Subaru automaker decided to overhaul its engineering, design and technology strategies to keep the brand competitive on a global scale. The main two changes concern a new modular platform, Subaru says will improve safety and driving performance, and a new design language dubbed Dynamic X Solid to enliven the brand's image.
Besides this, Subaru will roll out new automated-driving technologies beginning with a traffic-jam autopilot. This function will allow the vehicle to start and stop automatically in slow traffic and steer automatically around curves. Subaru's current system requires the driver to re-engage acceleration manually once the vehicle has stopped. Existing technology does not feature automatic steering.
Subaru is relying on the changes to stoke its surging sales for continued gains. Subaru targets its eighth straight year of record sales and ninth year of growth in the U.S. in 2016. U.S. sales are expected to increase 5.5 percent and to reach the number of 615,000 vehicles. Furthemore, the new technologies and design language are pillars of the company's plan to boost global sales to 1.1 million vehicles in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.
