CHERRY HILL, N.J. -
Subaru of America bested its previous record for October sales by more than 25 percent and appears like it is headed for a best-ever year, as well, according to the company.
Specifically, Subaru moved 22,720 vehicles in the U.S., a year-over-year gain of a little more than 25 percent from October 2009, which was when the prior record occurred.
Officials said its record October is attributable mostly to all-time high months for its Outback, Forester and Legacy Sedan models.
Breaking it down, the Forester’s sales improved 28.3 percent to 6,631 units, the Legacy was up 8.9 percent at 3,543 vehicles sold, and the Outback’s October sales were 8,694 units, a 34.8-percent improvement.
Meanwhile, the Impreza’s sales were 3,676 units, a gain of 20.6 percent. The Tribeca’s sales dipped 28.5 percent to 176 units.
Through the first 10 months of this year, the company has sold 216,334 units, up 22.5 percent year-over-year.
Subaru said it is “within a few hundred sales” of notching a full-year record.
“Our 618 Subaru retailers throughout the country again did an outstanding job efficiently turning their inventory and generating record sales,” stated Timothy Colbeck, Subaru of America’s senior vice president of sales.
“We had sales increases with our four core carlines. In addition, the launch of our new WRX and STI models has been a huge success — collectively up 50 percent compared to last October,” he continued.
Thomas Doll, Subaru of America’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, added: “We are getting increased production into the hands of our dealers.
“This production, combined with targeted incentives and our brand-building advertising strategy, gives us the opportunity to continue growing volume and increasing market share even in this challenging market,” he further shared.
Edmunds.com: Subaru Just Continues to Show Strength
Reflecting on the sales results, a couple of Edmunds.com analysts said the automaker showed resiliency during the recession and is “well-positioned” for success in the recovery.
“Subaru is a brand that marched through last year’s recession as if there wasn’t one," highlighted Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Edmunds.com.
“I’ve long thought that Subaru’s success is based on the fact that it has hit a sweet spot in the market: good gas mileage but with all-wheel-drive that lets people downsize from SUVs with confidence,” she continued.
Edmunds senior analyst Karl Brauer offered his commentary, as well, noting: “Subaru’s consistent success over the past three years is not only a testament to their product lineup and customer loyalty, but is also an indicator of how well positioned they are as the industry starts to recover.”