Stellaaaaaaaa! That is the name of the newest Subaru supercompact, which just went on sale in Japan on Friday. The third-generation Stella comes at the same time as the latest Daihatsu Move, on which it is based.
Toyota has been trying to leverage its 20 percent ownership in Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent company, since it bought the shares GM divested in 2005. Daihatsu is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota and a small car specialist. Together, they hope to snag a bigger share of the lucrative kei car market, which comprises over a third of all new car sales in Japan.
While not as stylized as recent kei offerings from Honda, the Subaru Stella and Daihatsu Move are heavy on content. They are the first kei cars to offer hill holder function (on automatic transmissions), which is sure to come in handy in Japan’s mountainous terrain. They also offer a 4.2-inch multi-function touch screen, independently sliding rear seats, LED head and fog lights, electronic stability control, and low-range collision braking assist.
Power comes from a DOHC 660cc turbocharged 3-cylinder mated to a CVT, limited to 64hp by kei regulations. Both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations are available. Prices start at $8,840 before taxes, and fuel economy is rated at 73 mpg for the 2WD version, 64 for the AWD.
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