So how’s the Subaru counterpart doing?

The Ascent is Subaru’s North America-only SUV, which was revealed at the LA Auto Show in November 2017.

With its body dimensions being 4998 mm x 1930 mm x 1819 mm (196.7 in. x 75.9 in. x 71.6 in.), the car is the biggest in Subaru’s lineup. Seven and eight-seater models are available, with both having a spacious cabin.

Thanks to using the Subaru Global Platform (SGP), comfort and silence were improved with its high body rigidity.

Safety driving is fully supported by Subaru’s EyeSight safety features. A 2.4-liter 4-cyl. boxer engine and symmetrical AWD with X-MODE off-road performance brings the driver a great experience.

For the exterior, a large hexagonal grille is featured with the largest Subaru emblem in its whole lineup. And to accentuate the grille, slender headlights and wide fenders have emphasized the large size of the car.

Spacious cabin space was made possible by having a flat roof that continues toward the rear part.

Yasunori Kumagai, Project General Manager of the Product Planning Department, explained the car at the LA Auto Show.

“The Ascent was literally named after the word ‘ascent’ and we designed the car fully for demands in the North American market.”

“If I had to give a score, I’d say it would be around 95 with hesitation included, but we did everything we could. This is a product that was created through teamwork between the Japanese engineering team and staff at the dealership. We are very confident about our product. “

Pricing for the 2021 Subaru Ascent starts from $32,295 to $45,445.

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It is less likely that the Highlander and the Ascent will be launched in Japan. But looking at the Mazda CX-8, which is also an example of a successful three-row SUV, there are many voices demanding these SUVs.

It would be great to see the two SUVs being sold in Japan, even if it becomes in limited numbers.