Quirky Features of Subaru Forester A Hit With Owners

Subaru Forester's quirky and distinctive features have made it a successful competitor in 2004. Most apparent is the Forester's tall and boxy character, which is well matched with a sporting chassis and an all-wheel-drive system. Customers are responding that the combination is a major appeal for them.

Available with a 210-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter engine and automatic or five-speed manual transmission, the Subaru Forester can output tremendous power on both the freeway and around town conditions. The Forester's fuel economy averages in at 19 in the city and 25 on the highway.

Buyers have reacted positively to the Forester's well-designed and accessible interior. The controls are easy to reach from the seat and the dashboard instruments are easy to read at night and the day. Responses also mention the vehicle has plenty of storage space inside and on the factory Subaru Forester roof rack rails.

Other favorable features drivers have reported to be very satisfied with include headlights that turn off automatically when the ignition is off, fog lights, outside temperature gauge, heated exterior mirrors, two 12-volt power outlets and spacious back seats. Optional features include a cargo tray for the rear space, bumper covers and splash guards.

The 2005 Subaru Forester also comes with a list of safety features, including active head restraints and dual-stage air bags that deploy in both front and side impact crashes. Other safety features include expanded visibility from the driver's seat and a four-channel anti-lock brake system that makes the Forester's four-wheel disc brakes even more effective.

Subaru B9X Revealed as Name of New Seven Passenger Vehicle

SUBARU PRESS RELEASE
Subaru of America, Inc., announces the name of its brand new crossover utility vehicle, the Subaru B9X at the 2004 South Florida International Auto Show. The 2006 Subaru B9X is the first Subaru crossover utility vehicle with seating available for seven passengers.

"This is a significant milestone for Subaru," said Kunio Ishigami, Chairman, President and CEO of Subaru of America, Inc. "The Subaru B9X combines a bold new design with the trademark Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, and is our first seven passenger vehicle."

The Subaru B9X will world premiere at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show and represents a new market for Subaru. The Subaru B9X comes equipped with the customary Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and features an all-new design theme, delivering added style to the safety, capability and durability Subaru is so well-known for. "It is no coincidence that we are here in Miami, a market well-known for it's trend setting style, with an all-new Subaru," said Fred Adcock, Executive VP, Subaru of America, Inc. "This vehicle represents more than just a new style of Subaru. With its fun-to-drive handling and interior flexibility, this is also a Subaru that will appeal to a larger audience. The new Subaru B9X is the logical step for a current Subaru Legacy or Outback owner looking to move up in flexibility, size, feature content and refinement."

The Subaru B9X will appeal to customers searching for greater cargo capacity, helping to expand the Subaru's appeal to a new group of customers. Also three main elements of the new design include a bold new grille and fascia design, a curved roof line with a dynamic sensability, and powerful fender and wheel forms.

The Subaru B9X design theme first appeared at the Geneva Show Car in 2003, as the Subaru B11S, and was further refined on the Subaru R1e and B9SC concept cars, which both debutted in the U.S. at the 2004 North American International Auto Show. As a model which has inherited this design theme, Subaru has aptly named this car the B9X. The 2006 Subaru B9X is to be manufactured at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant in Lafayette, Indiana.

Top Marksman Drives Subaru Forester As Part of Sponsorship Agreement for 2005

A Subaru marketing representative announced the company has completed a deal to sponsor top marksman, John Stafford, for 2005. Currently ranked Number One in England and Number Two at the World "Down The Line" clay pigeon shooting championships for 2004, Stafford will be driving a brand new Subaru Forester as part of the one year sponsorship agreement. The all-wheel drive Subaru Forester will be used to travel to all sanctioned events in France for 2005, representing England in the European Championships.

Subaru Legacy & Subaru Outback Sales Increase Through November

SUBARU PRESS RELEASE
Subaru of America, Inc. reports a year-over-year increase of 6% in total sales for the month of November with 13,817 units sold. Subaru Outback and Legacy sales have continued to soar, climbing nearly 20% since the new models were launched last June.

"November was another strong month for Subaru," said Fred Adcock, executive VP, Subaru of America, Inc. "Strong sales of the all-new Subaru Legacy and Outback models continue to lead the way for the brand and will no doubt accelerate us along the road to another successful year."

The Legacy line of cars recorded 6,758 units, of which the Legacy sedan represents an increase of 57% over 2003. The Subaru Outback recorded sales of 4,544 units for November, while the Subaru Forester reached 4,014 units in November. The Impreza line posted 2,505 unit sales, and Subaru Baja recorded sales of 540 units for the month.

Subaru WRX World Rally Team Signs Atkinson for Full Time Position in 2005

Subaru announced that Australian Chris Atkinson will be driving for Subaru World Rally Team for 2005. The Subaru team has won several world rally championships over the past decade. Speaking about the Subaru WRX cars, Atkinson said "They'll have a lot more power and a lot more things to work with."

He also acknowledged that there would be much for him to learn in setting up the cars and driving fast on different types of surfaces, such as ice-and-snow and sealed tarmac, as well as the gravel and dirt. "This is a dream come true," Atkinson said. "The WRC is the pinnacle of rallying and now I have my chance I need to make the most of it."

Subaru World Rally Team Signs Frenchman Stephane Sarrazin for 2005

Stephane Sarrazin of France will drive for Subaru in the 2005 world rally championship, Subaru World Rally Team announced recently. Sarrazin turned to rally car racing after five seasons as a Formula One test driver with Prost and Toyota.

"We've been very impressed by what Sarrazin has done this year," said Subaru WRX Rally Team boss David Lapworth. "It's remarkable that someone who has done 11 rallies and only three at WRC level can run at the pace he has. We've signed Stephane for one year but the intention of our development programme is to find a future world champion. We've selected him because we think he's got what it takes."

Sarrazin will teaming up with 2003 world rally car champion Petter Solberg of Norway. Subaru said that Sarrazin would compete in at least half of the 16 championship events next year, starting with Monte Carlo in January.

The Frenchman won this year's French national rally championship in his first try and competed in some other events after securing funding from the French motorsport association and Subaru France. Sarrazin made his mark when he drove his privately-entered Subaru to fourth place in the Rally of Catalunya in October, beating out Solberg. "It's really a very big chance for me. After one year in rallying it's a great opportunity," said Sarrazin, a former national karting champion who has also twice entered the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race.

"This year I pushed a lot to improve myself... and now it's just incredible to be in the official team. I will push the same as this year to improve, I will give the maximum I can -- they gave me a big chance, and because this team is the top team in the World Championship it's exceptional."