Subaru aims to sell 600 units in S. Korea this year

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SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- The local importer of Japan's Subaru vehicles said
Thursday it aims to sell 600 units in South Korea this year.
Subaru Korea Co., 100 percent financed by local car dealer Korea Sangsa Co., will
begin selling three models in May made by Japanese manufacturer Fuji Heavy
Industries Ltd, which produces Subaru brand cars. The models are the Outback
crossover wagon, the Legacy sedan and the Forester sport-utility vehicle, the
company said in a press briefing held in Seoul.
The company said it is aiming to sell 300 units of the Legacy, 150 units of the
Outback and another 150 units of the Forester.
Subaru will join four other Japanese brands -- Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor
Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. -- in South Korea's market for
imported cars, which is recovering from a recent downturn fueled by the global
financial crisis.
"As South Korea's auto industry is growing steadily, so are the market shares of
the foreign-made cars. We expect a high growth here," said Nagato Masatsugu, Fuji
Heavy Industries' overseas marketing chief for Subaru, in a statement.
South Korea's market for imported cars is likely to grow about 20 percent from
last year to 74,000 units this year, the Korea Automobile Importers &
Distributors Association said earlier.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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