German or Japanese? The battle of the crossover
Branding and the ownership experience keep the premium brands ahead and the Japanese brands will continue to better their products to catch up.
About 10 years ago, if you were to ask this question, you would probably get a barrage of responses from German car owners telling you how silly (being polite here) you are in comparing a German made vehicle to a Japanese made vehicle.
Now, some ten years later this is a question that is resonating around the globe and it seems that the reverse has happened. There are Japanese made vehicles that are giving the Germans brands a run for their money.
Japanese made vehicle owners are not holding back on their positive responses. Yes, the Japanese have caught up, and as recently as six to seven years ago, many Japanese brands decided that enough is enough and that they were ready to take on the premium brands.
Today, we see many Japanese brands bringing to market well built, well engineered and beautifully put together vehicles that stand equal with the premium brands.
They continue to employ a better pricing strategy (this means the Japanese brands are priced lower and yet offer neck to neck features, safety equipment and also build quality)
Recently, Subaru Malaysia launched an all new Forester in three variants. Its top variant comes with class leading safety features better known as EyesSight.
What is EyeSight?
EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology is the culmination of everything Subaru engineers know about safety. Subaru has already sold over one million EyeSight-equipped vehicles.
Adding confidence to every trip, EyeSight monitors traffic movement, optimises cruise control, and warns you if you sway outside your lane. EyeSight has been found to reduce the rate of injury by rear-end crashes by up to 85%.
When equipped with EyeSight, all 2019 Subaru models tested received the highest possible rating for front crash prevention by IIHS. The Pre-Collision Braking feature can even apply full braking force in emergency situations, helping you avoid or reduce frontal impacts.
To date, more than 85% of Forester buyers in Taiwan and Philippines and 55% of buyers in Thailand opted to purchase the Forester 2.0i-S Eyesight model since its launch a few months ago.
In Malaysia, the take up rate for the 2.0i-S Eyesight model is said to be at least 30% of the current three variant lineup as more Malaysian car buyers focus on safety on the road.
Nearest premium rival
So, which is the nearest premium rival to this all new Forester? Well, in many people’s book, the BMW X1 is the nearest in terms of looks, features, build and cabin size.
The BMW X1 offers rear passengers about the same room as the Subaru Forester, with comparable head and legroom. The Subaru Forester offers just a little more front head and legroom than the BMW X1, offering the driver and front passenger a bit more room and comfort.
The BMW X1 is about the same width as the Subaru Forester, but the X1 is slightly shorter than the Subaru Forester, which may make it easier to park.
Due to its much higher engine output from its four-cylinder twin turbo engine, the BMW X1 is quicker from rest, has better top end and better torque spread than the Subaru Forester which has a normal aspirated 2.0L engine.
The BMW X1 has significantly less cargo capacity than the Subaru Forester. The X1’s cargo capacity falls short due to its smaller stance.
Off-road capability is good for both vehicles and they each have their ability to take on both the rough and Klang Valley floods with ease.
The BMW X1 at RM220,000 is almost RM60,000 more expensive than the Subaru Forester with EyeSight which sells for RM159,000. This is quite a bit of a price premium and is where branding plays an important role.
The BMW ownership experience comes with more than just the bragging rights to say you are driving a “bimmer”.
There is X1 “Butler On Call” which is the ConnectedDrive Services option that enables the use of the BMW Online internet portal via the SIM card embedded in the vehicle, as well as the integration of smartphone apps into the car.
It also includes the Intelligent Emergency Call and BMW Teleservices. This is great to have when you are on the road daily. But is it worth the RM60k premium?
You must not forget the BMW events and parties that come with ownership. The Malaysian office will host owners for get together events, dinners, movies premiers and more. Again, is this worth the RM60k premium?
Ask any BMW owner and they say yes without hesitation. Ask any Japanese car owner if they are happy with what they have paid and if they would pay a premium for a BMW and they, without hesitation would claim that they are very happy with their Japanese car.
Having said that, probe further and they will probably admit to preferring a BMW if their financials allowed it.
So, it is clear that branding and the ownership experience in society keeps the premium brands ahead and the Japanese brands will continue to better their products to catch up.
This article is powered by DS&F, visit www.dsf.my for more automotive updates.
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