The Legacy Sedan Demise And Why Subaru Could Move To An All-SUV Lineup

The 2022 Subaru Legacy is an endangered species in many cities across North America. Subaru of America saves room on its assembly line in Lafayette, Indiana, for the 2022 Subaru Outback midsize SUV, Outback Wilderness trim level, and Ascent 3-Row SUV.

Even before COVID-19, the microchip shortages, and supply chain issues, the Legacy sedan sales slowly dropped. Subaru decided to drop the Legacy (Liberty) midsize sedan in Australia in 2020 because of slow sales. Will the North American market be next?

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

Consumer Guide says compact SUVs continue to sell significantly more than traditional passenger cars. “Most industry observers believe this trend signifies a permanent shift in American buyers’ tastes, and automakers are allocating their product-development resources accordingly,” says CG.

Ford has dropped the Fusion sedan and the only their only traditional passenger car they have left in America is the Mustang. Other manufacturers are also moving away from sedans. Buick is now an SUV-only brand, and Chevrolet’s only remaining four-door passenger cars are the Spark subcompact hatchback and midsize Malibu sedan, which will likely be phased out soon.

Automotive News says budget-conscious consumers pick smaller utility vehicles like the 2022 Subaru Forester compact SUV and 2022 Crosstrek subcompact SUV over high-priced, full-size versions as inflation continues to soar.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

The slow death of the sedan and the falling value of new-vehicle incentives is also why people are reconsidering the size and cost of their next new vehicle, said Robert Karwel, senior manager of the Power Information Network at J.D. Power.

Subaru Corporation also dropped the next-generation WRX STI for other than slow sales. Subaru needs to comply with the regulations and requirements for greenhouse gasses (GHG), zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV), and corporate average fuel economy (CAFE).

If you want a 2022 Subaru Legacy, you should act quickly. Subaru has not confirmed it, but the automaker could stop building 2022 models and wait for the next-generation sedan to start manufacturing them again.

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Legacy?

The 2022 Legacy sedan comes in six trim levels. The 2022 midsize sedan starts at $23,955 for the base trim, Premium ($26,205), Sport ($29,750), Limited ($30,905), Limited XT ($35,455), and Touring XT ($37,155). Pricing includes destination and delivery fees ($960).

The 2022 Subaru Forester, 2022 Outback, and 2022 Crosstrek are Subaru of America’s top-three selling SUVs. With dwindling Legacy sedan sales, don’t be surprised to see Subaru drop the sedan sometime in the future. Subaru could be methodically moving in the direction of an SUV-only lineup.

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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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Photo credit: Subaru