Okay, Subaru fanslisten up! Do you suspect the all new B9 Tribeca is a pretty vehicle or is it an hideous duckling? As for me, I have mixed feelings. This SUV definitely does not look like every other Subaru, neither does it easily get confused with any other SUV on the market. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; let’s take a look at what sets the B9 Tribeca apart from the pack.
The first time I saw Subaru’s new entry up close I I first thought it was Porsche’s Cayenne. No, the automobiles do not look alike, but the B9 Tribeca evoked a corresponding response for me : like the Cayenne, it represents a major departure from all of the models. For example, the B9 Tribeca offers the following:
- 5 or seven passenger seating. This is the 1st Subaru built which will seat more than 5 adults.
- Big prices: The B9′s base price starts at about $32K.
- Side curtain airbags for front seating passengers and second seating passengers [except for the person stuck in the middle seat]
- All wheel drive, but you knew that already.
- A plush interior. Subaru says that leather trimmed upholstery is available as are heated seats, rear cabin air conditioning, and a sliding glass moon roof.
The B9 is constructed on a stretched Outback platform and at 66.4 inches it’s the tallest automobile made be Subaru. Oddly, it shares the same 3.0L V6 engine as the Outback, so one can only wonder how hard it’ll work with seven passengers onboard navigating steep hills and rounding corners?
I searched far and wide for the explanation behind the name B9 Tribeca and found nothing conclusive. One vehicle critic said the B9 part of the name came from a previous concept car that was shown by Subaru at vehicle shows, while two reports say the Tribeca part of the Tribeca part of the name is from the area of NY City that is the TRIangle BEneath CAnal Street neighborhood of Manhattan. Other than the vehicle being built in Indiana, there’s not any relevancy in the name. One may think that the name will prove to be more of a bother to remember as customers have a difficult enough time recalling some 2 syllable model names, let alone two words.
Personally, I think the concept of building a bigger Subaru is smart, particularly since Subaru owners previously had no where to go past this crop of compact SUVS and autos in their line up. Beyond that I believe the questionable looks and small engine will disappoint buyers and it may take new sheet metal and a beefier engine to stimulate sales.
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