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Best. Year. Ever. Subaru breaks yearly and monthly sales records in 2017

After a generally good sales year for most car manufacturers, one company had a spectacular year: Subaru. The company reported with its end-of-year sales that 2017 was it's best sales year of all time. The total was 647,956 vehicles sold over the 12 months. Not only that, but December was also the best month of sales the company has ever seen with 63,342 cars sold. That's nearly 10 percent of the annual sales in one month. As far as individual models go, the Impreza and Crosstrek each had their best month in December and 2017 was each model's best year. The Impreza's year was especially impressive with sales jumping more than 55 percent compared with 2016. It was also the best year for Outback. Subaru credits some of its strong December to its "Share the Love" promotion that donated $250 of each new car purchase to one of a selection of charities. But a big part of Subaru's sales success has to be due to the fact that most of its products are in the hottest car market around: crossovers. The fact that its products are highly competitive against other similar vehicles certainly helps too. This is partly evident by the fact that year-to-year, every crossover model with the exception of the aging Forester saw a sales increase. Meanwhile, every traditional car (Legacy, WRX/STI and BRZ) with the exception of the redesigned Impreza had lower sales for the year. So if you ever wonder why companies aren't racing to release new sedans and coupes, this is why. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Subaru Levorg: Forbidden fruit

For Subaristas, the Levorg needs no introduction. Fans of the marque have been begging Subaru of America (SOA) to bring it over here from the moment it was first introduced. First introduced in Japan a year or so ago, and now making its way across the globe, it is one delicious wagon that SOA refuses to let Americans taste. Why? Wagons don't sell in America, so they say (some Euro-brands might disagree with that). Plus they seem to think they have the wagon market pretty well covered with the Outback, Forester, and to a lesser degree, the Crosstrek. First a bit of history Unlike here in America, at least in recent years, a Legacy wagon continued to exist in other markets. At some point Subaru decided to also delete it from their global portfolio, and to replace it with the smaller, sportier and well-equipped Levorg. The thinking was that the Levorg would be more distinct from the Outback than a Legacy wagon, and would be less likely to step on the Outback's toes in terms of searching for customers; makes sense. Another point needs to be made: Subaru is selling at record levels. They just can't make them fast enough as they are constrained by lack of production capacity. That will improve soon as the next-gen Impreza will be built in their Indiana plant this fall once the Toyota Camry production moves out. So, at the moment, they don't need the Levorg to improve sales. Down the road that may be a different situation, but for now adding another model line would be tough and of little benefit. Why America needs the Levorg When Subaru introduced the current generation WRX they deleted the hatchback — which accounted for 50 percent of WRX sales. Needless to say WRX 5-door owners were outraged — and continue to be so. The Levorg wagon could be the perfect answer for these folks, as shares many parts with the WRX. In Japan it's available with a new 1.6L direct-injection turbo as well as the same 2.0L direct-injection turbo found in the WRX. Other markets, to date, only get the 1.6L engine. All Levorgs have CVTs, with the 2.0 versions getting the high-torque CVT found in the WRX CVT. The chassis setup, while a tad softer, is very close to that of the WRX. So it is definitely a car that's cut out for canyon-carving. It's also more upscale than the WRX, with an interior more akin to luxurious trim levels of the Legacy and Outback. In its defense Subaru has claimed that the budget did not allow for developing both the Levorg and a 5-door WRX.

Subaru brought back its best rally racing look

Every car has a color combination that suits it best, one that just fits and flatters. For the Subaru WRX STI, it's blue and gold. At the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Subaru revealed it is bringing back its iconic motorsports livery for the 2019 season with a modern interpretation of the blue and yellow star cluster graphic, complemented by gold wheels. It also announced it is reorganizing its motorsport division's structuring. The WRX STI has been seen in numerous colorways throughout the years. One of the main patterns last year was a graphic-heavy assortment of gray and white, accented by either yellow, red or blue. But for 2019, Subaru is following its heart and returning to one of the brand's most classic looks. According to Subaru, the colorway is inspired by the World Rally teams of the '90s and '00s. It features WR Blue Pearl and 13-spoke gold wheels. A massive yellow star cluster logo stretches across the front and rear doors and bleeds onto the rear arches. The sweeping comet design starts at the front quarter and across the B-pillar and roof. Furthermore, the red STI logo is seen all over the car, in places such as the front air intake, the roof scoop, and on the rear wing panel. Small dark blue star clusters on the front and rear sides of the car add more texture to the design, as well as bright yellow Subaru and Subaru Motorsports banners. After Subaru's performance division Subaru Technica International celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, Subaru is renaming its motorsports arm. Now aptly called Subaru Motorsports, Subaru plans to expand into more racing divisions, beyond its typical participation. Fans will have to wait a couple of months to see the gorgeous blue, yellow, and gold scheme. Subaru will debut the new car March 15 at Missouri's Rally at the 100 Acre Wood as part of the American Rally Association's 2019 National Championship Series. Related Video: