Aligning the stars

As a smaller car maker, Subaru can't afford any missteps in this era of electrification. JAMES ATTWOOD hears how the brand will change – and grow – while staying true to its heritage

- 

Word association time: what comes to mind when you think of Subaru? Easy: a blue and yellow Impreza flying sideways down a rally stage, somewhere around – or possibly just beyond – the limit.

Here’s something that doesn’t come to mind, though: electric vehicles.

With the heavy cost of electrification and an influx of cut-price Chinese manufacturers, these are difficult times for even the largest car makers operating in Europe. And for the smaller ones struggling for every sale they can get, it’s enough to make you wonder: why go to the trouble?

Subaru Europe boss David Dello Stritto understands why you might ask that. “You could think: ‘Okay, we're selling around 30,000 cars a year in Europe and we're doing around 700,000 in the US, so why bother?’” says the Scot. “That would be a fair question.”

Yes, Subaru is far more successful in markets where its utilitarian 4x4s are more in vogue and electrification is less of a hot topic - and its one-time great rallying rival, Mitsubishi, drastically scaled back its efforts in Europe years ago. But with all the commitment of Colin McRae on the ragged edge, Dello Stritto says: “I'll tell you what, Subaru Corporation has said repeatedly they have no intention of leaving Europe. They want to stay in Europe.”

He notes that Subaru couldn't shift its European sales to the saturated American market - which already accounts for around 75% of the brand’s volume – and it’s struggling in China against domestic firms. But, most importantly, there’s pride at Subaru about being a global company.

So Subaru wants and needs to be present in Europe – but that creates a challenge. While large manufacturers can now hedge their bets and spread their resources between developing electric and combustion lines, smaller ones such as Subaru can't.