Lawrence Good hails new Subaru Impreza

MotorTorque caught up with International Motors´ Lawrence Good at the Autopsort Inernational show.

Although he has been in charge at International Motors, importers of Subaru, Daihatsu and Isuzu vehicles, for nearly a year, managing director Lawrence Good brought a wealth of motor industry experience with him. He left Daimler-Chrysler to join IM.

Whilst Daihatsu UK sales are now growing and healthy, Isuzu sales are restricted by the lack of models to import to the UK with double cab pick-ups being their main focus. However it is the Subaru brand that is receiving most attention from Good’s restructuring programme.

Subaru sales in the UK fell by 17 per cent last year to just over 6,000 units. Good explains that this is due to the run-out programme for the old model Impreza, Legacy and Forrester ranges.

The arrival of the new Impreza range starts a three year cycle of new models and the introduction of a long awaited and much needed diesel engine. Good said that for 2008 he has a Subaru UK sales target of 8,000 vehicles.

Good is on record as saying that Subaru has the most varied types of customers in the industry, ‘petrolheads’ who love Impreza rally based cars through to the ‘landed gentry’ who loyally buy Forrester, Impreza and Legacy models.

He said Subaru is still very much a niche brand attracting a selective group of customers, 90 per cent of which are retail buyers. Good said there is huge Subaru brand loyalty including small business user-chooser buyers and this business sector will increase once they have the 2.0-litre, ‘Boxer’ turbodiesel engine available. It will be Subaru’s first diesel engine and the world’s first flat-four’ diesel unit for passenger cars.

Subaru have now completed the first phase roll-out of the new all-wheel drive Impreza range with prices starting at £12,495 right through to the 2.5-litre WRX STI Type UK at £24,995.

Lawrence Good was eager to point out the WRX STI is £1,600 less than the model it replaces and cheaper than all the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X models which were also launched at the show.

Next in line for updates and replacements in the following months will be the diesel engine introduction for existing Legacy and Outback models and the launch of the all-new Forrester.

The new Forrester is larger and will be classed as a mid sized SUV competing for sales against the Honda CR-V and Land Rover Freelander. Initially the Forrester will be available with a petrol engine in time for the March new registration plate and the diesel versions will follow in time for the September plate change.

The Impreza range will receive the new diesel engine option at the end of this year and the all-new Subaru Legacy models will be introduced towards the end of 2009.

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