SUBARU Ascent 2019

Body and cabin

The defunct Subaru Tribeca’s poor sales performance can probably be attributed to its unusual styling and tight cabin. There’s none of that with the 2019 Subaru Ascent, with dimensions similar to segment favourites such as the Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot.

Its boxy shape provides plenty of room inside, even in the third row if the second-row passengers move their seats up a bit. The cargo area can accommodate a fair amount of baggage, especially when the third-row bench is folded.

Like several of its rivals, the higher trims of the Subaru Ascent can get a pair of captain’s chairs instead of a second-row bench; they prove to be just as comfortable as the seats in front. The driving position is high enough to satisfy SUV enthusiasts without being high-perched. However, some testers complained that the door armrest is too far away, something noticed in other vehicles such as the Toyota Highlander.

Subaru paid particular attention to the layout and logic of the controls. Practically identical to all recent Subaru models, the dash features a clear touch screen along with large buttons and knobs for all the main functions. Two other digital displays, large, simple dials, and useful storage spaces also make life aboard more enjoyable.

Other highlights

Finish: rather drab in base versions; more upscale in Limited and Premium models, thanks to contrasting accents and quality leathers. Soft-touch materials throughout with contrasting stitching. Faultless fit.

Infotainment system: standard Harman Kardon audio in Limited and Premium models; it is powerful and well balanced, rare in a Subaru until recently. Standard Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and 4 USB ports (6 in Limited and Premium trims).

Convenience: power liftgate, panoramic sunroof and rear climate control standard starting on Touring models. Heated steering wheel, adjustable driver lumbar and thigh support (Limited and Premium versions only). Ventilated seats, rain sensing wipers and ambient lighting offered by Subaru for the first time (Ascent Premium only).

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist
• Brake override
• Stability and traction control
• Hill-hold assist
• Hill-descent assist
• Front airbags
• Driver knee airbag
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Pretensioners for front seatbelts
• Front seats with whiplash mitigation
• Removable head restraints on all rear seats
• Rearview camera
• Forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection
• Lane departure warning with automatic steering assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitor and reverse automatic braking (Touring, Limited and Premium, standard; Convenience, non-available)
• Automatic high-beams (Limited and Premium, standard; Convenience and Touring, non-available)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 4 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 4 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety
(IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Visibility

Exceptional for a crossover thanks to large, tall windows, relatively narrow roof pillars and boxy shape. Outside mirrors are a bit too small.

Headlights: according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety the LED headlights on the Limited and Premium versions provide a long, bright beam in all circumstances. They earned a score of 4/4. The halogen projectors of the other two models lack range in curves, and they can cause some glare, even in the low-beam position (a score of 2/4).

Mechanical overview

The Subaru Ascent rides on Subaru’s global modular platform first introduced in the Impreza in 2017. Underpinning last year’s Crosstrek and this year’s Forester, it will soon be used by all Subaru models except the BRZ sport coupe.

The very rigid structure notably features a double-wishbone rear suspension, a setup that is both advanced and increasingly rare in mass-produced vehicles. The more solid the platform, the less the engineers have to stiffen the springs to ensure good road holding.

Subaru has been manufacturing turbocharged engines for a very long time, but the Ascent’s four-cylinder is all new. This intercooled, direct injection 2.4-litre outputs 260 horsepower and a hefty 277 pound-feet of torque starting at 2000 rpm. With the Mazda CX-9, the Ascent is the only mass-produced midsize SUV that does not offer a six-cylinder engine.

A continuously variable automatic is the only transmission on the menu. Steering-wheel-mounted paddles simulate gear changes useful to augment engine braking in hilly terrain or when towing.

All versions can pull up to 2,270 kg (5,005 lb), except the base model Convenience, limited to 908 kg (2,002 lb) because it doesn’t have a transmission oil cooler. It is probably to cut costs, but it still seems rather stingy.

On the other hand, all Subaru Ascents come with full-time all-wheel drive, a Subaru tradition. Torque delivery can vary from the usual 60/40 up to 50/50 front-to-rear, depending on adherence conditions. Brake-based torque vectoring also sends more power to one side if necessary.

National Resources Canada indicates a combined city/highway fuel consumption of 10.4 L/100 km. The 13.3 L/100 km we measured therefore seems high, even though we tested the vehicle in severe winter weather.

Driving impressions

The first thing you notice at the wheel of the Subaru Ascent is its extremely smooth ride. Bumps, cracks and potholes are soaked up without any stiff impact whatsoever in the cabin. Despite its suppleness, the suspension avoids excessive bouncing on long pavement undulations.

However, the suspension cannot entirely mask the vehicle’s size and weight in curves. Body roll is apparent early on, an encouragement to ease up on the throttle. Safety is not at issue, but you’ll have to look elsewhere for agility and driving pleasure.

In a similar vein, the light steering delivers rather low feedback. While precise in curves, it lacks straight-line precision on the highway; the small, frequent corrections required eventually become tiresome. We noted the same thing in the current-generation Subaru Subaru Forester and Subaru Outback.

Naturally, no one will be driving their Ascent on winding roads like they would a Subaru WRX. But its comfort, lively acceleration (albeit too noisy, as in all four-cylinder Subarus), and efficient all-wheel drive will likely meet the expectations of most buyers.

Other highlights

Brakes: efficient and easy to modulate, finally exempt of the “dead zone” at the top of the brake stroke that still afflicts certain Subarus.

Transmission: CVT function is fluid, quick and linear. Very well matched to the engine’s broad power curve.

Driver assist system: more efficient than average in winter, because it is based on a pair of cameras located inside the windshield. This placement ensures better protection in bad weather than a radar placed under the bumper, for example.