Subaru Changes its Name: What Will it Mean For Consumers?

Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) does more than make Subaru automobiles. Now they are changing their name to put more focus on the Subaru brand. FHI will officially change its name to Subaru Corporation on April 1, 2017 to coincide with their founding date in April 1, 1917. Why the name change after 100 years?

An increased focus on the Subaru brand

FHI will make the change to put a further focus on their automobile brand. Subaru is Fuji Heavy’s main business and they will continue to build aerospace parts for Boeing. They also have an industrial division that will continue on, but it will be brought under the Subaru Corporation umbrella and those employees will bring their expertise to improve the Subaru automobile business.

What will this mean for the average consumer? As FHI pointed out in its mid-term management vision “Prominence 2020” announced in May 2014, you will see Fuji Heavy put a bigger focus on developing their brand of all-wheel-drive vehicles. The new 2017 Subaru Impreza is the first car to roll out with the new Subaru Global Platform that could transform the company into a major player. The new 2017 Impreza will now compete with the leading small compacts from Honda and Toyota.

FHI will enhance the Subaru brand

FHI says this will allow them to be “a high-quality company that is not big in size but has distinctive strength”. The Japanese automaker says, the company is focusing on two initiatives: enhancing the Subaru brand and building a strong business structure. Their main goal is to be “a compelling company with a strong market presence built upon its customer-first principle.”

New Subaru products are coming

Consumers around the globe will see a new-generation of Subaru automobiles that will continue with their core values of all-wheel-drive, fun-to-drive character and safety. To this, Subaru will be adding new styling, safety features and improved performance as they rolled out with the 2017 Impreza sedan and 5-Door hatch. More new products are coming.

Consumers will also see a new 3-Row crossover vehicle specifically designed for the U.S. market in 2018 that will replace the Tribeca. FHI’s name change to Subaru Corporation will be a positive thing for consumers around the globe as the Japanese company enhances their automobile brand with new vehicles and improved products in the near future.

Source: Subaru Global

Image source: Subaru