Stella · June 2006 launch
The small Subaru designed around everyday company.
The original Stella combined inline-four engines, i-CVT and independent suspension with sliding rear seats and a folding front passenger seatback.
Japan · launch record only
SpecificationsValues depend on model year, equipment and market. The cited source for each figure identifies its scope.
Powertrain
Powertrain details
Inline-four power and four-wheel independent suspension
The June 2006 launch paired a 660 cc inline-four with a new i-CVT and four-wheel independent suspension. Subaru’s launch table includes naturally aspirated and supercharged alternatives. This is a kei-car layout of its period, distinct from the boxer fours used in many larger Subaru models.
Subaru later sold OEM mini-cars under the Stella name. A later car’s badge alone does not establish these 2006 Subaru-built specifications.
Evidence: Stella Japanese launch · Subaru Stella Japanese launch: grade, price and equipment table ·
Configuration
Model details
A kei cabin planned around people using it
The original Stella’s defining idea was a practical Japanese mini-car cabin. Its front bench and independently sliding rear seats let occupants trade rear legroom against luggage space; the rear seats could move up to 200 mm in grades listed for the feature.
A factory-option passenger seatback folded forward to form a table. The launch release also describes doors opening to nearly 90 degrees and a rear-seat access grip. These features reveal the everyday-use brief, but fitment depends on grade and option.
Evidence: Stella Japanese launch · Subaru Stella Japanese launch: grade, price and equipment table ·
Two visual identities on a shared mini-car base
Fuji Heavy Industries offered a clean, modern standard Stella and a sportier Stella Custom. The Japanese launch release lists seven body colors for standard models and six for Custom, with ivory and black interiors respectively.
Those are launch-range palette counts, not a guarantee every grade had every color or that later years retained the same choices. Match a specific car against its original trim documentation.
Evidence: Stella Japanese launch · Subaru Stella Japanese launch: grade, price and equipment table ·
Naturally aspirated and supercharged alternatives. These original Subaru-built specifications must not be copied into later OEM generations.
Identify & buy
Identification and ownership notes
Descriptive model label; no chassis decoding or individual-vehicle authenticity inferred.
Follow the evidence
Sources for this page
- Stella Japanese launch
Japanese launch 14 June 2006; naturally aspirated/supercharged inline four, i-CVT, independent suspension. Rear seats slide 200 mm, front passenger seatback folds as table. 5,000/month is a sales target, not actual production.
Fuji Heavy Industries · accessed 2026-10-07 - Subaru Stella Japanese launch: grade, price and equipment table
Official 14 June 2006 Japanese launch release. Direct source for Japanese grade/drive MSRP table, palette counts, grade-specific 200 mm rear-seat slide availability, option seatback table, 660 cc inline-four, i-CVT, independent suspension and 5,000/month planned sales. Japanese launch scope only; planned volume is not actual sales.
Fuji Heavy Industries · accessed 2026-10-22