If any of you were hoping for a small crossover underneath the Subaru XV Crosstrek, you may breath now. The Pleiades-bedecked automaker has no plans for such a thing, as it has its sights on the Mulsanne Straight.
Auto Express reports Subaru has no cash to spare to develop a CUV in the vein of the Jeep Renegade or Nissan Juke, which would need a (non-existent) supermini in its European portfolio and matching turbocharged engine just to start. If it did have every ingredient needed, however, its small crossover would be a Euro-only affair, despite sales of 500,000 per year in the United States and a rebounding Japanese market.
Meanwhile, the automaker has eyes on going back into the racing game with hybrid power, with Le Mans in particular. Toyota's fortunes in LMP1, along with Nissan's 2015 return, have the executives' attention, and company insiders claim the budget to go all in could be found "if there is a big English audience to recognize the Le Mans commitment."
As for a return to WRC, Subaru would need to rework the WRX STi to attempt to compete against current rally fighters like the Ford Fiesta RS, Hyundai i20 and Volkswagen Polo R. Thus, a return to rallying is not likely anytime soon.
The post Subaru Eyes Le Mans, Has None For Compact Crossovers appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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