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Subaru to drop industrial products, focus on making cars

Subaru, the company formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries, said Monday it is ceasing production of its industrial products after more than 60 years in order to focus on its core automotive business. The change was effective Sept. 30. "By concentrating management resources on Subaru's core automotive business, the company will further reinforce its business structure in the aim of substantially enhancing the Subaru brand and achieving even greater sustainable growth," the company said in a statement. The move appears to mark the culmination of a steady retrenchment from its industrial business. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. last year announced it was changing its name to Subaru Corp. in order to strengthen the brand and focus on its core automotive and aerospace business. It also moved to integrate its Industrial Products Company within Subaru's automotive business effective Oct. 1, 2016. Subaru is a Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster, and it symbolizes the six companies that merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries in 1953. Subaru's aerospace division is a contractor for the Japan Defense Agency. The automaker's industrial products business began in 1951 when its former Omiya Fuji Industries Co. Ltd. began production of the 540 cc M6 engine. Subaru says its Industrial Products Co. Ltd. affiliate will continue to handle after-sales service of Subaru-built generators, pumps and engines used in construction, agriculture and industrial equipment. The company also says it will cease manufacturing engines for installation in other vehicles as supply contracts expire. Meanwhile, Subaru is busy reorganizing its plant in Lafayette, Ind., to begin production of the Ascent, a three-row, eight-passenger crossover based on its Viziv-7 concept that debuted late last year. Related Video:

2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid finally adds gas-electric option to the brand [w/video]

For a company that does a pretty great job of tying its vehicles to the environment - or, better said, to people who like to actually get out into the environment - Subaru hasn't exactly been a leader in green vehicle production. In fact, it's 2013 and the company is finally releasing its first-ever production hybrid, the XV Crosstrek Hybrid. Tom Doll, Subaru's executive vice president, admitted as much at the unveiling today at the New York Auto Show: "We at Subaru were not the first to market with a hybrid, but we sure made sure we did it right."
That may be, but for now the automaker doesn't want to tell us all the details of how right it is. We do know that the powertrain takes Subaru's 2.0-liter boxer engine and adds in a 13.4-horsepower electric motor and continuously variable transmission. All-wheel drive will be, of course, standard, and Subaru promises the XV Crosstrek Hybrid will offer the "same utility and versatility as the gasoline model," including 8.7 inches of ground clearance. The hybrid does weigh 300 pounds more, though, which required a re-engineered chassis.
The motor can move the lifted Impreza in all-electric mode up to 25 miles an hour (distance not specified). Subaru isn't talking precise fuel economy numbers, either, just that it will be the "most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive crossover in America" and will unsurprisingly have start-stop functionality. We do hear, though, that the hybrid will get around 10-percent better fuel economy than the standard gas-only XV Crosstrek. The most efficient version of that car, the one with the CVT, gets 25 miles per gallon in the city, 33 highway and 28 combined. Whatever this hybrid XV Crosstrek gets, we expect Subaru'll sell a million in Portlandia. For more, scroll down to watch an official video and read the press release.

Subaru puts Japanese production on pause in the wake of deadly typhoon

Subaru idled its main factory in Gunma, Japan, in the wake of the deadly typhoon that wreaked havoc on the eastern part of the country. The shutdown is tentatively scheduled to last about a week. Located roughly two hours northwest of Tokyo, the Gunma factory fell silent at the end of the morning shift on October 16, according to Automotive News. The facility wasn't directly affected by the typhoon, but some of its suppliers suffered flood damage. "These suppliers are currently working to normalize their operations with our human and material support as well, but we expect some impairment of their supply of automotive components and parts to Subaru," the firm said in a statement. It didn't name the suppliers, and it didn't identify the parts they make, but it added production should resume on October 25. About 2,500 cars leave the Gunma factory daily, Automotive News learned, so approximately 11,250 vehicles will be delayed by the shutdown.The BRZ, Forester, Crosstrek, and the WRX all come from the facility. It also makes the Impreza, though American-spec models are built in Indiana, and the Levorg, which isn't sold in the United States. Subaru confirmed to Autoblog its plant in Lafayette isn't affected by the storm, which suggests it sources parts from other suppliers. Subaru is the first car manufacturer to idle a factory in the wake of typhoon Hagibis, which killed 77 people when it touched down on October 12, but it might not be last. Suppliers normally work with several carmakers, and Toyota and Mitsubishi are reportedly keeping a very close eye on their parts inventory. Auto News Plants/Manufacturing Subaru