Future Car: Subaru Ascent 3-Row SUV
At the two thousand seventeen Fresh York International Auto Showcase (NYIAS), a concept version of the fresh Subaru Ascent midsize, three-row SUV was unveiled. It is designed to take on the likes of the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder, and others. But what else is there to know?
The last time Subaru attempted a three-row SUV, it was the Tribeca, and it was widely panned for a cramped interior and poor packaging. The name Ascent is fitting, because it will have fairly the climb to get over the picture of Subaru’s last three-row SUV. The vehicle you see here is not a total shock, as we were treated to the Subaru Viziv-7 concept at the two thousand sixteen Los Angeles International Auto Showcase. The Ascent is more rooted in reality and hints largely at a future production vehicle.
Read on to learn more about this future family hauler.
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Type of Vehicle
The midsize SUV market is one of the most popular vehicle segments out there. Subcompact SUVs might be growing quickly, but if you have a family and don’t want a minivan, few segments are as flawlessly tailored to your needs as midsize SUVs.
In U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, vehicles like the Kia Sorento, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Honda Pilot, and Hyundai Santa Fe are among the top performers. With an overall length of 198.8 inches, a width of 78.Trio inches, and a wheelbase of one hundred seventeen inches, the Ascent fits into this segment.
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Interior Design
The Ascent that was featured at the Fresh York Auto Showcase is technically a concept. While one aim of a concept vehicle is to provide a look at a future production vehicle, another aim is often to hint at the future design language across the broader portfolio of cars.
The cabin design of the Ascent blends current trends with features that spell the future for Subaru cabins. The crisp lines and ample cubbies and cup holders are right out of a current Subaru, but the center console offers up some unique details. The fully digital screen arches with the dash, and climate control dials are integrated into the screen.
The silver piping that framed up the center console and center stack are similar to that found in the same area of the two thousand seventeen Subaru Forester – albeit more expressive.
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Interior Features
Below the fresh digital screen is a fresh shifter layout that is similar to that of the Toyota Prius. It goes away from the conventional shifters that you would find in most Subaru’s today.
The Ascent concept features a fetching two-tone interior with saddle-colored dash and interior panels and off-white seats. The seats are perforated, hinting that they may be heated and cooled. Above those seats is a massive panoramic moonroof that extends to all three rows. The second-row captain’s chairs have large toggles on the outside, suggesting the Ascent will have quick-release seats that provide quick access to the third row.
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Interior Technology
While Subaru has not said much about the technology in the Ascent, those on the showroom floor could clearly see it was running a fresh version of Starlink, Subaru’s infotainment system. It also features Apple CarPlay and will likely boast Android Auto.
Presently, Starlink offers a plain and easy-to-use layout with Bluetooth connectivity and a suite of enhanced apps like Pandora and Aha streaming audio. We can expect this group of apps to expand, graphics to improve, and smartphone integration to become quicker and more seamless.
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Cargo Capability
Cargo specs are not out yet, but it will have to be generous to rival with the popular midsize SUVs. For the sake of context, the Honda Pilot has up to 83.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded. The Toyota Highlander has 83.7 cubic feet.
The Ascent will need to feature a max cargo capacity of at least eighty cubic feet to be competitive in this market segment.
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Safety Features
Once again, Subaru was quiet on this front. However, show-goers could clearly see the two cameras at the top of the windshield. These are telltale signs of the Subaru EyeSight safety system.
EyeSight is a suite of advanced tech that can warn the driver of an emerging collision, and in some cases, it can even take over to prevent a collision. EyeSight uses a pair of color cameras and provides so-equipped vehicles with pre-collision braking, lane departure warning and prevention, and adaptive cruise control. Subaru’s compact SUV, the Forester, features EyeSight as an optional feature. It’s unclear whether it will come standard or optional on the Ascent.
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Spectacle
The cornerstone of Subaru powertrains has long been the four-cylinder boxer engine. Subaru says the Ascent will feature an all-new turbocharged boxer engine.
Four-cylinder engines have mixed results in three-row SUVs. The base four-cylinder in the Toyota Highlander is rather anemic, however the turbocharged four-cylinder in the Mazda CX-9 produces more than enough output and points to the future of powertrains in vehicles of this size.
Subaru already offers a turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine in its lineup. In the Subaru Forester Two.0XT Premium, it makes two hundred fifty horsepower, and in the Subaru WRX and WRX STI, it makes two hundred sixty eight horsepower and three hundred five horsepower, respectively. So there is fairly a bit of potential for this engine packaging.
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Rail and Treating
The Ascent rails on the Subaru Global Platform, which debuted last year and will be used for other future Subaru vehicles – think the future Legacy sedan and Outback wagon.
It should come as no surprise that the Ascent is supposed to come with standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive&bashful; – a hallmark of Subaru vehicles. The Ascent features fatter fender flares, hinting toward more off-road capability, but that’s only an photo Subaru is attempting to portray. In reality, the road-based all-wheel drive system used for its entire lineup is flawless for the type of family-hauling duties the Ascent will take on.
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Pricing
Subaru is far from exposing the price of the Ascent, but expect it to hit the market as a production vehicle in 2018, likely as a two thousand nineteen model. To be competitive in the midsize 3-row SUV segment, the pricing will have to embark at around $30,000.
For reference, the Toyota Highlander starts at $30,630, the Honda Pilot starts at $30,595, and the Mazda CX-9 is a pricey option, kicking off at $31,520. So the Ascent will have to play in this area, but past indications are encouraging. From the Forester to the Impreza, Subaru vehicles generally undercut their competition on price. Expect Subaru to do the same when it scales up with the Ascent in 2018.
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More Shopping Instruments From U.S. News & World Report
The Subaru Ascent is not available for sale just yet. If a Subaru is what you’re after, check out the Subaru page and the Subaru deals page. When it comes time to buy, use our Best Price Program to get the best deal on your fresh car purchase.
