Record May Highlights Subaru SUV Surge

SYDNEY - June 5, 2012: Subaru achieved record May sales of 3803 vehicles, according to official VFACTS figures released today.

Subaru’s year-to-date sales of 17,240 vehicles are also its best result for the period.

Topping the Subaru sales was Forester, with 1109 retailed in May.

New generation Impreza sales of 1033 were up 50.1 per cent on May last year, while XV sales of 704 were constrained by supply due to sheer demand for the car.

Outback also sold 442, Liberty 415 and Tribeca 100.

Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia, said: ”Staggeringly, passenger car sales dropped to just 50.4 per cent of total sales in May, compared to 55.0 for May last year.

“Conversely, our love affair with SUVs continues.

“In May, SUV sales represented 28.0 per cent of total sales compared to 22.2 per cent for May last year.

“Year-to-date SUV sales represent 27.9 per cent of the total market, compared to 23.3 per cent this time last year.

“There is little doubt that in the near future SUVs will account for 30 per cent of total industry sales.

“This is a seismic shift – one of the most significant ever, and in a short period of time.

“Five years ago (year end 2006) passenger cars represented 62.2 per cent of the market and SUVs 17.7 per cent. Compare that to 50.4 per cent and 28.0 per cent respectively in May this year.

“SUV sales have exploded because of their versatility, fit with the Australian way of life and the fact that drivers appreciate the field of vision and sitting higher.

“Also, our ageing population likes the ease of entry and exit offered by SUVs.

“Additionally, with new engine and transmission technology, the cost of running SUVs has dropped dramatically and that was one of the barriers to purchase.

“For instance our new Subaru XV automatic has a combined fuel consumption of 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres, which is better than many small cars.

“With our XV, Forester, Outback and Tribeca SUVs, Subaru is in a good position to capitalize on this growth.

“XV is the right vehicle in the segment at the right time. Supply remains tight, but we do have some XV 2.0i-S variants over the next couple of months to help clear the backlog of customer orders.”