When it comes to the automobile industry, there are countless examples of inertial thinking. Mercedes-Benz is luxury, BMW is sport, Toyota is moderation, and so on. Why Mercedes-Benz must be luxurious? Why does BMW have to exercise? Why must Toyota be mean? Forcibly labeling car brands is a sign that we don't know enough about cars. When we closely associate a car brand or model with a specific adjective, it is an inertial thinking of car cognition.
Engineers of automobile manufacturers are all smart, and they often suddenly launch some models that break your habitual thinking, so that you can always keep the most correct understanding of automobiles. I think an obvious example is Subaru, whose models are good at four-wheel drive. The rear-drive Subaru BRZ may be different in the entire Subaru product array, but in addition to rear-drive cars, Subaru also has many front-drive models. Let's take a look.
Subaru from Fuji Heavy Industries is actually an iconic and distinctive automobile brand. As long as Subaru is mentioned, I believe many people will relish its horizontally opposed engine and full-time four-wheel drive, so many people think that all Subaru models are the standard collocation of horizontally opposed engine+full-time four-wheel drive system.
Many people may not know that while Subaru is committed to building the product matrix of full-time four-wheel drive models, it has also "abandoned" many front-wheel drive models, and even some front-wheel drive models have landed in China market and made in China. Let's talk about a representative car of Subaru front-wheel drive camp.
Subaru R 1 is a cute and cute small car developed by Subaru for Japanese and European markets, and it is also one of the few small cars built by Subaru in the 2 1 century (or there is no problem with mini-cars). The high and narrow design makes Subaru R 1 stand out from others who emphasize handling and performance.
(The attached picture shows the ninth generation of Leopard and the first generation of Chipeng. It can be seen that the front face design style of Subaru R 1 is exactly the same as theirs. )
The product cycle of Subaru R 1 is 2005-20 10, which is in the same period as the familiar ninth-generation Impreza and the first-generation Chipeng. Therefore, Subaru R 1 also uses the same design language as them. The front face of the flying wing shape seems to be trying to explain: Although I am a pioneer, I am also a Subaru.
As for the powertrain of Subaru R 1, fans who know a little about Subaru mini-cars should be familiar with it. That's a cliche-EN07 series engine. ЮЮ The engine can be regarded as a star model of Sparrow, and it has undertaken the power output task of Sparrow's mini-car products. Although the displacement of 658ml is very small, it can burst into quite strong power performance, among which the top and top R 1 models are equipped. X engine, EN07 series engine has been used since 1990s, and Subaru has kept this series engine in service until 20 10.
Although Subaru R 1 also has four-wheel drive models, the front-wheel drive model is the main model after all, and the front-wheel drive version of Subaru R 1 has also refreshed many people's three views on Subaru four-wheel drive models, so Subaru R 1 is still a model worth talking about.
In addition to the Subaru R 1 just mentioned, the five-door mini-car Subaru R2 with the same platform as R 1 also has a predecessor version. Because Subaru R2 and Subaru R 1 adopt exactly the same technical platform and have similar positioning, the powertrain of Subaru R2 is exactly the same as Subaru R 1, and EN07 series engines are used as the powertrain. The gearbox is the same CVT as R 1, but the five-door version of Subaru R2 is more household, so a five-speed manual gearbox is added.
Similarly, the top version of Subaru R2 is equipped with EN07 like R 1. X supercharged engine, the supercharged air inlet on the hood is the most prominent symbol.
The special traffic environment in Japan's domestic market has also led to the emergence of some K-class cars specially built for Japan's domestic market, such as Subaru R 1 and R2, among which Subaru Stella is such a car. Stella's positioning is similar to Suzuki station wagon? K-car van like R adopts the common four-wheel and four-corner design at this level, and explores a larger and more comfortable ride space within the limited body size. After all, Subaru Stella is the shell replacement of R 1 and R2, so the former is highly consistent with the latter in power and chassis structure. The power is still EN07 series engine with 5-speed manual gearbox and CVT gearbox, and the driving form is still mainly front drive, and some models provide full-time four-wheel drive.
(with the picture, the blue model is Stella? Custom? RS？ S version, wearing purple Stella? Revesta)
In addition to the regular models, the economical and practical Subaru Stella also provides the EN07? Stella and x supercharged engine biased motion? Custom? RS？ Who pays more attention to texture and comfort, S version or Stella? Revesta model
(Second generation Subaru Stella)
Compared with Subaru R 1 and R2, Subaru Stella, which locates the small box of K car, is obviously more popular in Japan, so its product cycle is longer. At present, the second generation model has been developed, and the product cycle has continued until 20 14 years.
(The picture shows Dafa? L 1 10S)
As the basic models, Subaru R 1 and R2 stopped production on 20 10 and 2010/respectively, so the second-generation Subaru Stella, which was born on 20 1 1, was built on the platform of Daihatsu Move and became the renamed model of Daihatsu Move. This move is actually very understandable. After all, auto experts Daihatsu and Subaru are both brands controlled by Toyota, so it is reasonable to enjoy the technology of their models.
In 20 12, with the annual change of the Dafa Move model, the Subaru Stella was also changed, and the overall outline remained unchanged, but the design of the front, rear and interior was improved to some extent.
