Car Commercials: Subaru Baja (2003-2006)

This is a North American TV advertising of the Subaru Baja produced from 2003 to 2006. The commercial cleverly exploits its distinctly obvious style to appeal to a broader niche market of small, car-based, light utility vehicle, though the model is generally considered a disappointment due to its dismal sales. However, the car has received very loyal and enthusiastic followers. The Baja is named after Mexico's Baja California peninsula home to the Baja 1000 off-road race.

INFORMATION

The Subaru Baja (pronounced as Ba-ha) was a light-utility, all-wheel-drive, four passenger, four-door crossover manufactured from 2003-2006 by Subaru. The vehicle is built around the third-generation Subaru Legacy platform by incorporating instead, a small pick-up bed at the rear. The unibody design thus, borrowed heavily from existing mechanicals, platform and sheetmetal of the Legacy and Outback wagons. The result is a vehicle that combines the handling and passenger carrying characteristics of a car with the open-bed versatility, and to a lesser degree, load capacity, of a pickup truck.

In a package 6 in (152 mm) longer than an Outback, the Baja featured a four-door passenger compartment along with a 41 in (1041 mm) open bed and drop-down tailgate. A system marketed as the "Switchback" allowed the rear passenger seat to fold down and a small thru-hatch to fold inward, allowing an extended length of 75 inches (1900 mm) to the end of the open tailgate. A light in the instrument cluster signaled an "open" status for the Switchback.

The Baja received the 2003 and 2004 J.D. Powers's APEAL (for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study) Award measuring owner delight with the design, content, layout and performance of their new vehicles for "Most Appealing Compact Pickup" and the Consumer Reports 2006 highest score for reliability in the pickup truck category.

Despites all of that, the Baja received a cool market reception. Limited advertising, late arrival of the turbo-charged model, heavily styled lower-body plastic cladding and a yellow-and-silver introductory color scheme may have discouraged its broad appeal.

Production began on July 18, 2002 as a 2003 model at the Lafayette, Indiana, factory (Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., aka SIA), once shared with Isuzu. Projecting to sell 24,000 per year, only 30,000 were sold over four and a half years. Subaru discontinued the Baja production in April 2006.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Baja

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Subaru
• Baja
• Lancaster
• Legacy
• Liberty
• Outback
• Switchback
• Switch
• Back
• AWD
• Symmetrical
• All
• Wheel
• Drive
• Boxer
• Engine
• Turbo

[FrontalTraction]

El Camino did it first.

[DanieruShidebuteru]

@jenngts2000

I do not know, sorry!

[jenngts2000]

@DanieruShidebuteru

I def remember this ad... however I wanna know the song that's running in the background...

[TazakaElGuapo18]

I own 1 and its a ride in the clouds it really good mine is a 2003 AWD sport but i heard the Turbo is pretty cool the subaru Baja's are really good on gas aka GAS SAVER

[Konformation07]

I really liked this car but it needed a longer bed and the Boxer 6 cylinder.

[whattheheck1000]

@DanieruShidebuteru Yes, it was the coupe utility version of the Leone, which was sold in America as simply the "Subaru".

[DanieruShidebuteru]

@whattheheck1000

Ah yes, the BRAT was technically the first part-car part-truck from Subaru. We have some here in New Zealand, but I think we call them Subaru Leone.

[whattheheck1000]

@DanieruShidebuteru Yup, it's like no other Subaru ever made. (Except the BRAT, but it was a bit different and sold in the late 1970s to mid 1980s)

[DanieruShidebuteru]

@whattheheck1000

Yeah, I was kidding, haha!

I like these old Subarus and this particular model is particularly interesting as it is a a North-American model only. I like it for being odd and unusual.

[whattheheck1000]

@DanieruShidebuteru I'm only 17, LOL! This aired when I was 10.