen in the Pleiades (in fact, there are more than 200), and it was through the merger of six companies that the Fuji Heavy Industries concern was formed.

Subaru's real car debut took place only in 1958. In Japan, exhausted by the war, when there was not enough raw materials and fuel for mechanical engineering, the government, in order to stimulate its own industry, adopted a law according to which passenger cars up to 360 cm long and with a gasoline consumption of less than 3.4 liters per 100 km were practically not taxed. FHI was the first company to produce a car that met these requirements - the Subaru 360. It was only 3 meters long, equipped with a 2-cylinder two-stroke engine with a volume of 358 cc and 16 hp. In addition, it featured a modern plastic and aluminum construction and an independent rear suspension. The engine was located in the back. The car turned out to be very successful, in many ways it overtook its competitors and allowed the FHI concern to gain a foothold in the automotive market, even despite the fact that at first its sales were rather low - only 604 copies were sold in the first year of production. But already in the next year, 1959, 5111 of these cars were produced, and two years later - more than 22 thousand. Subaru has become the leading manufacturer of this class of cars in Japan, and the 360 ​​has acquired new body types - a station wagon and a coupe with a soft roof.

In 1961, a division was founded to focus on delivery vans and pickups. Inspired by the success of the Subaru 360, in 1965 the company decided to enter the larger car market and launched the Subaru 1000. It was the first Japanese production car with front-wheel drive, a 997 cc 4-cylinder boxer engine with 55 hp. ... (with this model the history of Subaru boxer engines began), with an avant-garde appearance at that time, which became the standard for many imitations. Looking at the increasing sales in the domestic market, the management of the concern decided to make an attempt to export its cars to Europe and the USA. Subaru of America, Inc. was founded in Philadelphia. The 360 ​​model was chosen for the American market, but the attempt to export it ended in failure. But in the Japanese market, the car did not cease to be popular, as did the R-2 model that replaced it in 1969. And the Subaru 1000 was replaced at the same time by its modernized version - Subaru FF, with an increased engine size.

But soon (in 1971) the Subaru FF was replaced by a model - the world's first four-wheel drive passenger car, which aroused great interest among both specialists and ordinary buyers. Thanks to this car, Subaru has occupied a niche of four-wheel drive cars, free from more powerful competitors. And in 1972 the R-2 was replaced by the Rex, a 356 cc water-cooled 2-cylinder engine. In 1974, the Leone shown abroad began to experience a real boom in sales - within two years, 100,000 cars were sold, of which 30,000 were in the United States. In 1975, exports amounted to 26.9%. In 1977, the export to the United States of the model began. The production of Subaru cars, meanwhile, gradually went uphill - in 1979 it amounted to 150,000 cars, and in 1980 - 202,000.

1982 Subaru launches turbocharged engines. In 1983, a model was introduced - a minibus with four-wheel drive. The 5 millionth Subaru car left the factory. 1984 - the appearance of the Justy model, on which, for the first time in the world, an electronically controlled ECVT variator was installed. Production of Subaru 4WD vehicles reached 1 million. About 250,000 vehicles were produced annually, of which just over half were exported. And in 1985, Subaru released a luxury sports car - the Alcyone (XT), which had a 6-cylinder boxer engine with 145 hp. and many cutting edge features and functions. In 1987, a joint venture with Isuzu Motors, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., was opened in the United States. In the same year, a "follower" of Leone appeared, designed to replace him in the lineup - Legacy, whose history continues to this day. The Legacy was shown at the Chicago International Auto Show. He, like the Leone, was equipped with four-wheel drive; but, unlike the Leone, here the manufacturers abandoned the switchable rear-wheel drive and completely switched to 4WD. In 1989 in Arizona, on the Legacy Proving Grounds track, he set 2 world and 13 national records. He covered 100,000 km at an average speed of 223.345 km / h and covered this distance in 19 days of continuous track driving with stops only for refueling, changing consumables and, of course, pilots. At the same time, the Legacy Station Wagon as standard (for the Japanese domestic market, with a 2.0 twin turbo engine) set a speed record for serial station wagons - 249.981 km / h - on a highway in the vicinity of Salt Lake City. In addition, in the United States, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive began production, and the gran turismo class car was exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show, an all-wheel drive sports coupe with such an avant-garde design that it has not become obsolete.

Since 1990, a new period has begun in the history of Subaru - cooperation with the British company Prodrive. The concern decided to participate in motorsport, and Prodrive began to prepare Subaru cars for the competition. In the same year, Legacy won the Safary Rally in Group “N”. This is how Subaru's brilliant path began in the rally and ring championships, where cars of this brand won more than once. And in the "civil" industry, Subaru in 1990 released a purely urban small class car - Vivio. It was equipped with a 658 cc engine and the already famous CVT. There was also a "sports" modification of this little car, which accelerated to 100 km / h in just 5.4 seconds thanks to a 102 hp bi-turbo engine. (with the same volume). In a rally car built on the basis of such a Vivio, pilot Colin McRae has successfully competed in the Safari Rally.

1992 - another novelty appears on the market - the Impreza, which has become a legendary car due to its constant participation in the rally and is equipped with a whole range of engines - from 1.6 liters to 2-liter turbocharged. The Impreza has become a true role model for other automakers. In 1993, a new generation of Legacy appeared; in the same year, a car of this model won for the first time one of the WRC stages - the rally in New Zealand. In 1994, a trial batch of the Outback model appeared in the United States - a car of a new class, a passenger sports station wagon with the capabilities of an SUV. At the same time, Subaru followed a common trend for all automakers, creating an electric car in 1995 - the Subaru Sambar EV, and in 1996 the Outback went into series. In the same year, a bumper recycling system was developed and launched. 1997 - the year of the appearance of another model from Subaru - Forester, which caused a lot of difficulties for the classifiers. This car was very difficult to attribute to any of the categories already known at that time; he was a cross between a station wagon and an SUV. Moreover, other automakers began to refer to him and imitate him; this is how Subaru created the "reference car". The Forester was powered by a 2-liter boxer engine and a 5-speed gearbox. In 1998, the Vivio was replaced by the Pleo model, and the third generation Legacy appeared. The Legacy Station Wagon set a new world speed record for station wagons, and together with the Pleo became Japan's "new car of the year". 1999 was the year of alliances - business agreements were signed with General Motors and Suzuki Motor Corporation.

In 2000, the Impreza was named Japan's Car of the Year. At the 2002 Detroit Auto Show, a Baja pickup was shown, based on the Outback. To date, Subaru manufactures its cars at 9 factories, 5 of which are located in Japan, and sells them in 100 countries around the world. About half a million Subaru cars are produced each year; to some, this may seem like a small figure, but do not forget that the Fuji Heavy Industries concern, in addition to cars, is also engaged in other industries. Distinctive features of Subaru can be confidently called such proprietary developments that are now used all over the world, such as four-wheel drive (which still remains a Subaru trademark), boxer engines and a monocoque body structure. And, of course, the high quality and uncommonness of cars that demonstrate excellent performance both in everyday use and in motorsport.