(20 12 Dafa? L 1 10S)
Especially the shape of the front bumper, there are still obvious differences between the two cars. After all, Subaru is a brand with sports genes, so the depiction of Stella's front bumper should be more three-dimensional, and the interior shapes of the two cars are not the same. But in the end, with the movement of Dafa? L 1 10S models were discontinued, and Subaru Stella had no successor. The main predecessor of a Subaru car is history.
Seeing this, it is estimated that many friends began to whisper that Subaru's front-wheel-drive cars are Japanese or European models, and it certainly has nothing to do with the Chinese mainland market, right? In fact, what I want to say is that Subaru's predecessor is not only related to the China market, but also made in China. This domestic Subaru predecessor is Subaru REX.
(formerly Subaru REX)
Subaru REX is also a member of Subaru's predecessor mini-car camp. Its high sales volume and broad market coverage are a monument that no Subaru mini-car can surpass. Subaru REX was born in 1972. The original model adopts the layout of "9 1 1" with rear drive, which is quite different.
1982 when the second-generation model went on the market, the rear-mounted rear-drive layout was changed to a more mainstream front-drive layout. In order to meet the market demand, Subaru installed a four-wheel drive system for the second-generation REX in 1983, that is, one year after its listing. It is worth mentioning that this four-wheel drive system can switch between the front drive and the four-wheel drive at low speed through a button next to the gear lever. Even now, this configuration is still available.
The most memorable historical event of the second generation Subaru REX is its origin with China. 1992, Fuji Heavy Industries and Guizhou Aerospace Industry Group Corporation jointly established Guihang Skylark Automobile Co., Ltd., a domestic second-generation Subaru REX, and named it Skylark GHK7060, which is the only domestic joint venture model of Subaru so far, and merged with Changan Alto to become "Erwei" in that year, and Guihang Skylark also became a national micro. The original lark GHK7060 was equipped with a domestic two-cylinder engine, and the power performance of that year was also sparse. In the face of Changan Alto, which was in full swing at that time, an improved version of the lark came quietly.
200 1 Lark GHK707 1 equipped with a brand-new imported four-cylinder engine is on the market, and its appearance has been improved to some extent. The rearview mirror, bumper and more sporty tail are the same color as the body. Remember the EN07 series of star engines of Subaru mini-cars we mentioned before? With the modification and upgrade of Lark, this engine can be regarded as a real intersection with China, and the modified Lark GHK707 1 is replaced with the code EN07? F's 658ml four-cylinder engine power has been significantly upgraded. In terms of appearance and power, the modified Skylark GHK707 1 is closer to the second generation REX made in Japan, but the Skylark produced by Guihang is the forerunner, and the four-wheel drive system with switchable driving forms is undoubtedly not in line with the China automobile market environment.
Although Subaru REX has three generations, Lark of Guihang has only made the second generation, but perhaps Lark of Guihang still has great expectations for the potential of this car. In the era when private cars were just emerging in China, the market for mini-cars was endless. Therefore, although Lark did not make the third-generation Subaru REX, it made a variant of the third-generation REX-Subaru Vivio.
Subaru Vivio and the third-generation REX are sister cars, so the driving form is still the same as the predecessor and four-wheel drive, and the predecessor model still dominates. Although Subaru Vivio has three-door, five-door, T-top hardtop convertible, Bistor retro version and other versions, there is no doubt that only five-door models are most suitable for the China market, so Guihang domestic Vivio only has a five-door version of the body structure, and the domestic Vivio also has the name of China-Guihang Bailing Princess. There is only one driving form of the little princess in China.
Of course, Subaru's predecessor models are definitely not just those K-K- K cars that look cheap. Subaru's two-door sports car SVX also has a predecessor model. In fact, this fully shows that the driving form has nothing to do with vehicle positioning. A brand with obvious fixed characteristics also has those models that seem to run counter to the brand tone. Subaru should be a very obvious example.
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In fact, not only Subaru, but also many brands have introduced this kind of model with a little sword on the side. Porsche, which emphasizes performance from beginning to end, has also launched the Porsche 9 14 without power theory, and even built a cheap special car Porsche C88 for the China market. Although the C88 has not been mass-produced, it can also prove Porsche's attitude of wanting to get involved in the field of entry-level family cars. BMW, which emphasizes the pleasure of driving, has launched the BMW Isei Tower, a cheap mini car, after the stunning sports car BMW 328 and the top luxury car BMW 507, which has been well received. Mercedes-Benz, the originator of automobiles, not only owns the top S-class or SLR, but also owns the tool car Mercedes-Benz MB 100, which is positioned lower than Vito.
Therefore, it is never a matter of course for a car brand to launch a model, but the result of numerous negotiations between many engineers and business tycoons. In addition to technology accumulation and brand culture promotion, it is more important for automobile manufacturers to make money and profit. As long as they launch a model suitable for the market, it is a good car, and its existence is meaningful. Because the inherent understanding of this automobile brand is a manifestation of insufficient understanding of automobiles and insufficient respect for automobile cultural concepts. Theoretically, it is not unusual for automobile brands to launch any models, because market demand is the infinite driving force for the development of automobile brands.
Speaking of which, shouldn't those who are confused by BMW's switch to front-wheel drive platform and three-cylinder engine reflect on it? After all, the predecessor Subaru still does not affect the reputation and brand value of the Subaru brand known for its full-time four-wheel drive. These alternative Subaru are also very popular. There must be a reason why the automobile culture in some countries has an atmosphere.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.