What can we see from Subaru's moves in the regional auto market?

At the end of May, AutolifeThailand posted information saying that Subaru will stop producing cars in Thailand from the end of 2024. This decision was made by Tan Chong Subaru Automotive Thailand Company Limited (TCSAT) - a joint venture between Tan Chong Group (Malaysia) and Subaru Japan.

Suzuki, Subaru plan to stop production, Honda closes 1 factory in Thailand this year in restructuring efforts (Photo: Autoindustriya).

Shortly thereafter, Suzuki also announced that it would stop producing cars and trucks at its factory in Thailand by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Honda also plans to close its factory in Ayutthaya (Thailand), but will continue to produce cars through its facility in Prachinburi.

Thus, some Japanese automakers have adjusted their business strategies in Thailand in the context of many market fluctuations. Those changes will have a certain impact on business in some countries in the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam. However, the effects may not be as big as some people fear.

As for Subaru, the Forester line currently distributed in our country is imported completely from Thailand. After the Subaru factory here stops operating at the end of 2024, the above SUV model will switch to being imported from Japan - similar to how the Forester was distributed in Vietnam before.

The Forester line currently distributed in Vietnam is imported by Subaru from Thailand (Photo: VMS).

Although the factory in Thailand is closed, the company still maintains after-sales service and spare parts supply there. Subaru is also expanding its influence in the region, such as opening the largest showroom in Hanoi with a scale of about 3,500m2.

Similarly, Suzuki will stop its factory in Thailand but will switch to distributing vehicles at factories in ASEAN, Japan and India. As for Honda, the move to close the above factory is understood as a measure to optimize production and costs, to focus on the remaining factory to increase efficiency.

For Subaru, switching to distributing imported cars from Japan can help shorten the time to access new products, expected to be about 3-4 months. In addition, the quantity and variety of products brought to Vietnam are also expected to be more diverse.

Subaru Crosstrek is expected to arrive in Vietnam at the end of this year, joining the competitive B-SUV segment (Photo: Subaru).

According to some sources, Subaru will soon launch a new model imported from Japan, the Crosstrek, expected in the last quarter of this year. The car is positioned in the urban high-chassis segment. In addition to the Forester, other Subaru models in Vietnam are also imported from Japan, including the Outback, WRX and BRZ.

Meanwhile, the all-new 6th generation Forester model may be introduced by Subaru in 2025. Of course, for users who want to own a car soon and at a competitive price, the current Forester is more attractive due to tax and fee incentives as it is an imported car from Thailand.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/o-to-xe-may/thay-gi-tu-nhung-dich-chuyen-cua-subaru-tren-thi-truong-o-to-trong-khu-vuc-20240928170810538.htm