Back in 2014, Subaru decided to kill off the Tribeca model which was at that time the oldest and least popular vehicle in the range. However, a need for affordable SUVs with three rows of seats is high, so the Tokyo-based company is forced to produce and launch one.
At the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, Subaru unveiled the Viziv-7 Concept car that was supposed to show how the replacement for the Tribeca would look like. Now, the prototype of the new production model has been caught on camera. Even though the concept looked handsome, it lost a lot of its fashionable styling on its way to production and some would say that this prototype looks more like a wagon than an SUV.
Its name hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, but according to the carmaker, the new SUV will have a name synonymous with “outdoor adventure.” One of the possibilities is the Ascent as Subaru filed a trademark for the nameplate last fall with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but we will just have to wait for this and call it Ascent further in the text.
The new SUV is going to be larger than the Tribeca and three rows of seats will come as standard. Moreover, it sits on the Subaru Global Platform which, in shortened form, underpins the 2017 Impreza, whereas once it goes on sale, the Ascent will go against Mazda CX-9, Toyota Highlander, and Ford Explorer.
Subaru’s new vehicle will be powered by the familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine, but it is likely that a 3.6-liter flat-6 will be available as well and those who want more power will opt for this unit. The CVT is expected to be the only option when it comes to transmission, and it will send power to all four wheels.
2018 Subaru Ascent Release Date
The production of the new Subaru Ascent will begin in 2018, and it will take place in company’s factory in Lafayette, Indiana. In this plant, the carmaker already produces Outback, Impreza, and Legacy models. The debut of the new car will be at the 2017 New York Auto Show which starts on April 12.
