The All-New Subaru Forester: An Adventure Companion, Now Even Closer to Home

The Subaru Forester will no longer be produced in Thailand. Photo: Subaru.

MIV, the exclusive importer and distributor of Subaru vehicles in Vietnam, has announced that the Japanese automaker will soon cease the production of the Subaru Forester in Thailand. Instead, all Subaru vehicles will be directly imported from Japan.

Subaru Plant in Thailand to Shut Down

Tan Chong International Ltd. (TCIL) and Subaru Corporation have decided to transition from the current business model by phasing out the assembly of Subaru vehicles in Thailand.

The Subaru plant in Thailand is a joint venture between TCIL and Subaru Corporation, which began operations in July 2019 and was responsible for producing the fifth-generation Subaru Forester.

From 2025 onwards, the markets currently served by the Thailand-assembled Subaru vehicles, including Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, will adopt a new business model of importing fully-built vehicles directly from Japan. This means that, in the future, the Subaru Forester sold in these Southeast Asian markets will join the group of vehicles directly imported from Japan, alongside the Subaru Outback, Subaru BRZ, and Subaru WRX.

The Subaru Forester is currently imported from Thailand. Photo: Ha Bối.

According to MIV’s statement, this transition will not affect the current supply of the Subaru Forester in Vietnam. Subaru dealers in Vietnam will continue to sell the Thailand-imported Forester until the new models imported from Japan are officially launched.

MIV also stated that this change will even allow Vietnamese customers to access new Subaru models launched in Japan more quickly. Specifically, Subaru dealers in Vietnam may start selling new models to domestic customers just three to four months after their launch in the Japanese market.

No More Affordable Subaru in Vietnam?

However, the transition of the Subaru Forester from Thai imports to Japanese imports is likely to impact the vehicle’s pricing in the future. Competitive pricing has been a key factor contributing to the Forester’s strong sales performance in Vietnam.

Currently, completely-built vehicles assembled in Thailand and exported to Vietnam enjoy a preferential import tax rate of 0% according to Decree 126 issued by the Government in 2022. In contrast, vehicles imported from Japan, as well as from France, Germany, Italy, and South Korea, are subject to import taxes ranging from 56% to 74%.

It is worth noting that, under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), import taxes on vehicles originating from Japan with engine displacements of 3.0L and above will be eliminated by 2029. However, for vehicles with engine displacements below 3.0L, such as the Subaru Forester, the timeline for eliminating import taxes is expected to be 2032.

Currently, the Subaru Forester is offered in three versions in Vietnam, with prices ranging from VND 969 million to VND 1,199 billion. During May, this C-segment SUV is being offered with a maximum cash discount of VND 250 million, along with either mirror folding or a 5-year unlimited-mileage warranty package.