Increase in domestic sales dramatically surpasses Subaru expectations.
In a market historically cool to the hybrid's somewhat chic status in the United States, Japanese consumers are now demanding more Subaru hybrids than the company initially thought.According to Subaru, the demand for its hybrid vehicles in Japan exceeds expectations by a factor of ten, with 5,850 orders in the first two weeks against an allotted 550 monthly order projection. In the United States, the non-hybrid, gasoline-powered XV Crosstrek is also outperforming other Subaru models, forcing the factories accustomed to churning out Subaru's popular Impreza line to transfer some space to the XV Crosstrek.
What factors might be contributing to this surprising demand for the hybrids in Japan, and the
new XV Crosstrek line in the United States? Could it be a result of the constantly-increasing cost of fuel, reaching 147 yen per liter in Japan (about $5.63/gallon)? Perhaps the popularity of compact SUV and cross-over type vehicles in the United States, epitomized by the Honda CR-V and Subaru's own Forester, is contributing to consumer demand for the XV Crosstrek. Coupled with fuel pricing, reaching the low $4.00+/gallon on the West coast, and the XV Crosstrek's favorable MPG numbers, it is little wonder consumers are eager to order.
The XV Crosstrek, both hybrid and non-hybrid versions, are said to have surpassed the six-month sales figures, from January 2013 to June 2013, of the Impreza sedan and hatchback combined. It remains to be seen how the XV Crosstrek hybrid will perform in the United States, with an expected release in late 2013.
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