Toyota increases its stake in Subaru to 20%
- The Toyota group has taken a slightly larger stake in its compatriot Subaru, increasing its share in the capital of Japan's smallest manufacturer from 17% to 20%. Toyota already owns 5% of Suzuki's capital, 5% of Mazda's capital, 6% of Isuzu's capital, not to mention Lexus and Daihatsu, which it owns 100%, and Hino (heavy goods vehicles), where it owns 50.1%.
- It can be seen that Toyota now has one foot in every Japanese manufacturer, except Nissan (43% owned by Renault), Mitsubishi (34% owned by Nissan) and Honda, which has maintained its independence.
- By acquiring a 20% stake in Subaru, the Toyota group confirms its interest in this Japanese manufacturer, which is ten times smaller than Toyota (1 million sales per year compared to 10 million for Toyota) but which has an original personality with its boxer engines (flat engines), all-wheel drive transmissions and its strong presence in the United States.
- It is obvious that Subaru cannot, because of its size, fight for a long time alone against its much more powerful competitors. It is the survival of the brand that is at stake and no other manufacturer has expressed an interest in acquiring Subaru, although a Chinese manufacturer's takeover was a possible scenario that could have materialized in the 2020s.
- Toyota and Subaru are already working together on the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ models. Other joint projects are, according to these manufacturers, under study.
Contact us: info@inovev.com