Subaru Trezia: The Toyotafication Continues

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Remember the just-released Toyota Ractis? It’s just dropped in Subaru form, giving the Japanese market the tantalizing choice of two distinct brands for an identical four-door subcompact hatch. Moreover, the Trezia marks a changing of the guard at Subaru: whereas Subaru used to develop and sell a wacky rainbow of subcompact and “kei” cars and trucks (some of which are still visible at Subaru’s Japanese website), all future Subarus smaller than the Impreza will be rebadged Toyotas. This change won’t materially affect the US market, but it can’t help but erode Subaru’s image as an independent small maker of quirky cars. Apparently there is just no place for that kind of automaker in the future… the revolution will be rebadged.



Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Grzydj Grzydj on Nov 30, 2010

    Isn't much (if any) money to be made in this segment, so it will be beneficial for Subaru in the long run to let Toyota develop these kinds of cars so they can concentrate on their Impreza and Legacy sized vehicles. I know it's cool to hate on Toyota on the internet and everything, but historically Toyota has produced good cars in this segment, so I don't see how a rebadge in a market outside of the US has any bearing on how the Subaru brand is perceived in the US. It's hilarious to see how people are remarking that Subaru is dieing a slow death, even though the opposite is true and that they're making all sorts of sales records. Internet.

    • Tedward Tedward on Nov 30, 2010

      Cars are sold on brand momentum as much as product quality. See (old) GM, also see Suzuki.

  • I_godzuki I_godzuki on Nov 30, 2010

    Surely the smaller ones will be re-badged Daihatsus rather than Toyotas. Toyota doesn't make any kei cars itself.

  • Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
  • MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
  • Lorenzo Since EVs don't come in for oil changes, their owners don't have their tires rotated regularly, something the dealers would have done. That's the biggest reason they need to buy a new set of tires sooner, not that EVs wear out tires appreciably faster.
  • THX1136 Always liked the Mustang though I've never owned one. I remember my 13 yo self grabbing some Ford literature that Oct which included the brochure for the Mustang. Using my youthful imagination I traced the 'centerfold' photo of the car AND extending the roof line back to turn it into a small wagon version. At the time I thought it would be a cool variant to offer. What was I thinking?!
  • GregLocock That's a bodge, not a solution. Your diff now has bits of broken off metal floating around in it.
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