Though the limits won’t be anywhere near the scale of exclusive performance and luxury marques like McLaren and Ferrari, Subaru does plan to hover annual sales around the 1 million vehicles per year mark, according to Automotive News.
Subaru’s leadership team claims the limits will help keep the brand “niche” though you’ll certainly see more Subaru nameplates on the road shortly. There are plans for a US-only seven-passenger crossover that will be built in Indiana. The Impreza will also move to that same facility next year. In 2018, Subaru will launch a plug-in hybrid, the automaker’s first, to abide with emissions regulations.
Sales of the brand’s crossovers and wagons are certainly propelling its growth, but there are plans to expand and refine the rest of its model range as well. The second generation BRZ will be an important redesign: “We have already agreed with Toyota we will do a full model change. We have not decided when it will be introduced,” said Fuji Heavy Industries President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga.
Subaru’s growth strategy will differ from automakers that compete in the same segments in that it has chosen to double down on its current facilities instead of overextending itself with new factories. “Many companies try to be bigger or sell more vehicles. If Subaru does the same thing, we will lose our characteristics,” said Yoshinaga.
Subaru sold 513,693 vehicles last year, a rise of 21 percent from the year before. While that’s incredible growth, it’s still a ways off of the discussed one million vehicle cap, so Subaru fans shouldn’t fear restrictions anytime soon.
