Earlier last week, Subaru of America dropped some big news for the family SUV market at the LA Auto Show.  They debuted the all-new, 7/8 passenger, 2019 Subaru Ascent.  In 2014 the Tribeca was discontinued, limiting Subaru’s “SUV” vehicles to the Crosstrek (basically a lifted Impreza), Forester (small SUV), or the slightly larger Outback.  One problem remained – no third row. Unfortunately with this change, Subaru lost many of their loyal family-oriented customers due to the cutting production of the Tribeca and it’s third row seating.  Finally, 3 years later, Subaru has answered the prayers and desires of these Subaru-loving families.  Now of course, the Ascent comes with the Subaru Eyesight and Apple CarPlay and so on and so forth, but I’m not here to give you every little detail and specification about it.  I just want to touch base on the topic, and share what I think is significant.



 

Some things I found pretty wild about the Ascent are the 19 cup holders – that’s a lot of juice boxes to be spilled in your new $50,000 (estimated), fully-optioned, Touring-Edition Ascent.  Another significant feat is the new direct-injection, turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer engine making 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque.  The most impressive feature to me is the 5,000 lb towing capacity.  Subaru has never really shined in the towing department until now, and that gives them a huge advantage to those with smaller campers and boats, especially with 19.3 gallon fuel capacity.  I definitely foresee tons of Outback owners trading their cars in next summer, especially with rumors of the Ascent hitting dealerships starting at around $35,000.  Finally something Subaru can be competitive with in the family SUV market.  The Ascent is a move in the right direction of practicality, safety, and everyday necessities.

 

By Zach Osborne – @momentum.rs

 

Image source:

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