Here's Why The Subaru Exiga Would Have Never Survived In The US
With the unveiling and potential release of any product, demographics are an important thing to consider. It's a potentially very complex one, too. There are so many factors to consider, after all. Matters like the age of potential consumers are one element, but where in the world you plan to launch can also be a major one.
Needless to say, the biggest automakers will export their newest models worldwide. It's not always possible to perfectly predict how a vehicle will perform in a given market, but companies will release where they deem the greatest potential profit. With this in mind, there will be times when markets miss out on certain models. One prominent case is the Subaru Exiga, which was never released in the United States.
Why did the Exiga miss out on this vast auto market? Not only was another vehicle slated to launch in the US, but certain traits of the Exiga made it seem that the model wouldn't be the best fit. Let's look at this unique vehicle and why it perhaps wouldn't have performed in the United States. It wouldn't have been Subaru's first failure — that was their very first car, the Subaru 360
The arrival (elsewhere) on the Subaru Exiga
Subaru's Exiga began as a concept vehicle, debuting at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Unlike some concept vehicles, this was not intended as an outlandish show-stopper but rather a logical extension of something Subaru already offered. A literal extension, too, you might say, of the Subaru Legacy (which would be shortly discontinued).
The Exiga shortly made its way to production in a guise that somewhat differed from the initial concept. It arrived in Japan in June 2008, sporting options that made it clear that the vehicle was a serious investment for Subaru and that there were expectations upon it to perform. To that end, it boasted the Subaru Intelligent Drive system, turbocharge capacity, and a solid set of specs at 4,400 rpm of torque and 5,600 rpm. It was also capable of hitting 180 mph.
It is a formidable five-door vehicle that seats seven but boasts boons like multi-link suspension and unique less-angular appeal. Even so, it wasn't deemed a fit for the United States.
The potential issues with the Subaru Exiga
The Exiga, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. reported, was created to seat seven and to do so in comfort. To that end, it had tiered seating to allow panoramic views from each seat, a subframe to make the journey smoother for all occupants, and other features. In the effort to make the vehicle less bulky, though, the U.S. market may have lost something in its interior space.
As is somewhat to be expected, the seats at the very back offer the least in the way of room. Autoblog, providing an extensive first look at the model in June 2008, stated, "Anyone over 5' 2" won't want to spend a lot of time back there as the seat cushions are set too close to the floor to provide under thigh support." This, incidentally, is the approximate average adult height of a Japanese female, while that of the average adult female in the United States is about two inches taller.
The U.S. perception, perhaps, could be that the vehicle wouldn't be sufficiently roomy. In addition, there's the matter of audience to consider. Such a vehicle is a great fit for big families. As Emiko Takagi et al. note in 2007's "Intergenerational Coresidence of Older Adults in Japan: Conditions for Cultural Plasticity," more than three times as many people over 60 "lived with at least one of their adult children" in Japan as opposed to the United States as of 2001.
The Exiga's potential space in the United States was already covered, before and after
The Exiga, as a stylish twist on the notion of an MPV, was something different from the norm, and this is another potential factor that may have made drivers in the United States wary. A further factor to consider is that the Subaru B9 Tribeca was launched in the U.S. three years prior, inspired by the earlier Subaru Outback.
The 2006 model of the Outback was a seven-seater, too, and even more than that, it was the first one Subaru developed. It was followed, in turn, by the Subaru Ascent, which also debuted as a motor show concept (this time at 2017's Los Angeles Motor Show).
Initially designated a North American exclusive, its heftier build and further-increased capacity (Subaru's biggest model yet with room for up to eight passengers depending on the trim chosen) Perhaps spoke to the sensibilities of the U.S. driver better than the Exiga ever did: A sturdy, sizeable, reliable model.