An executive in charge of marketing at Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. said Monday that the maker of Subaru brand vehicles must continue to keep a close eye on the domestic auto market nearly five months after the consumption tax increase began denting demand.
Fuji Heavy, in which Toyota Motor Corp. owns a 16.5 percent stake, rolled out the new WRX series models in Japan following North America, Europe and other markets, hoping the new all-wheel drive sports sedans — the WRX STI and the WRX S4 — will improve its flagging sale in the home market.
But Takeshi Tachimori, a Fuji Heavy corporate executive president, said he sees little sign Subaru, Japan's smallest carmaker by volume, will register a rebound in sales anytime soon.