The
Subaru booth in the East Hall lies just
across an aisle from its partner company,
GM. You'll recognize it from the giant
parasols resembling yellow parabolic
antennas hanging from the ceiling. The
company's PR staff says, "We designed
it to show that you can send and receive
every single bit of information you need." Subaru's
theme this year is "Driving emotion." It
emphasizes that it raises the level of "driving
enjoyment," but does so in harmony
with other social concerns.
In front of the large, movable screen
at center stage is a clear, full-scale
model of the "Legacy Touring Wagon" up
on jacks. As the showroom assistant begins
her speech, the model starts to turn around
and lamps inside it flash to show the drive
control technology and other parts in time
with the explanation. Subaru provides a
rundown on the mechanisms behind fun driving
in a way that even the uninitiated will
understand and appreciate.
The most popular part of the booth is
the motor sports corner, where Subaru has
its "Impreza
WRC 2001" rally car on display, among
others. This area is so popular, the crowd
spills out into the walkways.
Subaru's concept car stage features 2
models: the "WX-01" and the "HM-01." The "WX-01" is
a multi-passenger car with seating for
7 (5+2) that promises excellent performance
regardless of the number of passengers
or the load it is carrying. The "HM-01" has
drawn particular interest for its combination
of a mini car gasoline engine and an electric
motor into a hybrid 4WD compact car. The
booth staff's could be heard fielding lots
of questions about when the car would be
launched and what its fuel economy rating
was.
Subaru has a total of 20 cars on display
this year, as many as 10 of which are "Legacy" and "Impreza" models
already on the market, a demonstration
of the company's intention to make a splash
and reinvigorate slumping consumer sentiment. |