2019 did not get off to a strong start for Subaru after the Japanese automaker ended the fiscal year with a decline in operating profit mainly tied to recall and quality issues. But Subaru quickly turned things around, posting its best-ever sales month in September and posting a sales increase for 93 consecutive months. Despite a sales slump in the total US market, Subaru's CEO seems confident his company can continue to grow.

Speaking to Reuters in Tokyo, Japan, CEO Tomomi Nakamura said, "We expect the US market to slow only slightly next year, so we're planning to see more growth in our sales. We think we can achieve this." In fact, Subaru thinks its sales will reach record highs in 2020.

Subaru recently revamped its lineup with all-new 2020 versions of the Legacy sedan and Outback SUV, plus a heavily improved Forester. It is also competing in the important three-row mid-size segment with the new Ascent. Thanks to its strong SUV lineup, Subaru has managed to double its US sales over the past six years due in part to improved local production capacity and strong marketing. Subaru is on pace to sell around 700,000 vehicles in the US in 2019 but wants to increase that number by about 4.3% to 720,000-730,000 units in 2020.

If Subaru wants to increase its sales in 2020, it will need to capture a greater share of the SUV market in the US. It currently accounts for around 7% of the market, as its SUV models outsell its sedans like the Legacy and Impreza. "If competition in the US SUV market continues, that segment will keep growing even as the overall market slows," Nakamura said.

Sales in the US account for around 65% of Subaru's total global business, which currently sits at around one million units. Just this year alone, Forester sales increased by a substantial 6.4% while the Outback saw a healthy increase of .9% (with fewer months on sale). If Subaru can keep its quality issues in check, it should have no trouble posting a sales increase next year.