Japanese brand to employ “fair” ordering system for its first EV amid long wait times for BRZ and Crosstrek Hybrid
Subaru Australia will employ a “first-come, first-served” distribution model for the rollout of its first electric vehicle locally, the Subaru Solterra.
The news comes as the Japanese car-maker continues to endure significant wait times of up to six months for customer deliveries of some of its new models – namely the BRZ sports coupe.
Speaking with carsales at the launch of the new Subaru Crosstrek small SUV this month, Subaru Australia managing director Blair Read said the company will treat customers who order the Solterra EV fairly, given demand will exceed supply.
Although the Solterra is yet to receive a price tag or go on sale officially, Read said transparency was important as Subaru gets ready to open sales via online deposits or at traditional dealerships.
“To ensure vehicles are fairly allocated, Subaru Solterra orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis once the official order process opens after pricing and spec is announced,” Read said.
“This means that Solterra orders – whether online or via the dealer network – will be time-stamped and be delivered according to that time stamp.
“For example, if one customers order is at 12:01pm online and another at 12:02pm in a dealership, then those vehicles will be delivered in chronological order.”
As we reported in February, Subaru Australia is now planning on a Solterra launch date in the second half of 2023 – having originally planned on a mid-year arrival.
Read confirmed this month that launch plans were still on track for the second half of this year, meaning the Solterra should still beat its twin-under-the-skin Toyota BZ4X to market locally.
Both models have been subject to reported production delays on account of poor real-world driving range test results.
The delay comes as Subaru Australia continues to navigate customer wait times of up to six months for its traditional combustion models, led by the likes of the BRZ.
Blair said high-spec variants of the Subaru WRX are subject to two-to-three month waits (less for other models), while the waiting time for hybrid versions of the new Crosstrek have already blown out “to between six and eight months from the day you place an order but we’re working on resolving that”.
“We continue to work very closely with Subaru Corporation to deliver vehicles to customers as soon possible, and delivery timeframes for customer orders can vary for a variety of reasons, however, some customers may experience a wait of six months for BRZ and one month for WRX,” he said.
“As always we encourage customers to contact their local Subaru dealer who are best placed to provide wait times for specific orders.”
In better news for safety-conscious performance car buyers, Read confirmed Subaru Australia was on track to release upgraded manual versions of the WRX and BRZ fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) by year’s end.
“We are committed to bringing AEB to Subaru performance cars with a manual transmission to our market, and customers in Australia will see that commitment play out very soon,” he said.
“We expect to make an announcement on this within the next six months.”
Wait times for new Subaru models:
BRZ – About six months
Crosstrek – Available within four to six weeks
Crosstrek Hybrid – Available within six to eight months
Forester – About three months
Impreza – New model due fourth quarter of 2023
Outback: About three to four months
Solterra – All-new model due second half of 2023
WRX – Between one and three months
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Keyword: Subaru delivery delays blow out to six months