3 Reasons Why Subaru Wants You to Buy a New BRZ

The 2017 Subaru BRZ gets more power and increased performance, but it underperforms in sales. Why does Subaru keep it around?

Subaru sells a lot of 2017 Forester, Outback and Crosstrek all-wheel-drive vehicles, but the BRZ two-wheel-drive coupe is underperforming. Sales of the BRZ have been dropping and down nearly 40 percent last month. Why does Subaru keep the two-door sports coupe around?

BRZ serves a specific purpose

According to a report from CarAdvice, Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior, told them Subaru knows the sports coupe is never going to be a volume leader for the brand, it serves a very specific purpose in the lineup. Senior says Subaru uses the BRZ for an important role. First, it gets non-core (AWD) customers into Subaru showrooms.

Subaru isn’t trying to get away from their niche market of all-wheel-drive, they just want to attract new buyers who are driving enthusiasts. This goes right along with Subaru’s philosophy of building cars that are fun-to-drive. It’s why they sell the Subaru WRX and WRX STI performance cars. Senior says, “It hasn’t changed the philosophy, it hasn’t changed the customer sentiment. We are still primarily an all-wheel-drive company and always will be.”

BRZ attracts a different customer

Second, it’s a strategic decision to draw in customers who aspire to drive something that lifts their social position. It also puts the brand in a new light. Senior says, “It’s not volume, but it attracts a customer that traditionally we haven’t been able to talk to. And I think in terms of where we want to take the brand, toward being aspirational, for both volume and from a strategic point of view, it’s important to attract those new customers.”

A new 2017 Subaru BRZ Series.Yellow Special Edition

Subaru just launched a new 2017 Subaru BRZ Series.Yellow Special Edition to attract new buyers to the brand. It’s limited to just 500 units and will be available sometime in 2017. Read more about it here. (More on page 2).

Third, Subaru is targeting a younger buyer with the BRZ. If they buy a sports coupe, they might come back and buy a Crosstrek, Outback or Forester when their family grows and they need a bigger vehicle. The new 2017 Subaru BRZ gets a facelift with new power and performance goodies. It’s getting new customers into Subaru showrooms around the globe. BRZ fills an important role for Subaru. Look for them to keep it around.

Source: CarAdvice

Image source: Subaru