Subaru.com Introduces 'Outdoor' Portals

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Dec. 17 -- Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA), a pioneer of crossover all-wheel drive vehicles designed for the active lifestyle driver, today announced the launch of its outdoor life section of Subaru.com. The new outdoor life content section is designed to build a richer experience for Subaru customers and Subaru.com visitors while enhancing the online experience for outdoor, environmental and professional communities. Subaru.com and the outdoor life section were designed by DVCi Technologies, a practice area of the DVC Group and one of the nation's top 75 Internet professional services firms.

``The outdoor life section is an on-line extension of our traditional active lifestyle branding, fully leveraging our affiliate and promotional partnerships. Subaru has developed an on-line destination that supports our owners' active and adventurous lifestyles by bringing together content around the organizations and activities that are important to them,'' said Tim Colbeck, director, e-business, Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru outdoor life, which contains a calendar of events, feature articles, Subaru Gear by LL. Bean and special offers (coming soon) was developed based on the interests and lifestyles of diverse Subaru target audiences:

* "Snow" -- Skiing (alpine and cross-country), snowboarding * "Water" -- Paddling, kayaking, canoeing, etc. * "Mountain" -- Mountain biking, hiking, backpacking * "Performance" -- Subaru World Rally Team and SCCA ProRally events * "Special Interest" -- Additional activities such as gardening and horticulture * "Professional" -- Affiliations with various professional organizations, such as the American Meteorological Society, the Geological Society of America

``The new portal, designed by DVCi, allows for Subaru to continue to build relationships with our active customers as well as providing a platform for co-marketing and promotional programs with online partners who share Subaru of America's commitment to an active lifestyle,'' said Colbeck. ``The site's high level of creative design, functionality and interactivity provide Subaru with the means to make the most of what the Web has to offer.''

The Subaru.com web site, recently re-launched successfully by DVCi Technologies, offers new product information through a full model selector module, a consolidated five-step shopping process with a robust vehicle customization feature integrated with local dealer inventory, a dealer locator, a dealer quote feature as well as links to current Subaru partners and affiliates.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Subaru pioneered the concept of the passenger car/sport-utility vehicle with the introduction of the Subaru Outback, the ``World's First Sport Utility Wagon®.'' The Subaru Legacy (including Outback models) is the best-selling All-Wheel Drive car sold in America, based on the Polk Company retail registration statistics as of 12/31/00. Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 582 dealers across the United States. All Legacy and Outback models sold in the United States are produced at the Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc. manufacturing plant near Lafayette, Ind. Over the past eight years, the company has achieved year-over-year retail sales increases thanks to its popular line of car-based sport utility vehicles, and is among the fastest growing brands in the automobile industry.