Subaru makes HD receivers standard for all models

Today, iBiquity announced that car manufacturer Subaru will make HD radio receivers standard across its range of vehicles. Subaru cars with the technology are currently available at dealerships nationwide. The manufacturer joins Bentley, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Rolls Royce, Scion, Tesla, and Volvo in making HR receivers standard. As of the 2016 collection, more than 200 car models across manufacturers will have HD capability.

However, the U.S. market still has a ways to go to catch up with other markets where digital radio is more established, such as the UK. HD radio and the potential of connected cars are topics that have been largely divisive for both industry and consumers in the States. We’ve seen interesting research into listening preferences and understanding of new technologies that points to how far the sector needs to go in making new listening technologies for cars attractive to the average driver.