Subaru confirms new large SUV
But the Japanese's brand's US-built Tribeca replacement is unlikely to come to AustraliaSubaru has today confirmed it will build a new seven-seat large SUV at its Indiana manufacturing plant in the USA from 2018.
However, Subaru Australia says it has no plans to offer the replacement for its discontinued Tribeca (pictured) here because it won't be produced in right-hand drive.
"We're not aware of any right-hand drive plans for a seven-seater and therefore [we have] no plans for our market," said David Rowley, Subaru Australia's national corporate affairs manager.
This leaves Subaru Australia without a seven-seat SUV, after the importer put the kybosh on the seven-seat Exiga that was recently updated for the Japanese market.
Subaru's new Nissan Pathfinder rival won't be called Tribeca, the name of the company's last seven-seat SUV, which failed to capture the imagination of Australians due to a cramped interior.
However, Subaru says it will wear a name "synonymous with outdoor adventure" and consistent with the Outback and Forester nameplates. Feel free to leave your naming suggestions in the comments below.
Few other details of the new SUV have been revealed by Subaru, but senior Subaru executives from Japan have previously told motoring.com.au the new SUV may be based on a stretched version of the platform used by the Liberty and Outback.
Subaru's new US-centric SUV is likely to get an all-new engine too, since the Japanese car-maker's current 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine will struggle to meet US emissions regulations by 2018.
Indeed, the SUV is expected to premiere a new-generation version of the company's ageing boxer six – perhaps smaller in capacity but turbocharged.
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