MTGRAGE

ARRIVAL: 2019 Subaru Ascent

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB Fuel Econ: 20/26/22 mpg

“We have a year to weigh in on Subaru’s biggest SUV to date. Will it be another hit?”
Alisa Priddle

Base price $39,970 As tested $43,551

I was the first journalist to drive the Subaru Ascent midsize SUV prior to its unveiling at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. Subaru had a heavily camouflaged Ascent in Ann Arbor, and engineers flew in from Japan for the day to talk about the largest and most expensive Subaru to date.

For that first drive, the exterior was covered in camo and the interior draped in cloth with holes cut out around the starter button, gearshift, and other key stalks and knobs. With little to look at, full concentration was on the ride.

Cruising local roads showed off the new global platform that underpins most of the Subaru lineup. First impression was the appetite the four-wheel independent suspension had for eating up the imperfections of Michigan roads. The low center of gravity made the Ascent feel planted with little body roll on the curves.

Since then the Subaru has been shown to the world and competed for SUV of the Year, and a Limited trim model in Cinnamon Brown Pearl with a cream and black interior has arrived at the MotorTrend garage in Detroit, where it will spend the next year.

Subaru has loyal customers, but in the past they had to leave the brand to find a three-row crossover, which is what prompted engineers to create the Ascent. Our model is the seven-passenger version with captain’s chairs in the second row. My dog-owning Detroit colleague Frank Markus notes Snickers prefers a bench seat. We’ll let you know how Snickers adapts.

In the year ahead, we want to see how capable this family vehicle really is and assess the usefulness of its space. We want to see if the addition to the family lives up to Subaru’s reputation for safety, reliability, and functionality.

Timing is perfect: The Ascent has Subaru’s standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, torque vectoring, and X-Mode to reduce wheel slip—perfect for a Michigan winter featuring cold, snow, and ice.

Also standard is Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist system, a safety buffet that uses dual cameras to apply emergency braking from 7 to 100 mph and provides lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist to steer you back on track, reverse automatic braking, and blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert.

The rearview camera helps with backing up and will be handy when we trailer—we made sure our Subie came with a $499 trailer hitch, which will be put to good use in the months ahead.

The Ascent is the first vehicle to get Subaru’s new 2.4-liter direct-injected turbocharged flat-four. The engine makes 260