Subaru has officially joined the Toyota group. What does it mean for Subaru nameplates like the 2020 Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, and Ascent?
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Subaru Corporation officially joined the Toyota Motor group according to a filing made in Japan today. Toyota increased its stake in Subaru Corporation from 16.83 percent to 20 percent which means a strengthening of their ties. The announcement was made last September, and a report from Nippon in Japan revealed it is now official.
What will the expanded partnership mean for Subaru models like the 2020 Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, and Ascent?
This is what won’t happen. Subaru will not be absorbed into Toyota Motor and become a fully owned subsidiary at least not in the immediate future. But Seeking Alpa says Subaru is expected to become “an affiliated company of Toyota down the road.” They won’t be building more vehicles together that will share identical styling but have different nameplates like the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 sport coupes. But big changes are coming to Subaru.
What it will mean is Toyota’s larger stake will create new opportunities for the much smaller Subaru with its existing models and new models will be coming. Subaru announced recently, by 2030, 40 percent of all Subaru global sales will come from electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). By the first half of the 2030s, all Subaru vehicles sold worldwide will have some form of hybrid power or all-electric technology. Subaru will need Toyota’s hybrid technology to do this.
What does the increased Toyota stake mean for SUV shoppers?
The newly-increased partnership will bring more new all-wheel-drive models like the Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid launched last year. Subaru will be able to expand the use of the Toyota Hybrid System in other Subaru models like the Outback, Forester, and Ascent models.
Both Subaru and Toyota believe this increased stake will help them build better automobiles for their customers. Subaru says, "In this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation, by strengthening our bonds and aligning capabilities, we aim to make ever-better cars, better than what either company has been able to achieve thus far.”
More changes are coming as Subaru will also collaborate with Toyota to develop its first all-electric all-wheel-drive vehicle for release sometime around 2030. This all-new vehicle will be distinctively a Subaru.
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Subaru models will be different from Toyota
Subaru President Tomomi Nakamura says they will strive to remain “different from (Toyota)”, and will further hone the distinctive qualities that make a Subaru a Subaru and will “maintain the unique attributes our customers have come to expect.” Those core values are all-wheel-drive, a rugged “go-anywhere” attitude, fun-to-drive, and safety will remain a priority.
Some things won’t be changing for Subaru, but the expanded Toyota partnership will bring an all-electric all-wheel vehicle that will arrive by the end of this decade. Big changes are coming to existing nameplates like the 2020 Outback wagon, Forester compact SUV, and Ascent family hauler models. They will be electrified with hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology by the first half of the 2030s.
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his reports are archived on our Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Subaru Report. Check back tomorrow for more Subaru news and updates at Torque News!
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I'm pretty sure that Toyota
I'm pretty sure that Toyota will ensure you don't see any Subaru models that compete with the RAV4 Prime, so you can kiss your dreams of an Outback or Forester PHEV goodbye for a while.
This is a huge development
This is a huge development for Subaru. I wonder if we will see more Subaru Toyota Hybrids or electric cars.
Did you not read the whole
Did you not read the whole article.... It talked about exactly the question you asked.... Maybe you could take another look......
You need not wonder anymore.
You need not wonder anymore. Your answer is covered in depth in the article.
What B.S.! By 2030 BEV will
By 2030 BEV will be the primary consumer demanded drivetrain for almost all passenger vehicles. Subaru and Toyota will be dinosaurs by then if they are by 2030 just getting Hybrid let alone BEV vehicles into their product lineup. Goodbye Japanese engineering prowess!
Toyota sells more green
Toyota sells more green vehicles today than any other automaker. Toyota has had the top-selling affordable (Sub $35K) electric vehicle in America for years. Toyota had a BEV RAV4 in California before Tesla was incorporated. But you are certain Toyota is doomed within 9 model years in a world trending towards green cars?
I respectfully disagree with
I respectfully disagree with you. I believe most personal vehicles will be at least a hybrid. But I can’t see heavy equipment and commercial vehicle being able to comply by then.
I wonder if Subaru will start
I wonder if Subaru will start using Toyota CVTs in the near future on their cars.
The Subaru CVTs, especially
The Subaru CVTs, especially for their FA20 turbo models have been pretty good. I rather hope the opposite happens and Toyota starts using Subaru's CVT.
OTOH, the engine orientation of the their engines are usually different, so maybe things will just stay as they are.
As someone who worked at a
As someone who worked at a Subaru dealer, I can tell you the Subaru CVTs are horrible
Just wrecked a 2008 Sentra
Just wrecked a 2008 Sentra with their early CVT, it worked fine at 176k. Subaru Justy was a test platform for CVTs. Pretty sure CVTs can be reliable, after all these years of development. How long ago did you work at the Scooby dealer?
I'm wondering what Toyota
I'm wondering what Toyota hopes to gain from the pairing. Obviously they can make money selling their hybrid technology to Suburu, but Suburus already use Toyota's hybrid system. Will Toyota be utilizing Suburu's AWD technology, which is often considered the best in the world? Perhaps that's already the case. Perhaps the RAV4 is already running Suburu's AWD system. I'm not sure. In any case, I consider the RAV4 more attractive with Suburu's AWD system and I consider the Outback more attractive with Toyota's Hybrid system.
No, The RAV4 AWD system is
No, The RAV4 AWD system is Toyota's and totally theirs. Toyota is a global leader in engine, hybrid, and transmission technology; in fact many mfg's use Toyota's 8 speed transmission
Hopefully Toyota will provide
Hopefully Toyota will provide know-how and motivation to make sure head gasket problems do not recur.
They solved that ten years
They solved that ten years ago. And it wasn't a huge deal. Four hours and a few hundred dollars.
I put 100,000 Mike's on my
I put 100,000 Mike's on my Forrester before the headgasket went and another 100,000 miles on it after the headgasket went. It cost me a quart of oil ever 500-1000 miles, no big deal. Headgaskets are only an issue if the let coolant into the oil or engine, in my forrester's case it only let oil drip on the ground occasionally.
Head gaskets were a huge deal
Head gaskets were a huge deal! Every car left the lot a ticking time bomb..
Toyota realized that they can
Toyota realized that they can't make a decent vehicle and that Subaru only makes decent vehicles, so the realization was to buy into Subaru to at least get a piece of the pie. hopefully Toyota won't screw the pooch as time goes by. While Subie has their share of issues, selling all they can build is NOT one of them.
Toyota can't make a decent
Toyota can't make a decent vehicle? Subaru only makes decent vehicles? Where do you come up with this stuff? While I don't find Toyota's lineup inspiring, they very much make good products. And Subaru, while competent, have virtually always been a step behind in terms of refinement. And don't get me started on the pan that I have to place under my Subaru to catch the multiple oil leaks.
We had a Toyota for 20 years
We had a Toyota for 20 years,sold it,and it's still on the road with no major problems. We now have a Subaru. Both great vehicles.
Toyota is one of the most
Toyota is one of the most reliable cars available in the market today. I have a count of 23 vehicles in 33 years. Montero, Montero Sport, Land Rover, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, BMW, Cherokee, Nissan, Ford, Isuzu, GMC, Fiat (first car), and Toyota Land Cruiser (both gasoline and diesel). Toyota were the most reliable, enduring well built automobiles that we have had. Although not the prettiest for sure, nor the most technological ones. They surely are far from technology. But reliability works for my wife and me.
I think you need to read
I think you need to read ratings from Consumer Reports instead of JD Powers. But at least you did not say "and in a few years they may catch up with Chevrolet."
Poor Mazda.
Poor Mazda.
At least these two will continue to share their exobanate number of recalls the last decade.