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Subaru suppliers rely on gray market labor

The Subaru Forester is currently the Japanese brand's bestselling model in the US. A new investigation by Reuters is making some scathing allegations about how the popular model is actually made, though. The piece claims that many of Subaru's suppliers in Ota, Japan, are using low-paid foreign workers and asylum seekers to produce components that go into the CUV. The report says that these laborers are coming from places like China and Bangladesh, and they allegedly receive a pittance compared to their Japanese counterparts. Many said that they get about $6.60 an hour, but employment brokers can take a large portion of that pay. At just four suppliers Reuters estimates there are 580 foreign workers, or about 30 percent of the total workforce. The situation has turned Ota into a cultural melting pot because of the significant population of immigrant labor. The problem stems in part from Japan's tiny labor market, and the country's odd asylum system that doesn't allow some applicants to work legally. These suppliers produce many components for the Forester, including the seats, shocks, and fuel tanks. Reuters admits that the businesses have contracts with other Japanese automakers, as well, but Subaru receives the main focus of this piece, which you can read in full, here. When asked for comment about Reuters' report, Subaru of America provided Autoblog with the following statement: "Fuji Heavy Industries does not condone the exploitation of any class of worker, either in its own operations or within its supply chain. FHI expects all employees to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect and to be provided with appropriate workplace protections. The FHI CSR policy respects and adheres to the law and regulations of business as well as upholding human rights and international standards of behavior and the ethical standards of our stakeholders. Our supply chain network has been made aware of our policy and expectations."

Chile is beautiful, and we drove there in a Subaru

For me, the most beautiful part of our recent Patagonia road trip was the two days spent inside the Torres del Paine national park in Chile. In terms of breathtaking vistas, this place has a ton. Everywhere you look, there's something beautiful to behold. And our merry band of Subarus had no trouble traversing the gravel, mountain roads that wind endlessly through the park. Because our trip to Patagonia was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we played hookey for a day and went finishing in one of Torres del Paine's many rivers. Sure, the Subarus got us there without issue, but the main focus of this day was trying to catch one of the huge salmon swimming upstream. We failed, but still, if you're into fishing, Torres del Paine offers bucket-list quality stuff. Above, you'll see more of our sights from Chile's most beautiful park. We'll have the rest of our Patagonia impressions coming in the not-too-distant future. Subaru Videos chile patagonia autoblog in patagonia

Subaru will show a WRX STI Type RA, possibly with a BRZ STI, on June 8

Subaru just released another teaser photo today of a World Rally Blue STI model, and they also provided us with some information about what the car is. Apparently it is a new WRX STI Type RA, a name that Subaru fans will recognize as an indication of an ultra-hardcore version of the all-wheel-drive legend. As you can see from the teaser photo, this Type RA will have a carbon fiber roof without a sunroof. This WRX STI has more than that, though. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. According to Subaru, the rear wing will also be carbon fiber, and the car will have gold-colored forged BBS wheels measuring 19 inches in diameter. Inside, occupants will find Recaro seats. Mechanically, the suspension has been updated and now features Bilstein shock absorbers. The engine and transmission also see updates, but Subaru wouldn't give specifics at this time. Expect all the details to be revealed on June 8, the date Subaru has been teasing on Twitter. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Now with this new teaser image and confirmation of a Type RA, one might think that the previous teaser of a winged blue Subaru was of this special WRX STI. However, we're not so sure. We've been studying the trunk lid of the car in the Twitter teaser alongside those of production BRZs and WRXs. If you look closely, there's a long arching crease in the trunk lid of the teaser car and a production BRZ, but it doesn't appear on the WRX. The WRX has a very flat trunk lid. As such, we believe the teaser image is still of a BRZ STI, and we suspect Subaru may reveal both it and the WRX STI Type RA on June 8. Related Video: Image Credit: Subaru Subaru Coupe Performance Sedan subaru brz sti