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2019 Subaru Ascent Deep Dive | 15 fast facts, 3 rows of seats and 8 golden retrievers

The 2019 Subaru Ascent three-row crossover is a big deal — both in literal size and metaphorical importance. The large Subaru plugs a gap in the company's crossover lineup that hasn't been filled since the company's previous attempt, the B9 Tribeca, fell flat on its weird-looking face. And by "plugs a gap," we don't mean in terms of market segments. Rather, it fills a gap among Subaru's band of fiercely loyal customers. Currently, Subaru's Crosstrek, Forester and Outback serve young singles, couples and parents with recently arrived children. They also have older empty nester types who effectively "come back to us." But for those customers in their "child-raising years," they've had no choice but to leave the brand in favor of one that sells a larger, three-row model. They don't need the biggest thing around, but something larger than an Outback would be nice. It is for these people that the 2019 Ascent was created, a "right sized" crossover, according to Subaru, designed to deliver the high functionality and ease-of-use expected of the brand. It was "sized to overwhelm the Outback," which it most definitely does when viewed side-by-side, while still looking very much like the Outback. Really, the Ascent is intended to keep Subaru buyers in the family, so to speak. Any conquest buyers would seem to be gravy. Here are some other takeaways from our first look at the 2019 Subaru Ascent during its unveil last night prior to the L.A. Auto Show. — The Premium and Limited trim levels will provide customers with a free-of-charge choice of second-row bench (eight-passenger) and second-row captain's chairs (seven-passenger) configurations. This is unique in the industry, giving customers the option to outfit their Ascent in a way that best suits their family. Subaru expects the captain's chairs to be a bit more popular. — We have our doubts about Subaru's official cargo capacity figures. The published maximum cargo volume, which represents both the second and third rows folded, is a meager 72.8 cubic feet. That's actually less than the Outback (73.3) and the Forester (74.7)! That's also considerably less than other three-row crossovers like the Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot. Having seen the Ascent in person, however, that's extremely hard to fathom. It doesn't look that small in the least. Far from it. It has a big, boxy interior with a third row that fit a pair of 6-footers behind a second pair of 6-footers in the second row.

You can almost make out the shape of the new Subaru Crosstrek

Subaru released a shadowy teaser of the redesigned XV hatchback which will debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show. The car will be called the Crosstrek in the United States. We can't see much from this dark image, but it looks like the sides have more creases and definition than the current model, which has been on sale since 2013 with only minor changes. Subaru showed the XV concept at Geneva last year with wild wheels, sharp headlights, severe side cuts, and prominent off-road-style body cladding. Naturally, we expect a more toned-down version in production trim. Subaru confirmed the new vehicle will offer its Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system (we'd be stunned if it didn't). The Crosstrek will also employ Subaru's new Global Platform, which is more rigid and has a lower center of gravity. These modular underpinnings will be used on all of its next-generation models and debuted on the Impreza. The Crosstreck was called the Crosstrek XV in the US market for several years and also offered a hybrid version, which was dropped. Crosstrek sales in the US increased 7.6 percent last year to 95,677 units, placing it third behind the Outback and Forester in Subaru's portfolio. Related Video:

Subaru supplies running low as automaker struggles to keep up with US demand

Consumers in the US are gobbling up Subaru models, a trend that may result in dealer shortages if the Japanese automaker isn't able to meet the surging demand. A quick look at the numbers reveals a 25.2 percent year-over-year jump in April US sales, and a 17-percent gain for the first quarter of 2013. The sales are so strong that the company's CEO, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, told the Wall Street Journal that Subaru will exceed its 2016 goals (380,000 US units sold) by the end of the company's current business year. The US market has grown to be one of Subaru's best, with the company now logging about half its global sales on our shores.
While strong sales are good problem to have, the automaker has relatively limited production capacity, which may leave dealers with sparse inventory. Certain models, such as the popular Forester crossover (shown above), could hit 10,000 units this month with the plant at full capacity (far above its target of 8,000 units). On average, the US car industry has a 60-day supply of vehicles on hand, but inventory for the new Forester is at just 16 days. "If this situation persists, we'll face a supply shortage," Mr. Yoshinaga told the WSJ.
Despite being one of the smallest Japanese automakers by volume, this is all positive news for Subaru and parent Fuji Heavy Industries, which projects a second straight year of record operating profit thanks to strong US sales and a weaker yen.