Subaru Posts Lopsided North American Sales

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Apparently not quite done with monthly sales reporting, Subaru produced two very different tallies for its U.S. and Canadian arms in July. Known for being able to build just as many vehicles as it can sell, the automaker habitually carries one of the slimmest inventories in the industry — and the pandemic didn’t help things on that front.

Domestic factories have been up and running since May, lessening the strain on both dealers and sales sheets, but normalcy remains out of reach for certain industry players. And that group includes Subaru. In the U.S., volume was down nearly 20 percent last month, but north of the border it was an entirely different story.

The 19.7-percent year-over-year U.S. sales decrease in July was a worse showing than the 12-percent YoY decrease seen in June, both in terms of comparative metrics and actual volume. Big sellers like the Outback, Cross trek, and Ascent were off last year’s tally by double-digit percentages, thought the popular Forester did post a 4 percent YoY gain.

Also gaining ground over July 2019 were the low-volume WRX/STI and the BRZ. All told, the automaker’s year-to-date volume was down 21.1 percent at the end of July.

In Canada, however, there was cause for jubilation, as Subaru posted its best July ever in the country to the north. Sales rose 10.1 percent, year over year. The automaker’s Canadian arm claims last month was its third-best on record, and its best in the Quebec market.

Countrywide, the Outback posted its best showing to date, up 14.7 percent. Crosstrek and Forester saw July records, up 2.2 and 22.5 percent, respectively, while the range-topping Ascent recorded a volume boost of 39.4 percent. There’s still a lot of lost ground to make up, though — the brand’s year-to-date volume currently sits 26.8 percent below the level seen this time last year.

Citing diminished inventory, not demand, as the reason for the poor U.S. showing, Jeff Walters, Subaru of America’s senior vice president of sales, said, “Our manufacturing facilities are now fully ramped up and the delivery of Subaru vehicles to our retailers will significantly improve in August so we can better support the demand from our customers.”

[Image: Subaru]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Stuntmonkey Stuntmonkey on Aug 05, 2020

    > Apparently Canada is more Dog loving country than USA. It helps when the infection rate is fairly under control and people can do normal things like buying cars without bringing on the collapse of society.

  • Jarred Fitzgerald Jarred Fitzgerald on Aug 13, 2020

    "It helps when the infection rate is fairly under control and people can do normal things like buying cars without bringing on the collapse of society." Hahaha! You nailed it!

  • Ronin It's one thing to stay tried and true to loyal past customers; you'll ensure a stream of revenue from your installed base- maybe every several years or so.It's another to attract net-new customers, who are dazzled by so many other attractive offerings that have more cargo capacity than that high-floored 4-Runner bed, and are not so scrunched in scrunchy front seats.Like with the FJ Cruiser: don't bother to update it, thereby saving money while explaining customers like it that way, all the way into oblivion. Not recognizing some customers like to actually have right rear visibility in their SUVs.
  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
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