Subaru Ascent to finally land in the Philippines soon

MANILA: Subaru Ascent, the company’s largest 8-seat crossover SUV will now be available in the Southeast Asian market.

Subaru Ascent made its debut two years ago at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show and is exclusively available for the North American market. According to Glenn Tan, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Tan Chong International Ltd—the parent company of Motor Image Pilipinas, they are already in the final stages of approving the sale of the Ascent for the Philippine market.

Though there is yet an official launch date, one thing is for sure, the Ascent name will be dropped in favour of a more appealing name for the local market. While they brainstorm for a suitable name replacement, what can we expect on this bigger-than-usual crossover?

The Subaru Ascent (we’ll still call it that for reference) is an 8-seater, three-row crossover, and is the largest vehicle ever assembled by Subaru. It is powered by a 2.4-litre, turbo-4 engine capable of producing 260 hp of power and 376 Nm of torque. The engine is complemented by a CVT transmission and true to its Subaru trademark, it also comes standard with all-wheel drive on every trim level.

In terms of design, the exterior sports that signature Subaru-look with its trapezoid front grille flanked by LED headlamps, wagon proportions, and window kink closer to the rear roof pillar. It looks so much like a Subaru Outback but bigger and taller.

Base models of the Ascent are equipped with 18-inch wheels, USB ports, a 6.5-inch infotainment system that’s Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatible, fabric upholstery, three-zone climate control, and comes standard with active safety features such as forward-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, active lane control,

and adaptive cruise control. Premium and other trim levels get extra such as the blind-spot monitors and a forward-facing camera, leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, woodgrain trim, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, and a Harman Kardon sound system.

Inside, the Ascent is a spacious SUV intended to haul people and luggage for those long trips. Besides its three rows of seats that can fit up to eight passengers, the second and third-row seats can be folded for additional cargo space. There are lots of small-item storage including 20 cup holders, perch on the passenger-side dash for phones, and cutouts for long elbows near the door pillars proving that the Subaru Ascent is truly-designed to be a family vehicle.

If and when the new Subaru Ascent arrives in the Philippines, it will go head to head against the likes of Mazda CX-9, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Chevrolet Traverse.

Also Read: Subaru XV gets upgrades and new variants for 2020