SAN FRANCISCO — Subaru was one of the inventors of the crossover wagon way back in the mid-1990s with the Outback, so it is ironic to find this small Japanese auto maker now chasing a raft of large and well-established car/trucks -- from the Honda Pilot to the Lexus RX330, the Ford Freestyle and more.
Of course, that is not exactly how Norio Osakabe sees it. The president and chief executive officer of Subaru Canada argues that the 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca is "challenging the idea of a premium" crossover wagon, one with the stance of a traditional SUV, the on-road behaviour of a car, three rows of seating for up to seven, aggressive looks, top-notch luxury features and significant though not overly serious off-road abilities.
"Our idea of premium," says Osakabe, "is not luxury, like BMW or Rolex. Our idea is different, independent, challenging."
In today's marketplace, Osakabe and his colleagues believe the Tribeca fits in somewhere between the Lexus RX330 and the Toyota Highlander, two sensationally successful crossovers that share the same architecture under their quite different skins. Price-wise, he's right.
At a base sticker of $41,995 for the five-passenger Tribeca and $44,295 for the seven-passenger, this all-new Subaru flagship lands right between the seven-passenger Highlander ($37,950) and the RX, which seats only five ($50,200). But the Tribeca is hardly alone there.
There are at least a dozen already for sale and more are coming. Earlier this year, a dozen production and concept crossover wagons were introduced at the Detroit auto show.
Among the more interesting ones certain to be priced against the Tribeca: the production version of Mazda's MX-Crossport concept, which should go on sale in less than two years, and the unnamed showroom model Suzuki will launch in 2006 based on the Concept X.
Osakabe believes the Tribeca, which is being built in Lafayette, Ind., will break through all this increasing clutter with an impressive combination of attributes: Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, a strong price/value story, proven safety technology and a reputation for quality backed up by respected consumer research.
Subaru does have an excellent AWD system, but rival car companies are now, arguably, introducing even more sophisticated AWD systems -- though the newest systems have yet to prove they can match Subaru for reliability and durability. And none of them come close to Subaru's AWD cars for victories in world rally races where only the best survive and prosper.
Nonetheless, both BMW with its xDrive and Acura with its Super Handling All-Wheel Drive boast the ability to shift torque or engine power not just north-south, or between the front and rear axles, but east-west, from one side to the other. Essentially, the very best of the new systems can put engine power at any individual wheel whenever necessary.
Subaru's system can't do that. On the other hand, because all Subarus are powered by boxer or horizontally opposed engines mounted low in the chassis, they have a wonderfully low centre of gravity.
In tall vehicles like the Tribeca, placing the engine closer to the ground allows the vehicle to hunker down nicely in corners. This makes for better handling and also counters the tendency towards rollovers -- a recognized issue with SUVs of all stripes.
On the safety front, all of Subaru's current models -- the Legacy/Outback, Forester and Impreza -- are rated a "Best Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. So, based on the institute's strenuous crash testing, all Subarus offer the best crash protection in their respective classes. Keep in mind, the insurance industry-funded IIHS smashes vehicles into an offset barrier at 64 km/hour, a more demanding test than the head-on government crash tests.
Safety-wise, to fit in with the existing lineup, the Tribeca comes standard with a stability control system called Vehicle Dynamics Control, four-channel ABS (anti-lock braking) and front, side, and curtain airbags.
The vehicle's structure itself is designed to manage crash energy away from the passengers. Thus, Subaru officials think their Tribeca will also earn a "Best Pick" rating, once the IIHS has a chance to run one into a wall.
Then there is quality. For 2004, Subaru was the top-ranked brand for reliability by Consumer Reports magazine. Subaru's lineup averaged just eight problems per 100 vehicles based on surveys of CR readers. That's better than Honda at nine and Toyota and Acura at 10.
So it would seem Subaru can make a compelling case in favour of the Tribeca's success, one based on three basic brand pillars: quality, safety and drivability.
The plan is to give the 15 per cent of Subaru owners who leave the brand for a larger, more feature-laden vehicle a compelling reason to stay with Subaru -- to keep them from going off to an Acura MDX, Lexus RX330, Nissan Murano, and even a Volvo XC90, BMW X3 or any one of the other rivals in the segment.
"We are going after [current] Outback owners and premium SUV intenders," says Subaru Canada's vice-president of product planning, Ted Lalka. "We see the B9 Tribeca fitting in a sweet spot of the marketplace."
