R14U
Dec 18, 2004
by: Bob Holland
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Subaru of Japan is about to launch “Round Two” of their new-look Subies in Japan, in the form of the R1. This is a production version of the R1e concept car that made the rounds of the international auto show circuit last year, sans the electric motor. Mechanically it appears to be based on the already in production R2 4-door micro sedan, which means it uses a 660cc inline transverse 4-cylinder engine, this time around in a sporty 2+2 micro coupe.
How big/little is it?
Length: 129.3”
Width: 58.1”
Height: 59.4”
Wheelbase: 86.4”
To put those specs in perspective, the overall length is about the same as the wheelbase of a Chevy Suburban, or about the size of the original BMC Mini. If the R1 were to be placed next to the current Neo-Mini, it would make that car look Maxi, for sure.
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One of the first things that comes to mind, or my mind at least, is: Is North America ready for such a car? Could the R1, or any other car sized like the R1 succeed over here? Daimler-Chrysler seems to think so, as they are planning to bring over a version of their SMART micro car from Europe. The R1 and/or its micro-limo-like R2 cousin (see link below) could certainly do battle with the SMART.
The Ford Mustang today is known today as a muscle car. That wasn’t always the case, as the original ‘60s-era Mustang was often referred to as the “The secretary’s 6-pack.” Could the cute-as-a-ladybug R1 be the ‘60s-era Mustang equivalent for the 21st Century? Could this R1 appeal to the fairer sex, much as the Mustang did 40 years ago? The Japanese certainly seem to think so, as this vehicle is being marketed specifically at their female market. As Helen Reddy said: “I am woman, hear me roar!” Roar? Well, maybe purr…
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What about college students? I would think this car would have as much, if not more, appeal than a Scion or a Honda Element. Then there are of course, the obvious urban/city dwellers, to whom these cars were originally targeted. I’m convinced there’s a large un-tapped market for vehicles like the R1 and R2. My wife, for example - she’s a person who couldn’t care less about cars, yet she absolutely loves the new Mini. I’m sure if the R1 were to debut here, she would love it too. Vehicles like the new VW Beetle, the PT Cruiser (and the R1) have a way of bringing new and unexpected customers out of the woodwork.
Offering it here, in this day and age of $2.00+ gas - to me it seems like a no-brainer, especially if Subaru were to offer it with the same supercharged engine and 7-speed SportShift i-CVT found in the R2S. Add a set of larger H or V-rated running shoes, such as those shown on the R1e concept car and heck, it would be like a micro-WRX that also gets great gas mileage! Talk about having your cake and being able to eat it too!
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Safety? That’s the obvious question for any vehicle this small. Well, judging by the SOJ micro site, engineering in safety was very much a priority with the R1. Besides, these kinds of vehicles have been on sale in Europe and Japan for decades, and they’ve got big trucks over there, just as we do here. If they sell over there, they can sell over here as well. Granted, the safety standards differ, but if DC is considering the SMART for sale over here, they must feel that the safety issue can be addressed.
Lastly, this could be great for SOA in terms of press. It would show that Subaru is indeed concerned with eco-issues, and that they are on the leading edge of that market segment, as well as the leading edge of eco-technology. Subaru, while always a techno-savvy company, has taken some hits in the press recently. Their cars have never been known as being especially economical in terms of outstanding gas mileage, and adding so many turbocharged drivelines to their range certainly didn’t help. Yes, they do get good gas mileage as far as AWD cars are concerned, but AWD cars will always get worse mileage than non-AWD cars. Then there’s the “Outback Truck” PR fiasco - bringing the R1 to market here would go a long way to restoring the faith of the many Subaru “greenies” who felt Subaru turned its corporate back on them.
For those who read Japanese, like to look at pictures, or like to look at a fun web site, check out the following Subaru R1 micro site:
http://www.subaru.co.jp/r1/special_pre
http://www.subaru.co.jp/r2/special/
SMART reading!
The following links pertain to the US-bound Daimler-Chrysler SMART, but are also relevant to the R1 and/or R2, should SOA decide to import them.
http://www.zapworld.com/cars/smartcar.asphttp://money.cnn.com/2004/11/22/pf/autos/smart_epa/ http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosconsumer/0411/20/F01-7352.htm http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217861/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3660685.stm http://www.smartcar-owner.co.uk/
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