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CHERRY HILL, N.J. — While the industry as a whole might have sputtered a bit, Subaru of America declared that its June retail sales performance was the best ever for that particular month.

According to the automaker, its June retail sales total came in at 21,601 vehicles. The figure represented a 16-percent increase over June of last year when the OEM compiled retail sales of 18,620 units.

The healthy June performance also enhanced Subaru's year-to-date total, which now stands at 125,960 units. Executives indicated that amount is 35 percent higher than what they sold through the same period last year. That figure was 93,306 vehicles.

The specific model helping Subaru's sales bump most is the Forester. The company indicated the unit is breaking sales records more than two years after its introduction.

Subaru revealed it moved 7,607 Forester models last month, a 25-percent rise over what the company sold in June of last year.

Another model is sparking significant sales increases, too. The automaker mentioned that it sold 6,554 Outbacks last month, a total that calculated into a 76-percent increase over the same period last year.

"June was a great month for us," asserted Tim Colbeck, senior vice president of sales for Subaru of America.

"Our inventories are very tight and we still set a record for the month. Demand for our products continues to be strong and our retail network is working hard to sell efficiently," Colbeck added.

Thomas Doll, executive vice president of Subaru, went on to mention how delighted the automaker is in its sales performance through the first half of this year.

"Now that we are halfway through 2010, the Subaru franchise is clearly on pace to establish another record-setting sales year," Doll emphasized.

"This has been the best first six months in the history of the company and we are proud of the contribution from all members of the Subaru team," he concluded.