How SIA gets ready for new Subaru 7-seat SUV

Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) is running at full capacity and is expanding to make room for a new 7-seat SUV that will be built at the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana. SIA is already building the Subaru Outback, Subaru Legacy and will begin producing the Impreza compact by the end of 2016. Subaru will stop building the Toyota Camry to make room for the new Impreza.

SIA will invest $140.2 million in new machinery and equipment in addition to the $400 million expansion that is currently underway. SIA who is owned by parent company Fiji Heavy Industries (FHI) said the improvements will go to increase its production capacity by nearly 100,000 units annually to meet the growing demand for Subaru vehicles in North America.

Subaru of Indiana Automotive is the only Subaru production facility outside of Japan and the Japanese automaker is trying to keep up with demand for the popular 2016 Outback here in the U.S. and other global markets. Subaru will also need to get ready for the new 7-seat SUV that will also be built at the Indiana plant that is replacing the Tribeca model. We recently reported that Subaru CEO Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said the seven-seat SUV will be built at the Indiana plant starting after 2017. Yoshinaga did not give a specific time frame when production will start. We would expect production to start in 2018 and be available in late 2018.

The next new vehicle in the Subaru lineup will be the new 7-seat SUV. Subaru executive Nobuhiko Murakami, senior vice president of global marketing for Fuji Heavy Industries said the new 7-seat SUV will be built because that mid-size SUV market “Is so strong.” The Subaru plant in Indiana is gearing up for another vehicle that will be rolling off the production line. Stay tuned.

Media source: Automotive News

Image source: Subaru Crossover 7