2019 SUBARU ASCENT
Through the ups and downs of the economy, the one automaker that has continuously grown in popularity is taking another shot at building a bigand-tall wagon with three rows of seats.
The Ascent represents a doover of sorts for Subaru, which markets itself as your trusted partner in providing safe and secure family transportation.
Subaru’s previous effort, the Tribeca, was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt at cracking the large-utility class that’s dominated by Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, Honda and others. Following a five-year category absence for Subaru, the built-in-Indiana Ascent joins the three-rows-of-seats group.
This time around, Subaru has a roomier structure for up to eight adult-sized passengers, including space for three in the third row. Total interior volume is equal to that of the Honda Pilot and the recently launched Volkswagen Atlas, but it has less than the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave.
A second-row bench seat is standard, but that can be swapped out for two extra-cost high-back bucket seats that can slide fore and aft to improve access to the third row. There are four USB ports and a bathroom-breakinducing 19 cup holders, which is more than two per person when the Ascent is fully occupied.
At the far end there’s sufficient space behind the rearmost seat for stowing reasonable amounts of luggage, groceries and other cargo. The Ascent’s standard roof rails will come in handy when you need to bring along some really bulky stuff, such as bicycled or kayaks, etc.
For front-seat riders, the dashboard and gauges are clearly marked and include oversize knobs that control the audio and ventilation systems. A 6.5-inch (16.5-centiemtre) touchscreen is standard, while an eight-inch (20-centimetre) version is available. Subaru has also eschewed a growing number of vehicles that use rotary dials or switches to change gears: The Ascent sticks with a traditional console-located shifter.
The cabin is enclosed in conservative, yet stylish sheetmetal, fronted by a hexagonal grille that speaks to Subaru’s current design theme. The fenders are neatly flared, but the vehicle isn’t as aggressive-looking as, say, the VW Atlas. The blacked-out fender lips and lower side trim hints at the Ascent’s ruggedness, which is backed up by standard all-wheel-drive plus 22 centimetres of ground clearance that puts some other vehicles to shame.
The Ascent is built on a version of Subaru’s Global Platform that emphasizes stiffness and light weight. It will eventually underpin all models except the BRZ sport coupe.
The Ascent runs with a new turbocharged 2.4-litre fourcylinder engine that makes 260 horsepower and 277 poundfeet of torque. The accompanying continuously variable transmission has eight “steps” that can be manually controlled by paddle shifters located behind steering wheel.
Subaru claims the Ascent can travel up to 800 kilometres between fuel stops, thanks to a big tank and a 9.0-l/100-km highway-fuel-consumption rating (11.6 in the city). That range will shrink if you take advantage of the vehicle’s 2,270-kilogram towing capability.
Ascent base pricing starts at $37,800 for the Convenience model, which is about $8,000 more than the five-passenger Forester wagon. That fee includes plenty of content, plus tri-zone climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels and a number of active-safety technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and active cruise control.
The Touring trim level comes with a power driver’s seat, up-level cloth upholstery, rear-seat climate controls and heated front seats, outside mirrors and windshield.
Blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and lanechange assist are also added.
Moving up to the Limited trim gets you leather-covered seats, steering-responsive (pivoting) headlights, 20-inch wheels and retractable sunshades for the second-row windows.
At $51,800, the Ascent Premier tops out with a panoramic moonroof, navigation system, premiumleather seats, fancier interior and exterior trim and a 14speaker Harmon Kardonbrand surround sound system.
With a successful product track record and an excellent reputation for build quality, Subaru’s return to manufacturing a larger-size utility wagon is likely less fraught with risk than you might think.
The automaker’s near fanatical fan base should see to that.