Subaru passes 20 million all-wheel drive vehicle milestone

Friday, 9 July 2021

25 years after the launch of the original, Subaru's all-new Outback has landed in New Zealand.

Subaru has built more than 20 million all-wheel drive vehicles since the technology debuted in 1972.

The first Subaru to have all-wheel drive was actually the first Japanese mass-produced AWD passenger car, which was the Subaru Leone 4WD Estate Van, released in September 1972.

It took another 17 years to introduce the system to the New Zealand market. The Subaru Legacy was the first locally sold model with AWD in 1989 and its popularity led to Subaru New Zealand going entirely AWD in 1996. Well, aside from the brief foray into rear-wheel drive with the BRZ sports car.

The first ever all-wheel drive Subaru was also Japan’s first mass-produced all-wheel drive car.

Globally, AWD models now account for 98 per cent of Subaru’s sales.

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Symmetrical all-wheel drive has been offered on every new Subaru in New Zealand since 1996 (except the BRZ).

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Subaru’s system is always on, like Audi’s quattro, but with the added benefit of a low-mounted boxer engine.

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Subaru of New Zealand’s Managing Director Wallis Dumper says the catchphrase ‘Subaru Country’ was coined due to the engineering prowess that AWD provides and the relevance it has for drivers in New Zealand.

“In a country where one third of our roads are unsealed and can quickly turn from straight roads into hairpins, potholes and gravel, it’s as if a country as varied and exciting as New Zealand was made for vehicles as confident as Subarus.”

“For the past 25 years our Subaru range has been solely AWD and our vehicles have taken Kiwis out of cities and onto the gravel roads that lead to adventure. The beauty of AWD is that it delivers engine power to all four wheels simultaneously. Having power distributed across all four wheels, rather than two on conventional vehicles, gives you twice the grip capacity.”

“All of our 16 locally-owned and operated Authorised Subaru Centres only stock NZ new AWD Subarus,” he says.

Subaru’s all-wheel drive system is unique as it uses a flat ‘boxer’ engine to ensure a low centre of gravity and weight balance. It’s also permanent, like Audi’s quattro, which allows for improved traction in sketchy conditions without any distraction of activating the system.

“It’s no coincidence that New Zealand has one of the highest proportions of Subaru drivers in the world, per capita, because the sheer grip of AWD is a huge peace-of-mind factor for those hitting the ski fields in winter and those hard-to-get-to locations in summer,” added Dumper.

Forthcoming hybrid and electric models, like the Solterra, will retain all-wheel drive as well. The Solterra will debut in full next year, with a New Zealand launch yet to be confirmed.