Fuji Heavy Industries to Bolster Vehicle Marketing

08/23/96

Kyodo reported that Takeshi Tanaka, the new president of Subaru carmaker Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., has announced that the company will bolster its marketing operations. The move aims to raise annual sales to 360,000 units.

Tanaka said the company will emphasize marketing subcompact vehicles while developing mini vehicles to satisfy the needs of consumers. The company resumed dividend payments to shareholders in fiscal 1995, which ended last March 31, for the first time in six years. It's financial reconstruction with the help of Nissan Motor Co. continues.

Tanaka, formerly an executive director of Nissan Motor, said Fuji Heavy Industries will market a new recreational vehicle model next year, along with the recently re-styled Legacy and the Impressa, which will soon be remodeled.

The company's U.S. produced Legacy is selling well, at a monthly rate of about 8,000--well above the sales target the company set for it. On the other hand, last year's strong yen resulted in poor exports to Europe, where shipments totaled 50,000, or half the targeted volume of 100,00.

Tanaka said the company will bolster marketing operations in China, where annual sales remain slow (2,000 to 3,000) compared to the target of 6,000.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel