Subaru

History

Subaru Corporation was founded in 1953 as Fuji Heavy Industries, arising from the merger of five aircraft manufacturers, including the famous Nakajima Aircraft Company. The company expanded from aircraft manufacturing into automobiles, establishing itself as a quality manufacturer. In 2017, the company changed its name to Subaru Corporation to fully dedicate itself to the automotive industry.

EV strategy

Subaru has scaled back its electric plans more than once. In-house production of electric cars began in February 2026 at the Gunma Yajima plant, a year later than announced and on a mixed line that builds electric, petrol and hybrid models side by side; the first model is the Trailseeker, developed with Toyota. Of the eight electric models announced in 2023 for 2028, the four SUVs developed with Toyota remain; Subaru postponed the other four in May 2026 without a new date, citing slower growth in US demand for electric cars.

Good to know

• The famous Subaru BOXER engine is a flat engine introduced in 1966 and used in all Subaru passenger vehicles.
• Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is a core feature enabled by the compact boxer engine configuration.
• Subaru was originally an aircraft manufacturer, bringing aerospace engineering expertise to automobile manufacturing.
• The flat engine enables a lower center of gravity and better vehicle dynamics compared to conventional V-engines.