Subaru plans to introduce software-defined vehicles in the second half of this decade and aims to reduce development time by about 40%, using digital tools that include simulations, Jiji Press reported, citing company officials.
An integrated electronic control unit (ECU) would coordinate vehicle controls alongside driver-assistance functions, Jiji reported. Its account did not give a baseline period or deadline for the development-time goal, or identify a first model or specific launch date.
At a development strategy briefing in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, Subaru Managing Executive Officer Eiji Shibata said the company wants to broaden adoption by emphasizing convenience and affordability. “We want to make SDVs convenient to use, rather than pack them with extremely advanced features,” he said, Jiji reported.
Subaru’s supplier announcements describe components planned for the system. On April 19, 2024, the company said it was working with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to optimize a system-on-chip for next-generation EyeSight, with a low-cost design goal. In a November 2024 business update, Subaru identified the optimized chip as a critical component of an integrated ECU that controls driver-assistance systems and vehicle dynamics.
On March 9, 2026, Subaru said Infineon’s AURIX TC4x microcontroller would be installed in an integrated ECU. The unit is intended to coordinate next-generation EyeSight with vehicle-motion control, including all-wheel-drive functions. Subaru also said it was developing an electrical and electronic architecture shared across battery-electric, gasoline and hybrid vehicles.
