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Subaru won't go 2WD

Subaru Australia went all-wheel drive back in 1998, the move helped the brand become the third biggest Subaru market globally.

With Toyota and Nissan planning two-wheel drive versions of their popular RAV4 and X-Trail, Subaru Australia boss, Nick Senior, is adamant the Forester and Outback will not join them.  Despite a trend to two-wheel drive off-roaders Subaru "will remain firmly with symmetrical all-wheel drive", he says.

Senior describes the current crop of pretend off-roaders as TUVs - Toy Utility Vehicles.  However, stripping out expensive all-wheel drive hardware can save as much as $3000 and help lower fuel consumption and emissions.

Some front-wheel drive compact off-roaders, like the Nissan Dualis, are now outselling their all-wheel drive cousins.  Toyota will add a front-drive RAV4 this week to join the front-drive Kluger and Nissan is planning a front-drive X-Trail later this year.

Both will save weight and improve fuel economy.  The front-drive RAV4 is tipped to be about 100kg lighter and the X-Trail is lose a similar amount of weight.

Nissan Australia boss, Dan Thompson, is confident the front driver X-Trail will help expand its appeal.  "You only have look at the success of Hyundai with its Tucson City," he says.

Both the RAV4 and X-Trail are expected to be available for under $30,000.  Thompson says that many buyers appreciate the higher driving position of an off-roader but do not necessarily need all-wheel drive.

He is aiming to repeat the success of the company's front drive Dualis, which now accounts for 80 per cent of all Dualis sales.  When it was launched it was available only as an all-wheel drive and sales were sluggish. 

Apart from the RAV4 and X-Trail, Honda is looking at its options for the CR-V.  Honda spokesman, Mark Higgins, says the company may consider a front drive CR-V "but it would have to have a significant price advantage to make sense".

The CR-V is mostly front-wheel drive but uses a "real-time" all-wheel drive system in off-road conditions.  After Subaru Australia went all-wheel drive back in 1998 it has never looked back.  The move helped it become the third biggest Subaru market globally after Japan and the United States. 

Faux front-drive off-roaders

Holden Captiva 5
Mazda CX7
Kia Sportage
Hyundai ix35
Renault Koleos
Nissan Dualis
Toyota Kluger