The Tribeca's 250-horsepower six-cylinder engine, mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, is certainly competitive in terms of both output and fuel economy.
Lalka and Osakabe spend less time pushing the styling of the Tribeca, however. The SUV's looks signal a new design direction for Subaru, one destined not to be universally loved even by Subaru insiders.
The exterior is marked by heavy shapes below the beltline, thick flanks and a bold nose capped by Subaru's new distinctive "soaring wings" grille that hints at Subaru's aircraft history and also the boxer engine under the hood.
Critics will say the grille bears a startling similarity to what you find on the front of an Alfa Romeo. Perhaps that is not so surprising, given that Subaru's new director of advanced styling is former Alfa designer Andreas Zapatinas.
The cabin is spacious, with a futuristic twin-pod design up front, generous legroom in the second row and smallish seating at the very rear for third-row passengers.
Zapatinas and his colleagues have done an excellent job with the interior. There is a clean and modern look to the controls and instruments, excellent use of soft overhead shower lighting and indirect floorboard lighting to lend a premium feel, and the materials are the best ever seen in a Subaru.
As for equipment, the standard luxury features run the gamut of the usual power windows, door locks and windows, along with cruise control and air conditioning with rear controls.
A fully loaded Tribeca Limited ($52,495) comes complete with navigation system, nine-speaker MP3 sound system and a DVD-based in-car theatre with screens for backseat passengers in the front headrests and wireless headphones.
So in a purely product planning sense, the Tribeca should easily keep Subaru customers in the fold, achieving full-year sales of about 2,000 units or more in Canada. In 2004, the Tribeca's five key rivals Pilot, MDX, Murano, Highlander and RX330) averaged sales of 4,942 for the year, so Subaru's sales goals are modest.
And according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, sales in this segment of the market are up some 20 per cent this year -- a bright spot in an otherwise lacklustre year for new-vehicle sales.
When the Tribeca hits showrooms this summer as Subaru's first big crossover wagon, it will arrive when demand for so-called "traditional" SUVs such as the Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Tahoe is levelling off or declining in the face of higher fuel prices and changing consumer tastes. That should play into Subaru's hand.
Still, change is happening quickly as auto makers road test a wide variety of concepts for a new generation of multipurpose vehicles. For its part, the B9 Tribeca is designed to carry up to six or seven people without looking too much like a minivan and driving mostly like a car.
We'll let you know exactly how it drives in a thorough road test this summer.
How it compares
| 2006 Subaru | 2005 | 2005 Nissan | 2005 Lexus | 2005 Toyota | 2005 Honda | |
| B9 Tribeca | Acura MDX | Murano SE | RX330 | Highlander | Pilot EX-L | |
| 7-passenger | 7-passenger | 5-passenger | 5-passenger | 7-passenger | 8-passenger | |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,749 | 2,700 | 2,824 | 2,715 | 2,715 | 2,700 |
| Length (mm) | 4,822 | 4,789 | 4,765 | 4,730 | 4,688 | 4,775 |
| Width (mm) | 1,878 | 1,955 | 1,880 | 1,845 | 1,826 | 1,963 |
| Height (mm) | 1,686 | 1,811 | 1,709 | 1,680 | 1,745 | 1,793 |
| Base engine | 3.0-litre | 3.5-litre | 3.5-litre | 3.3-litre | 3.3-litre | 3.5-litre |
| H-6 DOHC | V-6 SOHC | V-6 DOHC | V-6 DOHC | V-6 DOHC | V-6 DOHC | |
| Horsepower | 250 | 265 | 245 | 230 | 230 | 255 |
| Curb weight (kg) | 1,925 | 2,049 | 1,807 | 1,844 | 1,785 | 2,010 |
| Maximum towing | ||||||
| Capacity (kg) | 1,587 | 2,041 | 1,588 | 1,588 | 1,587 | 2,045 |
| Fuel economy | 14.2 city/ | 12 city/ | 12 city/ | 12.7 city/ | 14.2 city/ | |
| (litres/100 km) | N/A | 9.4 hwy | 8.8 hwy | 8.5 hwy | 9.0 hwy | 9.9 hwy |
| Base price | $44,295 | $50,800 | $47,598 | $50,200 | $37,950 | $44,000 |
