More Surprises - Subaru’s 6 Winners, 2 Losers, A Newcomer And A Close Finish

Subaru of America (SOA) is coming to the finish line of a challenging year with new model shortages due to ongoing supply chain challenges. But SOA looks to finish the year strong with one month to go. November could indicate that things are changing, and customers will have more 2023 Crosstrek, Outback, Forester, and other new models available to buy from Subaru retailers.

Subaru of America reported a sales surge of its new models as they were up 51.7 percent in November, with 50,1038 new models delivered to U.S. customers compared with 33,045 in November 2021. SOA is now only down 6 percent for the year with one month to go.

There is strong demand for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek subcompact SUV, Forester compact SUV, Outback midsize SUV, Ascent 3-Row family hauler, and other models. The Camden, N.J. automaker finally has more new models to deliver to its U.S. customers, six models increased sales, and a new SUV finally showed up.

Six Subaru winners

The Subaru Forester compact SUV is still down 28.6 percent for the year but came roaring back and led all models in the lineup with the most significant percentage of sales increase (+147.7 percent). Forester had 9,211 sales in November compared with 3,719 in November 2021. Forester remains third in the lineup with 100,570 sales for the year.

The Subaru Crosstrek subcompact SUV is up 20.1 percent for the year and leads all models in the lineup year to date. Crosstrek had the third largest percentage of sales increase (+100.7 percent), with 12,672 sales in November compared to 6,314 in November 2021. Crosstrek leads SOA's lineup with 141,651 sales for the year.

The Subaru Outback midsize SUV is down 6.7 percent for the year but was up 44.2 percent in November, leading all models with 15,069 vehicles delivered to customers compared with 10,454 model sales in November 2021. The Outback remains second in the lineup, with 132,465 models sold for the year.

The Subaru Ascent 3-Row SUV is up 5.6 percent for the year and is only one of two models up year to date. Ascent saw a percentage of sales increase of 0.8 percent in November. The Ascent family hauler had 5,673 sales in November compared with 5,628 in November 2021. Ascent now has 56,724 sales for the year.

The newly redesigned Subaru Legacy had impressive sales and is down just 2.7 percent for the year, with a 110.9 percent increase in new model sales in November. SOA reports 2,166 sales in November compared with 1,027 in November 2021.

The WRX performance-tuned sedan increased 89.4 percent, with 2,080 models delivered to customers. Even with the increase, the WRX is still down 34.4 percent for the year.

The Subaru Solterra finally arrives

Subaru of America's fifth SUV finally arrives as the all-new electric 2023 Subaru Solterra compact SUV joins the all-wheel-drive lineup. SOA reports they delivered their first 94 Solterra models to U.S. customers in November.

The new Solterra was late arriving because of a recall, but they now have the new all-wheel-drive electric SUV they desperately needed to compete with the large automakers. Subaru of America has already sold its initial allotment of Solterra EVs to U.S. customers.

Two Subaru losers

Surprisingly SOA had only two losers in November. The aging Impreza falls further behind, ahead of the next-generation model launch. SOA reports 2,861 Impreza compact car sales compared with 4,300 in November 2021. Impreza is down 33.5 percent in November and dropped 7.5 percent for the year.

It's not a surprise the BRZ sports coupe dropped 38.2 percent in November, with 312 model sales. Sports car fans aren't buying many rear-wheel-drive two-door sports cars when winter is just around the corner.

Which Subaru SUV will be number one?

A battle is going on for which the Subaru model will be the number one selling all-wheel-drive vehicle in Subaru of America's lineup. The hot Crosstrek leads the lineup with 141,651 sales for the year. The Outback remains a close second in the lineup, with 132,465 models sold for the year. But the Outback is gaining on the Crosstrek going into the year's final month, now just 9,186 model sales behind. Will Crosstrek be the overall sales leader for the first time? Stay tuned; the answer is less than a month away.

Six Subaru all-wheel-drive models performed well near the close of a challenging year for the Camden, N.J. automaker; Subaru had only two losers, a new all-electric SUV arrived, and two models battle for the number one spot.

The outlook for 2023

With a new year less than one month away, 2023 will be very different than 2022. Subaru production is up in Japan, where the 2023 Crosstrek and Forester are manufactured, and in Lafayette, Indiana, where the 2023 Outback, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy are made. Check out the recent report here.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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