2019 Subaru Ascent: Subie Takes Another Shot at the Big Time

Subaru went heavy on the family values motif as it rolled out the 2019 Subaru Ascent three-row crossover at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The company used models portraying a happy family to show off the Ascent, only with a twist – this fictional family, called the Barkleys, is of the canine variety. Sure, there were actors portraying a happy human family, too, but Subaru was using only dog puns in its presentation.

Personally, I’m hoping the dog and human show cuteness wasn’t meant to distract from a model with potential shortcomings, but there’s no way to know that until we drive it. No doubt the brand remembers the failure of the B9 Tribeca (maybe it should’ve been called K9?) and is working overtime to push its next foray into the three-row crossover arena.

Certainly, the styling is less, um, adventurous than that of the Tribeca (which I never thought was really all that bad looking, but I digress). Of course, the Ascent is positioned as a volume vehicle, so it’s not shocking that its looks lean towards the generic.

Not to mention that the plain-but-handsome formula already works for the brand’s other crossovers/tall wagons. Not everything has to be sexy, man.

We already know the seven- or eight-seat Ascent will be built in Indiana, and it should shock no one that it arrives with standard all-wheel drive and a turbocharged boxer four-cylinder. This is Subaru, after all – the company is as known for those two things as much as Los Angeles is known for good fast-food burgers and crappy drivers.

The turbocharged mill displaces 2.4-liters and makes 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. It’s also intercooled. Subaru claims up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity, with a system to assist with trailer stability. The Ascent also brings 18-inch wheels and a familiar 8.7 inches of ground clearance.

As per usual with Subaru, the transmission is a continuously-variable automatic (CVT), but it does have an eight-speed manual mode.

The 113.8-inch wheelbase helps make the Ascent the biggest Subie to ever ply the roads, with the company claiming 153.5 cubic feet of passenger volume. In fact, the model’s wheelbase is longer than that of many midsize rivals, including the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, and Hyundai Santa Fe. Only the Volkswagen Atlas and Nissan Pathfinder sport more distance between the axles.

Available comfort and convenience features include Starlink infotainment, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, eight USB ports for maximum phone usage (and family member avoidance), tri-zone climate control, 19 (!) cupholders, in-car 4G LTE Wi-Fi, first- and second-row heated seats, cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, navigation, Pandora, Bluetooth, and satellite radio.

When it comes to safety and driver-assist features, expect the usual suspects. Among those niceties are adaptive cruise control, lane departure and sway warning, automatic pre-collision braking, blind-spot detection, lane-change assist, and rear-cross traffic alert. A front-view camera system is available.

Evaluating the features, which are spread across base, Premium, Limited, and Touring trims, it appears Subaru has a fairly standard content mix for the class – nothing stands out, nor does anything notable seem to be missing. Subaru says pricing will start in the mid-$30K range when the vehicle goes on sale early next summer.

Looking at the Ascent up close, I saw hints of the Nissan Rogue/Pathfinder in the side profile and perhaps a little Toyota Highlander up front. I also saw what appears to be a much better-looking infotainment system and an interior that’s class competitive, if not particularly remarkable.

What matters more is what Subaru execs are seeing, and that’s likely dollar signs. Subaru has long required a three-row crossover to compete with the bigger boys; now it has one that at least checks all the right boxes – on paper, anyway.

[Images: © 2017 Tim Healey/The Truth About Cars, Subaru]