[waynez]

I found it a tad smaller than Traverse and Enclave which I found to be perfect size to haul 6 people and bags.... I still have my 2011 Buick Enclave, very tired of it. But recently found I can tuck 5 bicycles in it with lots of rooms left.
Can someone pass on a message to Subaru to make their next gen Ascent a bit bigger like mentioned in title? Say 2 inches wider and 6+ inches longer?

Thanks!

 

[TheRaven]

I definitely wouldn't want it any wider, but I've driven much smaller cars all my life, so for me the Ascent is HUGE. I feel like all the lanes on the road these days need to be widened a bit now that I'm driving this beast of a vehicle. I wouldn't mind a hair longer, though, just because when we do have the 3rd row up there isn't quite enough room back there for much stuff. (but with the 3rd row down then I'm plenty happy with the space. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

 

[hokiefyd]

We bought the Ascent because of its size. Our other leading contender was the Buick Enclave, but it's about 10-12" longer than the Ascent if I'm not mistaken and it wouldn't have fit in our garage very well. We thought the Subaru made the best use of its exterior size with regards to interior room.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I would not anticipate Ascent to get larger in next generation as it's right in the sizing mix for mid-size SUVs that it competes with. Bigger would also add weight and increase additional aerodynamic loads which could adversely affect fuel economy.

 

[zachavm]

No one can say for sure. Even Subaru likely doesn't know because we are 2-4 years away from a full refresh announcement. Consequently the design likely has not been finalized yet. That said, it would not surprise me if they went slightly larger as that is the trend in the industry. However your stated increases might be too aggressive.

Also, it would not surprise me at all if they plan for a midsize truck to be a part of the redesign in the same way that Honda does with the Pilot and Ridgeline. I don't know enough to say how that might influence the design, but others with more knowledge might be able to theorize.

 

[Percy Garris]

Unless Robert has something he can add (I'm assuming he's embargoed Even if he did know anything), it's all conjecture. Size wise I think it's about perfect, I'd love to see the suspension firmed up a little bit and a better audio unit, and maybe a flush folding 2nd row on the touring.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Totally unrelated to whatever Subaru might do or not do, I would suspect that, on the Ascent, adding that much structure will increase the weight. That'd decrease the cargo carrying capacity (or push it out of Class I vehicle classification). At that point, I think it would also lean into the "Large SUV" category, and, compare poorly due to being just marginally larger than the mid sized entrants.

 

[rockthebeef]

I know there isn’t much market for it but a Subaru minivan with 8.7 inches of ground clearance would be pretty rad.

 

[djrussell]

I know there isn’t much market for it but a Subaru minivan with 8.7 inches of ground clearance would be pretty rad.

Keep the 5000 lb tow rating and I'd be in for one. And the turbo power!

 

[Percy Garris]

I do think in general Subaru could try to go a little more upscale on the upper trims. While I find the interior very user friendly and logically laid out, there are a lot of shiny black plastic components, buttons, and knobs - which I am grateful for as opposed to it all being touchscreen based- that do not have a sturdy/weighty feel to their operation.

Torquenews had an article discussing the sales decrease of the Ascent vs other Subies, and one of the issues brought up is that the upscale interiors are identical/similar in the A/O/L model lines, whereas the Palisade/Telluride and some other SUVs have somewhat different interiors vs the other model lineups. Also this segment tends to evolquickly and the Ascent is due for its mid cycle refresh.

 

[zachavm]

I know there isn’t much market for it but a Subaru minivan with 8.7 inches of ground clearance would be pretty rad.

Honestly I think it is more likely Subaru's AWD tech feeds back over to Toyota and they make a trail/wilderness version of the Sienna.

 

[pilot1226]

Do you mean Sequoia? Sequoia is a pretty premium vehicle with the interior amenities, and larger V8 engine, so I don't consider it in the same class as an Ascent. You could probably argue your case for a 4Runner or maybe upper trim of a Highlander, but the Highlander is considerably smaller in the third-row if you use it regularly.

Midcycle refresh would be fun if they added an Onyx or Wilderness trim for it, but I don't believe it's in the cards.

 

[Gsubaru]

I could see them being able to add a few inches interior room without extending the exterior at all...looks to be enough room to knock off a few inches of space at the front by reducing unused space behind the grill, and adding it to the back, or moving the engine forward. I’m sure the engineers could figure out which would be less trouble. I’m good with the interior but at the same time could handle a couple more inches behind the 3rd row.

 

[Titanrx8]

I'd rather see some weight saving delete options for the Touring in order to raise the cargo carrying. Ie: delete third row seat, delete panoramic moon roof, delete roof rails. Three things that came with mine that I have no use for.

Leave the length and width the same. I'd rather see the front battering ram length decreased and add those inches to the wheelbase. I suspect that Subaru made the front overhang long enough to house the H6 but since it's only an H4, shorten that nose!

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Sorry for the bad news, but, the engine cannot move forward, and that space is not and never was for the H6.

 

[rockthebeef]

To elaborate on Robert's post, there are fixed points on a typical scalable platform. Those fixed points determine the relationship of engine motor mounts relative to the front axle and firewall. On these examples from Volvo and VAG, pretty much everything else is flexible so the engine can't simply be moved forward.

The empty space in our engine bays is probably for crash/pedestrain safety or maye a design decision? If you shorten the nose too much, you get minivan proportions. Also because of the design restrictions of symmetrical AWD, you get that front overhang. It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Exactly correct. Moving the engine forward moves the axles and wheels, along with the CVT and front differential. The SGP uses that front area as part of the crumple zone before the protection ring of the platform. I'm looking for the cutaway I had of the frame that explains it, and was going to post this when I found it. If I find it I'll share it.

 

[Gsubaru]

Oh, I’m sure it’s no easy task, and I understand they need space for crash safety, and moving an engine is not a simple thing to do. At the same time, they’ve got some great engineers that could probably tweak it enough to give the space without making it longer. It’s been done on other vehicles and if there’s enough demand they’ll find a way. An issue of course would be how much it alters the look.
I’m very happy with it as is, but there’s been a number of times where just a couple inches more space and I wouldn’t need to drop the third row.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Keep in mind the engine is already forward of the wheels. It already contributes to our bad approach angle. Moving the engine extends the wheelbase by moving the front axles.

Also keep in mind that part of where others have extra space is where Subaru already engineered third row crash safety for the upcoming 2025 requirements.

 

[Gsubaru]

I figured moving the engine would be the more complicated way to go. But by 2025 they might be using better materials for impact absorption, or have a better shock absorber. They are always coming up with new tech. All I’m saying is there’s a lot of room between the bumper/grill area and the engine components. I’ve seen many other new vehicles with less space. Moving the bumper etc. Back 2” is likely possible. Then the back could be extended a touch leaving the overall length the same.
Personally it wouldn’t bother me to be a touch longer overall but I would not want it any wider, fits nicely in the garage as is.