• 2021 sales 30% lower than forecast
• 3,000 unit sales target for 2022
• BRZ, Outback, WRX and WRX Wagon coming in 2022, but not Solterra

It's been a busy week for WapCar.my, starting with the launch of the locally assembled (CKD), facelifted 2022 Subaru XV. Haven't caught up with the facelifted XV? Get up to speed here. Whilst at the launch, we also managed to catch up with Glenn Tan, managing director of Tan Chong International (TCIL) to recap the year's happenings and what to look forward to.

Recapping 2021, gunning for 2022 with new models

When quizzed about TC Subaru's 2021 sales performance, Glenn quipped, "Well, 2021 was a challenging year with the numerous Movement Control Orders (MCOs). Sales were 30 percent lower than forecasted. Thankfully, the Malaysian government has been supportive to us and the industry with the SST exemptions now extended to 2022.

"Sales started picking up after the most recent MCO and we hope to carry this momentum into 2022, where our aim is to sell 3,000 units." 

Also Read: ADAS as standard, 2022 Subaru XV launched in Malaysia; priced from RM 140k

WapCar.my then asked Glenn if unfavourable Ringgit (MYR) vs US Dollar (USD) forex rates poses a concern for TC Subaru's CKD operations. To this, Glenn told us, "Fortunately for us, our main trading currency is Japanese Yen (JPY) and not USD. Plus, our CKD cars have over 40 percent local content which is priced in MYR, so we're quite fortunate not to be affected by the USD at this point."

With regards to the semiconductor shortage affecting Subaru's operations, Glenn had this to say, "The semiconductor shortage affected many brands, including us. But, we managed to prioritise the CKD supply so for this facelifted XV, so production is not affected significantly. However, our fully-imported (CBU) supplies are affected, thus we will be delaying the launch of certain CBU models to later next year (which include the BRZ, Outback, WRX and WRX Wagon).

One model that won't be making it to Malaysia anytime soon is the Subaru Solterra. Glenn shared that there is currently no plans to launch Subaru's first electric vehicle (EV) in Malaysia as this is not the priority at this juncture. 

Also read: 2022 Subaru Solterra teased – Second Toyobaru twin after 86/BRZ

WapCar's Opinion

Armed with the facelifted 2022 Subaru XV, TC Subaru's sales target for 2022 seems eminently possible. The addition of EyeSight ADAS suite across the XV range only adds to the appeal of a model that is already quite well-received.

Regardless, 2022 promises to be an interesting year for TC Subaru, especially when we can look forward to models like the BRZ, Outback and WRX variants, even if we have to miss out on the Solterra for the time being.