We recently posted a story about Subaru’s renunciation of the Tribeca SUV, a model that was the exact opposite of a sales hit, despite there being nothing terribly wrong with it. Now, Automotive News tells us that the Japanese manufacturer has confirmed through its president Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, that the replacement for the model being phased out will have seven seats, though he did not say when it was due exactly.
"I've received very strong requests from U.S. dealers for a multi-passenger, seven-seat vehicle," while adding that they “are planning to introduce it to the U.S. market."
However, Subaru will not merely switch production from the old model to the new one, as the two will have nothing in common. Yoshinaga explained, "The seven-passenger vehicle project is completely different… You won't see the new vehicle coming out immediately when Tribeca production ends.”
Moreover, since the Tribeca is currently built in the US, and the upcoming seven-seater will also be US-biased, we can hypothesize that it too will be US-built. It’s even suggested it may share underpinnings with the Exiga, a JDM-only estate-type of vehicle that has ample space inside and can seat the required number of passengers – it gets a raised third row of seats too.
By Andrei Nedelea
Note: STI-tuned 2009 Subaru Exiga pictured
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