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2006 Subaru B9X SUV/crossover/sport wagon/whatchamacallit

Old Jan 4, 2005 | 09:23 AM
  #21  
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That thing screams PUNCH ME IN THE NOSE MOFO.
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Old Jan 10, 2005 | 06:25 PM
  #22  
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Excuse the small pics.



In Detroit today Subaru of America Inc. revealed its largest model ever, the 2006 B9 Tribeca.

Due in showrooms in summer 2005, B9 Tribeca is the first crossover at Subaru to offer 7-passenger seating. Its wheelbase is 3 inches longer than that of a 2005 Subaru Outback, and the B9 Tribeca is 4 inches wider and nearly 5 inches taller. At more than 4,200 pounds, it’s also heavier than any other current Subaru.

The vehicle looks unlike any current Subaru. A new face that’s intended to recall Subaru’s heritage as a maker of aircraft highlights the front, and the vehicle’s profile is more akin to that of a Lexus RX 300 or a Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

The upscale styling isn’t accidental, as the B9 Tribeca’s interior is upscale, too. There’s even electroluminescent instrumentation, like that in a Lexus, and at night, the floor inside the vehicle is illuminated by indirect lighting. Other amenities include power-adjustable front seats, side-mounted front-seat airbags, curtain airbags and second-row seats with up to 8 inches of seat track.

Power comes from a Subaru boxer engine, in this case a 3.0-liter, double overhead cam 6 cylinder that can generate 250 horsepower and 219 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to a 5-speed automatic with SportShift. All Subarus come standard with all-wheel drive, and the B9 Tribeca is no different.

To be built at a factory in Lafayette, Ind., the B9 Tribeca will be sold in North America as well as Chile in 2005. But Kyoji Takenaka, president and chief executive officer of Subaru’s parent company in Japan, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., said automaker officials are “seriously considering” exporting the vehicle to other countries.

Pricing will be announced closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date.

The “B” in the name stands for the vehicle’s boxer engine, and the “9” is a Subaru product code. Tribeca is the name of a vibrant and trendy New York City neighborhood.


http://autoshow.msn.com/as/article.a...c=autoshow2005
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Old Jan 12, 2005 | 09:46 AM
  #23  
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Bigger pics:



Subaru says this is the new corporate front end treatment. I say they should rethink that idea. Hell, the interior is pretty nice and the rest of the exterior isn't so bad, but the front end positively kills it. It's like a taller, bucktoothed version of the Nissan Murano.
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Old Jan 12, 2005 | 03:03 PM
  #24  
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I really like the interior. The exterior shape is fine...the front end is friggin disgusting. Looks like those old American cars that used to mimic the jet engine intakes with the massive ovular or circular front air intake.
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Old Jan 12, 2005 | 04:41 PM
  #25  
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The front end sure does look like a crappy version of an Alfa Romeo with the grille turned upside down and its point lopped off.

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Old Jan 12, 2005 | 04:43 PM
  #26  
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Alfa front ends are just ugly to me.
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Old Jan 12, 2005 | 04:43 PM
  #27  
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interior doesn't look too shabby. too bad i can't say the same for the exterior. the front and rear need a redesign already :chuckles:
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Old Jan 17, 2005 | 09:46 AM
  #28  
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Subaru of America will push into a higher price segment with its B9 Tribeca sport wagon, setting the base price of the entry model just below $40,000.

The B9 Tribeca is a crucial vehicle for Subaru, which wants to position itself as a premium brand. It's also the key to expanding U.S. Subaru sales from an expected 200,000 units this year to 250,000 by 2006, said Kunio Ishigami, who has been the CEO of Subaru of America for only five months.

Last year, Subaru sold 187,402 vehicles, up a mere 0.3 percent from a year earlier.

The new price position will pit Subaru against vehicles such as the BMW X5 and the Nissan Murano.

Prices haven't been set for the SUV, which goes on sale in June. But Ishigami said at the Detroit auto show: "We cannot be price leaders. We will come in below $40,000."

The B9 Tribeca is based on a car platform with all-wheel drive and seating for as many as seven.

Subaru will position the B9 Tribeca as its flagship and expects to sell about 3,000 a month, Ishigami said.

The B9 Tribeca will be produced at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. plant in Lafayette, Ind.

Ishigami said that many of the first buyers will be Subaru owners who have been asking for a larger vehicle for years.

But he also expects the B9 Tribeca to lure customers - especially urban buyers.


http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101611

3,000 sales a month? That's only 36,000 sales a year so the sales estimates at least aren't hugely overly optimistic. Still, I dunno. That front end sure is hard to like.
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Old Jan 17, 2005 | 11:13 AM
  #29  
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the alpha theme isn't only obvious in the front...
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Old Jan 17, 2005 | 11:41 AM
  #30  
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Wow, this thing is more expensive than I thought. This will pit itself in a very crowded market and I am not so sure people will pay 40K+ for a Subaru badge.
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