WHERE EXACTLY DOES SUBARU MAKE ITS SUVS AND CARS?
Subaru is a brand that has not only cemented itself in rally racing history, but it is also the go-to automaker for capable all-wheel-drive vehicles. The Japanese manufacturer has a long history that spans over 50 years and is going strong into the future with its Boxer-powered cars and SUVs. The carmaker first entered the automotive world in 1954, but it wasn't until 1968 that it started producing cars in America.
Some of the first Subaru cars were quirky and oddly styled. Cars like the XT Coupe and SVX were interesting, to say the least. However, trucks like the Subaru BRAT seemed to strike a chord with the public. Eventually, Subaru gained its stride and started producing some of the most well-known SUVs, like the Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek, and cars like the Impreza, WRX, and Legacy. All of which capitalize on safety, performance, and practicality.
But you may wonder where all of these vehicles are manufactured. Considering Subaru is a Japanese company, they must all be built in Japan, right? That's not entirely true. Here is a breakdown of where Subaru produces its cars and SUVs.
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Subarus Manufacturing Plants In Japan And The United States
Subaru has four different plants in Japan, located in the Gunma Prefecture, which is about a two-hour drive from Tokyo. Its main plant is the Subaru-chÅ location, which is a set of facilities that span 82 acres. At this location, Subaru builds the Impreza, WRX, Crosstrek, and Levorg wagon. The Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ are built here as well. Additionally, there are over 4,500 employees at this location.
Yajima Plant
Just a few blocks south of the Subaru-chÅ plant is the Yajima plant, which builds the Legacy, Forester, and Outback. There are over 3,000 workers at this location to produce the most popular offerings from Subaru.
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Ota North Plant
The Ota North plant is the oldest Subaru factory and is not being used to manufacture vehicles. Instead, the plant is used by the Subaru Aerospace arm of the company to produce aircraft components. However, some of Subaru's history resides at this plant, as it was previously used to build small cars like the Subaru Sambar kei utility vehicle family, which included passenger vans, pick-up trucks, and dump trucks.
Oizumi Plant
The Oizumi plant is located near the Subaru-chÅ and Yajima plants and doesn't produce complete vehicles. Instead, it focuses on building Subaru engines and transmissions to simplify the overall build process by assembling them for easier installation into the chassis.
Subaru Of Indiana Automotive
The only overseas Subaru plant is located in Lafayette, Indiana. This plant is capable of building over 300,000 every year, and it currently produces popular models like the Outback, Legacy, and Impreza for the American market. Interestingly, the 820-acre site was responsible for building more than just Subarus, as it has also manufactured the Toyota Camry and the first-generation Honda Passport in the past, since Isuzu had cars built at this location as well.
Why Doesn't Subaru Make More Hybrids?
In recent years, every auto brand has been pushing for hybrid and EV domination. However, Subaru has been very, very, very slow to roll out hybrids, especially PHEV models, which leads us to wonder what the brand's long-term strategy is. Do you think Subaru has fallen behind in hybrid manufacturing?
Subarus Partnership With Toyota
Although Subaru's partnership with Toyota goes a little deeper than making cool sports cars. To break it down, Subaru is a subsidiary of the Subaru Corporation, which Toyota has a small stake in. However, Subaru is still its own entity. Together, the two brands cooperate to build models like the Solterra, the BRZ, the Toyota bZ4X, and the Toyota GR86 .
Benefits Of The Joint Venture
One of the main benefits of this joint venture is that both companies save resources on research and development. Additionally, by building two of the same cars (BRZ and GR86), they save space on the assembly line. As stated, the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 are built in the Subaru plant located in Gunma, while the Solterra and bZ4x are built in the Motomachi assembly plant.
An Electric Future
Regarding the future of the joint venture, Subaru and Toyota are slated to build three electric crossover SUV models that should be released through 2026. Subaru CEO, Atsushi Osaki, says that the partnership is intended to minimize risk in the electric future. He told Automotive News:
At the moment, it is quite difficult to predict how things will go from here with EVs. There is a huge risk for us to go it alone in this field. We have held talks with Toyota and have agreed that it is better to reduce risks through a joint development.
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When Was Subaru Founded?
The Nakajima Aircraft Company, the predecessor to Subaru, existed around World War II. When the war ended, the company was split up into several smaller companies, and a few of them got together to form Fuji Heavy Industries, of which Subaru is a component. Fuji Heavy created the Subaru brand in the 1950s under CEO Kenji Kita, and created the first vehicle, the 1500 sedan, which was produced in 1954.
What Does Subaru's Logo Mean?
The parent company changed its name to the Subaru Corporation in 2016 and, in case you are wondering, the name âSubaruâ is the Japanese name for the star constellation known as the Pleiades. In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were a group of seven sisters, or stars. Only six of the seven stars are visible from Earth, so the six stars in the logo represent the six companies that merged to form Subaru.
Is Subaru An American Or Japanese Company?
Subaru is a Japanese company, despite having a plant located in America. The automaker prides itself on being the first automaker to build its cars in zero-landfill production plants, and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automotive plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.
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