Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, has ended the production of the mini commercial vehicle "Sambar" at its Gunma Main Plant in Ota city, Gunma Prefecture, marking the end of all Subaru mini vehicle productions in Japan.
Fuji Heavy will focus its mini vehicle production line for the production of passenger cars, with the production of the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 scheduled to begin this month. In addition, FHI will manufacture the Impreza at the same plant by March 2013.
Fuji Heavy started automotive vehicle production in 1958 with the mini car Subaru 360, a vehicle acclaimed as a Japanese national car. Since then, a total of nine models, including Sambar, Rex, Pleo, and Stella, have been made, with a total of 7,968,000 units produced over 54 years.
All Subaru mini cars were well received with their unique engineering and product features such as 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-cylinder engine, Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and 4-wheel drive system.
In line with the agreement to expand cooperative ties with Toyota Motor Corp and Daihatsu Motor Co in April 2008, Fuji Heavy decided to focus its management resources to the development and production of passenger vehicles that feature Subaru's core technologies such as the Horizontally-Opposed engine.
The company will continue to market mini vehicles on an OEM basis from Daihatsu in Japan.
© JCN Newswire
4 Comments
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papasmurfinjapan
Good decision... focus on the BRZ please. I'm holding out for the turbo-charged soft-top.
NeoJamal
slow clap
wanderlust
The Subaru Dex was just a re-badged Toyoya Bb, part of the deal with Toyota taking over GMs shares of Subaru. Too bad about the Sambar, a favourite in the farming and beach communities with its 4-WD system.
Stlll, their Legacy, Forester, Impreza and BRZ more than make up for it, with the Subaru topping the Consumer Report new car rankings in the US; Subaru placed all six of its models tested on the coveted Consumer Reports "recommended" list, showing that Japan can still design and produce good, reliable cars.
Okinawamike
Did Ford make the big anouncement they would stop making the Pinto?
Who cares. Slower clap.