After the discontinuation of the ill-received and quirky looking Tribeca in 2014, Subaru had no seven seater SUV in its line-up. But now, the manufacturer wants to eat into the pie of the big American SUVs, like the Chevrolet Traverse and Ford Explorer, by introducing an all new three-row crossover which will be called the Ascent. Here we have the car spotted undergoing tests in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
This is Subaru’s second attempt at the large crossover, and the Ascent is expected to take cues from the Viziv-7 Concept showcased last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Based on the new modular scalable “Global Platform” which currently underpins the new generation Subaru Impreza, the Ascent will continue the boxy approach of the brand's image set by the popular Outback. Additionally, the high strength steel chassis will be stiffer and with mounting points for the Subaru’s Boxer engine, the Ascent will benefit from the lower centre of gravity thus providing lesser rollover resistance and better dynamics.
As far as the powertrain is concerned, the Ascent is expected to be powered by a 3.6-litre boxer engine from the Outback or a smaller 2.0-litre turbocharged flat-four from the Forester. It won’t come as a surprise if Subaru also offered a hybrid powertrain in the Ascent as the manufacturer’s Global Platform is developed with provision for such alternative powertrains.
The Ascent will be built at the manufacturer’s Indiana facility. The seven-seater Subaru may make its first appearance at the upcoming New York Motor Show as a 2018 model and will go on sale before the end of 2017. When launched the Ascent will go up against the likes of Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-9, and Nissan Pathfinder.
