as the Traviq, where it was cancelled and replaced later in 2008 by the Subaru Exiga – developed from the Subaru Legacy platform. According to Subaru, the name was a combination of the words "travel" and "quick",however, the word more closely resembles the English word "traffic".
Due to the exterior dimensions exceeding Japanese government regulations for vehicles defined as "compact", Japanese buyers were liable for additional taxes. The Traviq was originally only available with the bigger 2.2 litre engine, although a 1.8 L, lower-priced alternative was added in July 2003. The engines used were not Subaru supplied boxer engines, but were conventional in line units that were uncharacteristic to market-recognised Subaru products, and all-wheel-drive technology was also not available.
The sale of the Zafira as a Subaru created a conflict with previously established Yanase Co., Ltd. retail dealerships, in that Yanase was already selling Opel products, like the Zafira. When production of the Traviq ended, Yanase continued to import Opel products into Japan until 2006.