Filed under: Etc., Crossover, Subaru
… And Learns To Love The Ostrich
Subaru may be the ostrich of the Japanese auto industry.
When one thinks of a safari, they naturally draw pictures in their mind’s eye of wild animals, like lions, elephants and giraffes. I’m no different, and it was with visions of long telephoto lenses over vast runes and dunes that I embarked on a 19-hour plane ride from Phoenix, Arizona to Plettenberg Bay in South Africa, camera gear in tow.
My particular safari through the wilds of South Africa included none of those things, however. Sure, I did spy a random baboon or two (they didn’t seem particularly friendly), several other unknown primates and some random wild cattle, but the trip I found myself a part of centered around a rather unexpected South African specialty: the ostrich.
Never heard of an ostrich safari? Well, neither had I, and my trip wasn’t exactly a ‘safari’ in the classic sense – I wasn’t riding around through the African plains in an open-top Land Rover with guides pointing out the various wildlife for my picture-taking pleasure – but I did drive to and fro over the hills and dales of Africa’s southernmost tip, and I did see plenty of flightless fowl. I ate some, too, and it was as deliciously different from chicken as you can imagine, with lean red meat (the other red meat?).
All of this got me thinking… Since I was ferrying myself around in one of a flock of Subaru Forester crossovers, perhaps the prevalence of the strange birds made sense. Consider: If Toyota, Honda and Nissan are the Japanese equivalents of the lions, elephants and giraffes you’d expect to see on safari, it may not be a stretch to consider Subaru the ostrich; the outsider struggling to prove it belongs in the same conversation as the big boys. If you don’t buy the comparison now, follow along as we compare and contrast Subaru – and the Forester in particular – with the ostrich in several unique and unconventional ways, starting with its looks.
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Autoblog goes on an African safari, Subaru-Style originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Saab finally has a few bucks to spend, and the Swedish automaker is doing just that by grabbing Timothy Colbeck, former Senior Vice President of Sales at Subaru. Colbeck is being thrust into the role of President and Chief Operating Officer for Saab’s North American business operations. Colbeck certainly has his work cut out for him, but a fresh capital infusion and some new models on the horizon should help.
