http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/ Autoblog Comments for Subaru to stop making Kei Cars http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 10:38AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
I am a loyal Subaru driver, having begun with and SVX here in the states.

Subaru offers brilliantly engineered, really well built cars that are boat loads of fun to drive. It seems though, that they never have the funds to really promote enough to capture more business from the non-enthusiast (Camry, Malibu...buyers). I wish we had that little R1 over here. It would be a great city car.

Hopefully, this does not mark the beginning of the end of Subaru brand character as so many have feared.]]>Apr 16th 2008 10:41AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
The thing is the Kei-car market may be the largest automotive market in Japan taking more then half of the countries sales, however, its an incredibly low profit margin business (new cars can be bought for around ~$10k).

Also, being that all cars are the same dimension (as regulated to get kei-car classification) and use the same type of engine design (660cc inline three cylinder with or without forced injection) it makes little sense for manufactures to have bespoke designs between brands.

This is absolutely the right choice for Subaru since now they can focus on their other platforms.]]>Apr 16th 2008 11:03AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 11:03AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/unless you don't live in US]]>Apr 16th 2008 11:13AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 11:18AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Autoblog's info about Justin Gardiner:
A Brit who's been stuck in Japan his entire adult life, writing about cars for the industry, bankers (the "B" is silent) and print media. New to Blogging.

Also, he had a Subaru Sambar... were those available in the US?]]>Apr 16th 2008 11:17AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/"unless you don't live in US"
yes, i read he said he had a subaru Sambar and my understanding is from 18 years ago.
i can assume he's not in US then, but can't assume that now, since some call their FXT as FSTi. close but not quite. i am a FXT owner myself, even if i switch to FSTi suspension, turbo, intercooler, ECU, body parts etc, i am still missing the 6 speed manual vs. our 5 speed.
same for integra GS-R != integra typeR, civic SI != civic typeR]]>Apr 16th 2008 12:25PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 11:47AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
I think the next thing Toyota is going to do is enforce their "no exciting cars" policy on Subaru.]]>Apr 16th 2008 11:49AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 11:52AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 12:35PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
Had they actually been under GM Subaru would now be AWD Pontiacs much like Saab are FWD Pontiacs with the key on the console.]]>Apr 16th 2008 4:07PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
So me saying "under" GM is no weirder than right now saying "under" Toyota.]]>Apr 16th 2008 9:15PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
Kei cars are urban grocery-getters by their very definition. When Subaru makes a kei car, it's just as much a gutless, passionless runt as anything Daihatsu makes. If they hot up a kei, it's stops being a kei. There's nothing stopping them from tuning a next-gen Daihatsu Copen; heck, it's to their benefit as they no longer have to develop the core platform on their own.

We don't have anything like this in the US or Canada (at least nothing formal; we have EPA classifications by size, and insurance risk/cost for each model, but that's it), so it's probably hard to understand the concept of a restricted class of cars. Subaru will still make/sell kei cars, but it will be sharing extensively with Daihatsu to do so. These hotted-up versions aren't kei cars now (I mean, really, 60hp!), and won't be in the future.

I'd like to see an official kei-car program over here, with tax and insurance breaks for buying something with low-power and high mileage. I think if there was a serious economic incentive, it'd work well, especially since no politician that wants to keep his/her job will touch a gas tax.

]]>Apr 16th 2008 11:58AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 12:05PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 1:11PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
I hope that killing the Keis will free up some cash for subaru's normal cars and their performance variants. The Baja and Alcoyne SVX were both killed because they weren't advertized effectively.

Toyota needs Subaru for it's soul, just as bad as Subaru needs Toyota for capital. I would have no problem with a Toyota buyout as long as Subaru was the 'fun cars' division. From reading the post on the Corolla XRS here, it's clear the big T needs some help. The base model Impreza hatch sounds like it would beat the that tarted-up econobox like a red-headed stepchild.]]>Apr 16th 2008 1:31PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/
Furthermore Diahatsu does make some pretty decent cars [for what they are]. My first car was a homologation edition Diahatsu Charade Detomaso G201S. If that is any indication, Subaru (nor any of you.........and much much less the yanks) have nothing to worry about.

http://www.mrtrally.com.au/performance/maga.htm]]>Apr 16th 2008 1:40PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/subaru-to-stop-making-kei-cars/Apr 16th 2008 4:45PM