SUBARU Australia sales could hit as high as 50,000 this year if not for issues with supply, which have forced the Japanese car-maker to revise forecasts down to around 45,000 units for 2016 and 2017.

Speaking with GoAuto at the national launch of the Levorg in Port Macquarie, Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior explained that while Subaru was on track to break 2015’s sales record, further yearly increases would be dictated only by supply.

“We are on record pace again and I’m very confident we will build on our record sales of 43,500 and that figure was set last year,” Mr Senior started.

“I think probably we’re comfortable (this year) at about 44,500 (sales) given what supply that we know is arriving in the back half of the year, obviously we would love more (and we are) continuing to talk and negotiate with the factory to get more and if we do get more we may be able to push that a little bit higher.

“Whether we get to 50 (thousand sales), good question, I think what we’re seeing in terms of traffic, order intake, the number of back orders that we’ve got, we would be pushing pretty close to that figure.

“But the big restriction at the moment is production.”

Despite forecasting a dramatic increase in demand for the Impreza, following the switch to the new-generation model in December, Mr Senior admitted that 2017 supply will again be limited.

“(Supply for 2017) is not looking really good,” he continued.

“We may get a little bit more in terms of growth, but I think this year if we can get to that 44,500 (sales this year) we’d love to get over 45,000 next year if we can get the additional production.

“(New Impreza) will be supply constrained, so we just have to make the best of what we’re going to be allocated.

“Around the world everyone generally – North America both US and Canada, the domestic market – is in the same boat. I had one of the directors from Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s parent company) out here last week, he had to wait five months for his car, a Forester in Japan. So it is not as though it is an isolated issue, its worldwide demand.”

According to May 2016 figures, Impreza sales have increased by 25.2 per cent compared with the same time last year. However its 2271-unit tally was 1000 units short of the Impreza-based XV – which Mr Senior confirmed is due for replacement mid next year – and was less than half that of Subaru’s top selling models, the Forester and Outback.

However, while Forester sales have soared 32.2 per cent over the same period and Outback sales have increased 13.1 per cent, Subaru’s managing director indicated that their potential is still untapped, with some model grades accruing a four-month wait.

“Our biggest issue continues to be stock shortages,” Mr Senior reiterated.

“We will finish this month with perhaps two weeks of dealer stock which is sailing pretty close to the wind, and I sincerely thank customers who are waiting for vehicles, sometimes up to four months.

“On some cars, Outback Premium in particular, for Forester some of the S models as well, we’ve got three to four months (wait list) depending on colour, transmission and variants.

“We’ve got good cooperation from the (dealer) network to try and keep communicating with them (buyers) telling them where their car is. That’s critical in being able to handle this process moving forward.

“We are working closely with the factory to try and secure additional production, but our order bank has been steadily growing month by month.”

Subaru has seen a 10.3 per cent increase in sales to May 2016 year-on-year, with 18,926 sales running 1769 ahead of the previous year. The brand finished 2015 with 43,600 sales but the expectation of a full-year increase of around only 900 units this year, indicates that supply shortages will force a downturn in the second half of 2016.

By Daniel DeGasperi