The Subaru Tribeca could finally get a spiritual successor in Australia, with the Japanese brand’s local boss hinting at internal discussions about acquiring a seven-seat model Down Under.
In conversation with Daily Sparkz Speaking at the launch of the all-new Outback, Subaru Australia general manager Scott Lawrence said a seven-seater was “high on the agenda”.
“We are working very closely with Subaru Corporation on what this large seven-seater space would look like, (but) there is nothing to reveal at this point,” Mr Lawrence said.
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Currently, Subaru’s only new entry in the three-seat segment is the Ascent SUV, which is produced and sold in North America and exported to smaller markets such as the Philippines and South America as the Evoltis.
First introduced as the VIZIV-7 concept at the 2016 Los Angeles Motor Show, the Subaru Ascent debuted in production in Los Angeles the following year and was launched in 2018 as the successor to the Tribeca, which had ended production four years earlier.
It offers up to eight seats in three rows and rides on the same Subaru Global Platform as the brand’s broader product range. Power comes from a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine, which is also used in the WRX and Outback.
The Ascent received a mid-life facelift in 2023 and will continue to be produced exclusively at Subaru’s factory in Lafayette, Indiana.
The large SUV segment in Australia is one of our country’s most competitive, with 164,226 deliveries in 2025 (up 9.4 percent) and a 13.6 percent share of the overall market.
While the five-seat Outback posted a solid 8,384 unit sales in calendar year 2025, it was soundly beaten by segment favorites like the Ford Everest (26,161) and Toyota LandCruiser Prado (26,106), both of which offer up to three rows of seating.
The Tribeca – often known for its polarizing design – managed between 8,500 and 9,000 deliveries in Australia during its local production between 2006 and 2014, at a time when the Prado and locally produced Ford Territory produced more than that amount in a calendar year.
At the same time, Subaru also sold the Liberty Exiga, a three-row version of the Liberty wagon that was more of an MPV than an SUV. It also sold slowly and was eventually retired.
While the new Outback and upcoming Trailseeker EV are both almost 4.9 meters long – about 100mm less than the Ascent – there are no seven-seat options planned for either.
It has now been over a decade since Subaru last offered a seven-seater down under, which may have played a key role in the Japanese brand dropping out of Australia’s top ten best-selling car brands.
Given that the Ascent is now the oldest remaining vehicle in Subaru’s American lineup, a new generation could be imminent.
And if said next-generation Subaru Ascent were available in right-hand drive, Australia would undoubtedly be in the lead – as the UK and Japan probably wouldn’t accept such a large vehicle.
Stay tuned to Daily Sparkz for the latest developments
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