Subaru of America debuted new limited editions of each model in its lineup, including the Outback wagon, and Crosstrek and Forester small SUVs, at the 2018 Chicago Auto Show recently. The new vehicles include special paint, badging and design accents to commemorate 50 years of sales in the U.S.
The 2018 Subaru Outback, Crosstrek and Forester 50th Anniversary Editions are identifiable by their Heritage Blue color, satin chrome trim and celebratory emblems. They also come with alloy wheels. A 50th Anniversary logo is embroidered into the front seats and floor mats. Subaru will build 1,050 anniversary editions for every vehicle in its lineup, including its Impreza, Legacy, WRX, STI and BRZ passenger cars.
Automakers periodically release special editions of existing models to drum up interest in their lineup. The trend has increased recently in trucks such as the Chevrolet Silverado Centennial Edition and Ram Heavy Duty Lone Star Silver. But consumers have already taken notice. Subaru sales rose by 5.3 percent in 2017 compared with 2016, according to industry research firm Autodata Corp. It was the 10th consecutive year of U.S. sales growth, Subaru said.
Pricing for the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek 50th Anniversary Edition starts at $30,995. The 2018 Forester Anniversary Edition costs $33,390 for the 2.5i Touring trim and $36,390 for the 2.0 XT Touring. Subaru will build 800 of the former and 250 of the latter. The 2018 Outback Anniversary Edition is priced from $35,080 for the 2.5i Limited and $37,280 for the 3.6R Limited. Similar to the Forester, 800 lower trim models and 250 premium versions will be available.
The Outback was the top-selling vehicle in the brand’s lineup in 2017, with sales of more than 188,000 vehicles, an increase of 3.3 percent compared with 2016. The automaker took a more upscale approach with the 2018 model year, adding premium materials and noise reduction in the cabin.
Subaru is also looking to expand its light trucks portfolio, a category comprising pickups, SUVs and crossovers. It introduced the all-new 2019 Ascent three-row SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
