Subaru's Turbocharged Sales Secret

TOKYO - December 22, 2009: Subaru, the car brand of choice for quirky, all-wheel-drive loving Northeasterners and trendy turbo freaks, is on something of a tear.

Considering Subaru's record breaking sales at a time when others are struggling to unload cars, the number four Japanese brand in America is doing downright great.

According to CNN Money, most of the credit goes to recent upgrades made to three of Subaru's five model lines. Those upgrades reflect a renewed focus on America. Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries of Japan, has mandated a tight focus on the needs of its single most important market, the United States.

Executives in Japan instructed Subaru of America to pass along more customer feedback so Subaru designers and engineers could better hone in on what Americans want.

But while they're changing their products to better suit the mainstream market, Subaru executives know they can't turn their backs on the customers who got them here, the ones who expect Subaru to be different. The result is a balancing act. The products can go more mainstream, but shouldn't give up its left-of-center identity. A sports car, which might be Subaru's first two-wheel-drive car since the 1990s, is expected in 2011. Subaru is also working on a new hybrid car using Toyota technology, which would Subaru's first hybrid.

Click here for more on how Subaru is gaining new customers while still satisfying its loyal fan base.