Exclusive: Subaru’s EV onslaught – six new electric SUVs coming to the UK in the next three years
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Subaru boss Lorraine Bishton reveals how the Japanese off-road brand is going electric to take on Land Rover. When it comes to EVs, Subaru probably isn’t the first brand that comes to mind. The Japanese 4x4 specialist is more famous for their rugged off-roaders like the Forester – with a new model imminent – or four-wheel drive rally cars of the 1990s.
![[Subaru UK boss Lorraine Bishton is using her expertise from McLaren and JLR to boost Subaru’s fortunes in the UK]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/11/Original-3120-lorraine-headshot-%282%29.jpg)
The mention of those rally cars brings out a broad smile on the face of Lorraine Bishton, Subaru’s UK MD who joined the company a year ago from supercar maker McLaren. Bishton also has plenty of 4x4 experience from her time at JLR, but the opportunity to take a strong brand in Subaru and lead it into the electrification era was too good to miss.
![[Subaru’s joint venture with Toyota could see a Subaru version of the new Toyota Urban Cruiser EV come to the UK]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/11/toyotaurbancruiser01.jpg)
“We’ve all got memories of Subaru in its heyday,” Bishton tells us. “It’s in a situation where I think in the UK some people aren’t a hundred per cent clear what the brand stands for today – and it’s embarking on quite an exciting journey.”.
That journey, of course, means electrification, but not before one of the stalwarts of the Subaru range is refreshed. The Forester plays a big part in bringing in revenue for the brand and its retailers, with Subaru’s current volumes not high enough for the company to worry about meeting the Government’s ZEV Mandate targets.
Last year Subaru sold 2,419 cars – ten more than in 2023 – with Bishton revealing that demand exceeded supply. Subaru’s only current electric car is the Solterra – a car developed with Toyota as part of a joint venture, with Toyota selling it as the bZ4X.
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