Originally published February 3, 2015 on autoTRADER.ca
When Subaru first hit Canadian showrooms in 1976 they weren’t always all-wheel drive. The little Japanese marque has, however, always been quirky.
Subaru is ideally suited to meeting the needs of Canadians with permanent all-wheel-drive throughout their lineup, class-leading ground clearance in their SUVs and noted reliability – Subaru is a consummate winter warrior.
Hover over the image captions in the slideshow below to see more.
Subaru Trio
Subaru Trio – When Subaru first hit Canadian showrooms in 1976 they weren’t always all-wheel drive. The little Japanese marque has, however, always been quirky. Subaru is ideally suited to meeting the needs of Canadians with permanent all-wheel-drive throughout their lineup, class-leading ground clearance in their SUVs and noted reliability – Subaru is a consummate winter warrior.
Subaru Trio
1978 Subaru DL Four-Door Sedan
1978 Subaru DL Four-Door Sedan – The first Subaru sold in Canada was a 1978 Subaru DL four-door sedan (also known as a Leone). It was sold by Marostic Subaru In Thunder Bay. Ron Marostica was the first Canadian Subaru dealer. It came in the same beige colour you see here. There was a sporty two-door version too. It was powered by a 1.6L flat-four – the configuration iconic to Subaru since day one.
1978 Subaru DL Four-Door Sedan
1972 Subaru Leone Wagon
1972 Subaru Leone Wagon – The first Subaru sold in Canada was a 1978 Subaru DL four-door sedan (also known as a Leone). It was sold by Marostic Subaru In Thunder Bay. Ron Marostica was the first Canadian Subaru dealer. It came in the same beige colour you see here. There was a sporty two-door version too. It was powered by a 1.6L flat-four – the configuration iconic to Subaru since day one.
1972 Subaru Leone Wagon
1979 Subaru Leone
1979 Subaru Leone – Two years after the sale of the first, distinctively '60s DL, a radical new Leone was unveiled sporting features like a high and low-range gearbox, as well as manually adjustable ride height. In 1981 Subaru added the first Japanese four-wheel-drive system to be mated to an automatic, and the first to use a push-button selector for AWD. The permanent AWD system was on its way.
1979 Subaru Leone
1977 Subaru Brat
1977 Subaru Brat – But not before Subaru gave us more quirk in the form of the bizarre and charming little BRAT (Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter). The carpeted rear tray and the two jump seats helped Subaru avoid the “chicken tax” – a 25 percent tax on foreign pickups in the USA. The two seats meant this was a car – not a truck, and hence subject to only a 2.5 percent tax.
1977 Subaru Brat
1984 Subaru Justy
1984 Subaru Justy – The diminutive Justy epitomized Subaru’s niche appeal in the 80s and 90s, and also gave birth to the CVT transmissions that have become synonymous with Subaru in the 2000s. The electronically controlled CVT (ECVT) was offered alongside a five-speed manual. In those days, the manual was the more popular.
1984 Subaru Justy
1990 Subaru Legacy
1990 Subaru Legacy – Despite earlier racing the second-generation Leone, it was the Subaru Legacy that vaulted the Japanese marque to motorsport glory. It also won the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) best Family Sedan of 1990.
1990 Subaru Legacy
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1997 Subaru Impreza WRC
1997 Subaru Impreza WRC – Subaru’s racing heritage was forever imprinted in the minds of race fans around the world with the Impreza, which in WRX STI form set a new standard for production-based rally cars.
1997 Subaru Impreza WRC
1992 Subaru Outback Sport
1992 Subaru Outback Sport – The Impreza had a hand in Subaru’s SUV/CUV heritage too. The Outback Sport launched here in 1994 and was based on the Impreza Sport Wagon sold elsewhere in the world. It was the first time the Outback brand was used by Subaru.
1992 Subaru Outback Sport
1996 Subaru Legacy Outback
1996 Subaru Legacy Outback – The Subaru Legacy Outback, which was the genesis of the modern Outback line was released in Canada in 1996. A larger version of the Outback Sport, the Legacy Outback was based on the global Legacy Grand Wagon.
1996 Subaru Legacy Outback
1999 Subaru Forester
1999 Subaru Forester – The Forester wagon joined the Subaru lineup soon after in 1998, and the move toward larger, more versatile, outdoor rigs was established.
1999 Subaru Forester
Subaru B9 Tribeca
Subaru B9 Tribeca – Some of the offerings were a little too far on the quirky side. The Subaru Tribeca B9 was another foray into larger offerings but the divisive styling and the rise of the Subaru Outback combined to see the Tribeca’s run end in 2012.
Subaru B9 Tribeca
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek – These days Subaru’s SUV duo is joined by the stylish and ever-popular XV Crosstrek. The Crosstrek has been responsible for record period of growth for Subaru in North America.
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Subaru Outback Forester and XV Crosstrek
Subaru Outback Forester and XV Crosstrek – And it’s this trio of SUVS that Subaru highlighted in our recent trip to Montebello, Quebec. Between the three of them, they accounted for 66 percent of Subaru sales in 2014, XV Crosstrek represented 16 percent, Outback 21 and Forester 29 percent.
Subaru Outback Forester and XV Crosstrek
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2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek – The XV Crosstrek crossover is aimed at a more youthful market. Since its inception in 2012 the XV Crosstrek has helped Subaru gain 25 percent more market share, with just under 7,000 units sold in 2014. Its smaller size and sharper styling give it a more playful nature – especially on winding back roads. You can even get a manual to match the 2.0L boxer engine.
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
2015 Subaru Forester
2015 Subaru Forester – The Forester is for an active and engaged next generation slightly older than the Crosstrek consumer. A true SUV with uber-practical boxy dimensions, the Forester is a Subaru stalwart and anchors the brand in Canada with over 12,000 units sold last year.
2015 Subaru Forester
2015 Subaru Outback
2015 Subaru Outback – While the Outback is Subaru’s more comfort-oriented offering and is considered by the company a Sport Utility Wagon. Like Crosstrek, Outback (and Forester) can be had with a manual too – but only with the 2.5L flat-four engine. The 2.0L turbo in the Forester and the 3.6L flat-six in the Outback are both only available with a CVT transmission.
2015 Subaru Outback
2015 Subaru Forester
2015 Subaru Forester – All three boast class-leading cute-ute ground clearance of 220 mm (only the Jeep Cherokee matches them) but can go sideways in snow with gleeful abandon when the playful mood strikes. Speaking of play, almost 20 percent of Outback drivers list skiing and snowboarding in their set of regular hobbies compared to 15 percent of Forester drivers.
2015 Subaru Forester
2015 Subaru Forester
2015 Subaru Forester – And now with X-Mode handle even the steepest of slush-covered inclines. X-Mode alters the transmission, throttle and ESC response to allow for clean take-offs on treacherous hills, and for a confidence-inspiring hill-descent control system to keep your passengers calm as you head back down the other side.
2015 Subaru Forester
Subaru Forester at Hotel Montebello
Subaru Forester at Hotel Montebello – What better place to show off Subaru’s Canadian winter capabilities than deep inside Quebec, where the snow falls thick and the ice huts sprout like dandelions? Especially with a stay at Fairmont Hotel Montebello. This lodge was built in the 1930s and has hosted the G8 summit. We saw a deer.
Subaru Forester at Hotel Montebello
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