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If you are shopping for a 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek model, you might not find the exact color and trim level you want. A new report from Automotive News (by subscription) reveals Subaru had the tightest supply of cars of any automaker at 29 days as of January 1, 2021, according to its Research & Data Center.
But things are improving, and customers could better select 2021 Forester compact SUVs, 2021 Outback crossovers, and 2021 Crosstrek subcompact SUVs because of added inventory. The three models are the automaker's top-selling models in its all-wheel-drive lineup.
Patrick Wergin, executive vice president at Annapolis Subaru and Gateway Subaru in Maryland, says, "The plan is to take as many cars as we can from Subaru Corporation," He expects Subaru to ramp up inventory from its record lows in 2020.
"We're excited with that fact because we feel that we could have done a better job in 2020 if we had more inventory. We're excited with the possibility of more availability this year," Wergin told AN.
photo credit: Budds Subaru
In December, Subaru Corporation CEO Tomomi Nakamura told Automotive News that the Japanese automaker's 2021 sales forecast is somewhere between 650,000 to 660,000 vehicles in the U.S. market. In a difficult year, Subaru delivered 611,942 cars to customers in 2020, a 13 percent sales drop from 2019.
The good news for customers is, Subaru's Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek inventory should be improving in 2021. Subaru of America had some bright spots to end the year and can build off in 2021.
Subaru's fourth-quarter sales rose 0.3 percent to 175,382 vehicles, while total market share went up 0.1 percent to 4.2 percent, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center.
What's next for Subaru in 2021?
The performance lineup of WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ all come with redesigns in 2021. The 2022 WRX will launch in late 2021, and the BRZ will be in Subaru showrooms in March. The Impreza also gets a complete remodel for the 2022 model change. Forester will also get a mild refresh and will make its dealer launch this summer.
The big news is that a new all-electric SUV makes its launch in the U.S. market and makes its global reveal later this year. Subaru will rely on Toyota to bring its first-ever battery-electric car. While Toyota plans to launch a "portfolio of battery-electric products," Subaru will launch one all-new model in 2022, and it will have limited availability.
"We're hoping to actually have a product bank for once with the brand," Wergin, chairman of the Subaru National Retailer Advisory Board, said "Retailers are very resilient. We've been able to sell from a low supply many times, and we still hit sales targets. But we're actually looking this year to grow up a little bit of a sales bank so that we can keep gaining market share," Wergin told AN.
New models are coming, and Subaru expects to bounce back from a problematic sales year. With the 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek in the hot small SUV segment, Subaru is optimistic going into 2021.
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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