SUBARU has just marked a massive milestone: The Japanese carmaker has officially produced 20 million all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles.
This achievement comes 49 years after Subaru launched the Leone 4WD Estate Van, the first-ever mass-produced AWD passenger car in Japan. The Leone was introduced in September 1972, and while it was eventually discontinued, it helped pave the way for its AWD successors such as the Impreza.
Today, AWD vehicles account for 98 percent of Subaru’s global sales. All of these AWD models, meanwhile, feature Subaru’s symmetrical AWD system that comes with the brand’s patented horizontally opposed boxer engine.
This Symmetrical AWD drivetrain combines a low center of gravity with superior weight balance to maximize stability and traction, ultimately enabling superb driving performance in various road conditions. Subaru’s AWD system is also equipped in vehicles with e-Boxer powertrains – in fact, Subaru says the upcoming Solterra all-electric SUV will even sport an enhanced version of this drivetrain.
“Subaru will continue to enhance the ‘Subaru Difference’ by further honing our existing original core technologies while also cultivating future-generation technologies, in order to provide ‘Enjoyment and Peace of Mind’ to our customers around the world,” the company’s official statement reads.(Top Gear PH)
