It’s not every day an auto manufacturer comes to market with a brand-new offering.
But Subaru of America Inc. does so, building on nine consecutive years of sales growth with the all-new 2019 Ascent, a three-row sports utility vehicle.
Designed to deliver excellent interior comfort and access for all passengers, unmatched cargo capacity when needed and a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.
Best of all, Subaru expands on its strengths, adding a host of new safety, driver-assist and in-vehicle technology to make the Ascent an immediate threat to steal market share.
Being a Subaru family for a couple of years (with the 2017 Forester), my wife and I were eager to test the Ascent. While no longer in need of an SUV this size, we both came away more than impressed with the Ascent’s handling, versatility and safety attributes.
Powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine, the Ascent comes standard with a new version of Subaru’s high-torque Lineartronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) and legendary symmetrical all-wheel drive system– all wrapped in a stylish and rugged design with a commanding presence. The combo generates 260 horsepower and delivers mid-20s fuel economy in combined city/highway driving.
Built in Lafayette, Ind., Ascent will be available in Base, Premium, Limited and Touring trim lines. My tester was the Premium, which means the two-trim above must be loaded!
The 2019 Ascent offers the optimal blend of SUV capability and car-like ride and handling with standard Subaru symmetrical all-wheel drive, 18-inch wheels and four-wheel independent suspension. The 8.7 inches of ground clearance for all models is greater than many SUVs, yet the Ascent maintains a comfortably low step-in height for both front and rear passenger entry. Active Torque Vectoring, first introduced on the WRX performance models, is also standard.
Ascent offers up to nine unique seating configurations and two rows of 60/40 split flat-folding seats offering up to 72.6 cubic feet of cargo space. Rear doors open 75 degrees for easy access to the third row.
Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist technology comes standard and is a vigilant safety innovation that gives peace of mind to every drive. Its features include: pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure and sway warnings
and pre-collision throttle management.
Other safety features include blind-spot detection with lane-assist, rear cross-traffic alert and trailer stability assist. Starlink services offer remote engine start (pushbutton), anti-theft engine immoblizer with flashing security lights and child safety functions including geofencing, speed alert and curfew.
And, of course, there’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, four USB ports, Apple CarPlay, CD player, six-speakers, rear-vision camera,and more.
It all adds up to a major score for Subaru. The Ascent fills a hole in its SUV lineup and will compete for market share in this popular market niche from day one.
Base Price: $34,890
Price As Driven: $34,890
Base price includes destination charge. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturer and list price may vary at local dealers.
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