The 'Swiss army knife of cars': Why Subaru Australia wants the 2025 Ascent seven-seat large SUV more than ever

Australia is Subaru's second largest export market in the world, and yet we miss out on one of its most important SUV models - the three-row Ascent large SUV.

Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of its first electric car, the Solterra, Subaru Australia Managing Director Blair Read explained why the brand's local division is desperate to get its hands on the Ascent for its next-generation.

The SUV is the brand's largest offering globally, looking like a scaled-up version of the current Forester and available in America in both seven and eight-seat forms. The nameplate was launched in 2018 as a US-market exclusive, and the reason it is not sold in Australia is because it's built only in left-hand drive at Subaru's Lafayette, Indiana manufacturing base in North America.

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While Australia has missed out thus far, Read explained that the local division is having an "ongoing discussion" with Subaru HQ in Japan on the possibility of sourcing a right-hand drive version in the future.

"It's no secret a seven-seater would be such a great addition to our line-up and especially for existing owners.

"In terms of global development and progress on that [right-hand drive production], it's too early to make too much of a comment on that, but we certainly have our hands up for it."

It features the brand’s 11.6-inch portrait-oriented multimedia touchscreen running the latest iteration of the Starlink software suite.

Read noted there is a precedent for the Australian division sourcing models from the Lafayette plant rather than the usual Ota, Japan plant, as it had done before with the Ascent's predecessor, the short-lived Tribeca large SUV.

When asked why an Ascent would fare better than the Tribeca, Read said the Australian market had shifted in the last 10 years.

"There's a lifestyle element to it and it's part of a broader trend - if you go back 10 or 15 years we can clearly see there's a natural shift toward larger SUVs. So a buyer who once wanted an Outback or Liberty might be looking for something larger now - It's a generational trend toward that sort of vehicle which has altered that model mix."

The Ascent was last updated for the 2023 model year in North America with updated styling features to match the rest of the current Subaru range.

"If you've got two or three kids and you want to take them out on a trip you might find you're running out of space quickly," adds communications manager Chloe Fraser "it might not be for everyday use, but those occasional trips make [seven seats] added to that shopping list."

"We're a very active people as a country" continues Blair, "it's the need for that versatility that draws people to them - it's the swiss army knife of vehicles really isn't it?"

"When you look at our range - there's Outback and Forester… to have something in that three-row large SUV space would be such a natural fit."

The SUV is the brand’s largest offering globally, looking like a scaled-up version of the current Forester and available in America in both seven and eight-seat forms.

The Ascent was last updated for the 2023 model year in North America with updated styling features to match the rest of the current Subaru range, as well as the same interior features like the brand's 11.6-inch portrait-oriented multimedia touchscreen running the latest iteration of the Starlink software suite.

It is also powered by the familiar turbocharged 2.4-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder 'boxer' engine from the WRX sedan and wagon range, in this instance producing 194kW/376Nm. Like the rest of the Subaru SUV range, it is all-wheel drive only and has a continuously variable automatic transmission.

It is also powered by the familiar turbocharged 2.4-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder 'boxer' engine from the WRX sedan and wagon range.

At five meters long and just over 1800mm tall, it is significantly larger than the Outback or Forester, sizing up instead to the Toyota Kluger which is its primary competition in the USA.

It may be a wait until the Ascent's next major update, but we wouldn't be surprised if it eventually adopts the new Toyota-sourced hybrid system destined to debut on a Subaru in the next-generation 2025 Forester.