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2019 Subaru Ascent First Drive Review | A three-row do-over

McMINNVILLE, Ore. — The brand-new 2019 Subaru Ascent could very well be called the Mulligan. You may have heard the term used by amateur golfers as a sort of do-over for an egregiously bad first shot. But in the case of the Ascent, Subaru's largest-ever vehicle, it means that the Japanese automaker gets one more chance to build a successful three-row crossover for America. Instead of trying to forget the unloved and slow-selling Tribeca, we get the sense that Subaru wants to keep that massive failure at the top of its collective mind. And we also got the sense that Subaru's engineers and product planners are confident that this time, they've hit a perfect drive off the tee — if not at Pebble Beach, then at least at one of the thousands of reasonably priced golf courses dotting the landscape of suburban America. All the pieces of the crossover puzzle are in place: seven- and eight-passenger seating options, a sizable cargo area, standard all-wheel drive, and class-appropriate fuel mileage estimates. But, this being a Subaru, the manner with which the Ascent hits its targets varies a great deal from many of its competitors. In place of a naturally-aspirated V6, as found in the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander, is a turbocharged four-cylinder. And instead of sleek styling meant to attract eyeballs at the expense of usability, the Ascent is boxy, upright, and, well, kinda boring. In person, the Ascent looks like an Outback-shaped balloon that's been blown up a bit too much. An oversize grille is flanked by big headlights at the top of the fascia and faux air intakes molded from matte black plastic at the bottom. It's bland, sure, but it's also not at all surprising that Subaru would err on the side of inoffensive after the design tragedy that was the face of the original B9 Tribeca. And while it definitely shares a strong family resemblance to the Outback, it's sufficiently different enough that buyers aren't likely to confuse the two on the showroom floor. There are some interesting creases and bends in the Ascent's bodysides that add visual interest to what would otherwise be big, flat, sheetmetal stampings. And we have to commend Subaru for its restrained use of plastic underbody cladding, especially since the original Outback helped popularize that trend in the mid-1990s. There's a reasonable glass-to-metal ratio that helps the interior cabin feel airy and bright. Getting into the Ascent's third row is made easier by a large, squared off rear door.

2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid gets top IIHS safety rating

The IIHS has finally evaluated the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, the plug-in version of the subcompact crossover, and it performs just as well as its fully gas-powered twin. Its high marks earned it the organization's highest award of Top Safety Pick +. In every crash test, the Crosstrek earned the highest "Good" rating for protection, including both driver and passenger small overlap collisions. Forward collision prevention also earned top marks, stopping the vehicle before a crash at speeds up to 25 mph. This is one area where the Hybrid improves on the standard model, not for better results, but for the fact that the forward collision prevention system is standard on all Hybrid variants. It's an option on base and Premium non-hybrid Crosstreks. The headlights are a similar situation. The Hybrid's standard headlights also received the "Good" rating like top-trim Crosstreks. Where the non-hybrid Crosstreks trip up is that the base and Premium trims have headlights that have the worst "Poor" rating. Parity resumes with LATCH child seat anchor accessibility, which gets a "Good+" rating for having easily reachable anchors and having extras for seating flexibility.

Subaru Germany sends off BRZ with 100-unit Final Edition

Both the Subaru BRZ and its Toyota 86 Sibling have been confirmed to have an impending second generation (well, confirmed before the pandemic), which means it's about time to start warmly saying goodbye to the current models. They deserve it, because although many will remember the sports cars for their lack of power, they should be remembered as affordable, sharp-looking, flickable sports cars with rear-wheel drive, manual transmissions, and an extremely fun chassis. As first reported by Motor1, Subaru Germany is sending the BRZ off with a limited-run Final Edition. To start, no, the Final Edition does not have any powertrain upgrades. In Germany, the 2.0-liter remains the same at 197 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual is the base transmission setup, while a six-speed automatic transmission will cost an extra $1,850.  The Final Edition improves where most of the other BRZ and 86 special editions have improved: handling. Subaru added Sachs shock absorbers and Brembro brakes with red-painted calipers. Surprisingly, the BRZ keeps its 17-inch wheels rather than adopting the available 18-inchers. The standard paint for the Final Edition is Crystal Black Silica, not picture here, but the WR Blue Pearl shown above costs the equivalent of an extra $109. And buyers will want to get the blue paint, because the inside has blue accents. The gearshift lever, door trim, instrument panel, and leather steering wheel all have blue stitching. The front leather-and-Alcantara seats are blue and black, while the rear seats are all black, and the floor mats have blue BRZ logos on them. A Final Edition interior badge notifies occupants of its special nature. The most significant part of this release is its limited availability. The Final Edition will be held to 100 units for the German market, which will have an instant collectible on its hands. Before destination, the list price will be the equivalent of about $43,800.