[subiesailor]

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Towing specs will likely be 3500 or less. 5000 and up is a whole different class for which Subaru is not a player. LandCruisers with V8 engines are rated at 5000lbs. My Sequioa is rated at 5700 etc. Having towed about 5k with my Land Cruiser and my current Sequoia I found both were not very good at it. A Subaru with a shorter wheel base no way...

 

[subiesailor]

My sequoia is an 8 seater. Its a 7 seater with kids car seats. Its wide even has three across 3rd row which most vehicles in the Explorer/Pilot/Pathfinder group are two seats in the 3rd row due to the rear axle location and width.

My prediction is Subaru wants to play in the Honda Pilot/Highlander/Pathfinder market which means 7 passenger. 3500lb or lower tow rating, some kind of mileage focus aka the fuel efficient soccer mom machine but can actually handle snow etc.

I bet this rig will be the first Subaru lacking a spare tire too.

I just parked next to a Q7. 3.6L its a tight 7 pass rig also

 

[noflash]

 

[ghp]

All 2005-2009 Outbacks had dual exhausts regardless of engine. I guess they changed this with a more recent model?

On the other hand, my reading of this wikipedia link explaining CAFE requirements suggests to me that the 3.6r is going to have a hard time staying in the Outback.

Key points:

Outback 3.6R currently has 27mpg rating, which just barely squeaks it in for the small light truck category for 2017 models.

2018 models will require 28mpg rating. Subaru might find some optimization somewhere in order to pull this off. Maybe.

On the other hand, a larger light truck only needs to score 19mpg for 2018. And looking down the chart, it doesn't need to improve until 2022, and even then only nudges up a little.

If the new 3-row is just barely big enough to count as a large light truck and can still score ≥19mpg, they can keep stamping them out for a profitable number of years and extend 3.6R production for a good while, if only in that new big-body model.

tl;dr: I think 2017 is the final year for the Outback 3.6R, and starting with model year 2018 that engine will be exclusively available in the Big-aru.

The new Mazda cx9 has a turbo 4 why would Subaru not . If you notice the Mazda is testing with the Subaru. They could easily get 300hp out of a DIT 2.5

 

[Robert.Mauro]

I too first thought that the dual exhaust indicated the 3.6R, but, after a bit of research, I see that they use the dual exhaust on virtually all (all?) of the current turbo lines (2.0 and 2.5) as well as the H6 line. Add in the rumor of a 3.0 turbo to the mix... not to mention the years in the late 90's where they all had dual exhaust.

So, who knows?

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Towing specs will likely be 3500 or less. 5000 and up is a whole different class for which Subaru is not a player. LandCruisers with V8 engines are rated at 5000lbs. My Sequioa is rated at 5700 etc. Having towed about 5k with my Land Cruiser and my current Sequoia I found both were not very good at it. A Subaru with a shorter wheel base no way...

Don't they also all have "body on frame" design? Though I haven't dug extensively, of the vehicles with high towing capacities that I have looked at (for whatever reason), that's something I've noticed is common among them.

With Subaru's "global platform" design, it looks like (if that is a factor), higher towing ratings (5,000 or up) aren't going to happen for that reason alone - in any of their vehicles. I don't think I've seen any recent unibody rated for very high towing limits. I might just have not looked well enough though.

 

[Teamsloan]

Don't mean to highjack the thread, but why do they plasti-dip the wheels on test vehicles? It's obvious they're subaru wheels. Why try to disguise them?

 

[2012 2.5premium cvt]

I was pretty excited then I thought: this is Subaru, and it's an all-new platform. Therefore the possibility of first and 2nd yr teething problems is IMO rather high--so my skeptical side would keep me from buying or even leasing for a couple of years.

Since it's an all new platform I would hope that S. would refrain from sticking in an all new or even just an all new to NA drive train. Could be a bitter learning experience, but stranger things have happened. I put in my vote for a "higher efficiency" H6, since it is probably their most trouble-free engine family plus it can compete head on with the 6 cyl. competition. 3.6 would still be a good # i.e. bad idea to downsize to 3.0 or 3.3 in this bigger vehicle. IMO that's also what most customers at the higher $ point would want. The hybrid or whatever version can come later if needed.............

 

[mowcowbell]

Oh boy, yet another 3 row SUV. *insert snoring sound here*

I just wish ANY manufacturer would step forward and make a COMPACT pickup truck. Not these oversized behemoths that you need a step ladder just to reach over the bed.

 

[subiesailor]

Don't they also all have "body on frame" design? Though I haven't dug extensively, of the vehicles with high towing capacities that I have looked at (for whatever reason), that's something I've noticed is common among them.

With Subaru's "global platform" design, it looks like (if that is a factor), higher towing ratings (5,000 or up) aren't going to happen for that reason alone - in any of their vehicles. I don't think I've seen any recent unibody rated for very high towing limits. I might just have not looked well enough though.

Vehicle weight ie structure and components sized for tge weight eat into mileage. All the makers of 7-8 passenger light duty haulers are down sizing towing ability to gain in mileage. GMs new Acadia went from 4000 to 1500 in the redesign. Toyotas Highlander is at 3500. Etc

You either get fairly good mileage or higher tow rating you dont get both

 

[subiesailor]

Oh boy, yet another 3 row SUV. *insert snoring sound here*

I just wish ANY manufacturer would step forward and make a COMPACT pickup truck. Not these oversized behemoths that you need a step ladder just to reach over the bed.

The Colorado /Canyons are nice. Still long but at least they are narrower. My current OB has higher towing and load ratings than my 89 Ford Ranger 2.9L v6. I simply use a trailer with the OB for the typical stuff my old ranger was used for.

 

[rockthebeef]

Oh boy, yet another 3 row SUV. *insert snoring sound here*

I just wish ANY manufacturer would step forward and make a COMPACT pickup truck. Not these oversized behemoths that you need a step ladder just to reach over the bed.

A manufacturer must make what the people will buy (for the most part), hence CUVs everywhere. For a compact truck, there must be a platform to build it on, and compact truck platforms are scarce these days (on our shores). Everything I read tells me there is no business case for a real compact body-on-frame truck in the United States anymore.

Hyundai said it will build its compact Santa Cruz pickup and sell it in the USDM. IIRC it will be based on the platform that their Tucson is on. Obviously it won't be a BOF "truck", but it will be compact! At least there's that.

 

[ghp]

The question is how much of a dent can Subaru put in Honda Pilot /Toyota Highlander sales? I say a lot if they do it right. I have driven the Pilot and it is ok nothing special plus it looks like a minivan. I have not driven a Highlander. If Subaru can deliver a high quality product and undercut Honda's Pilot cost it will be a home run IMO.

 

[subiesailor]

Subaru looses more return business to Toyota and Honda than any other brands. Simply because they dont offer a larger platform for young families to expand too. The Current OB works pretty good for our family of 4. But!!! When my kids start MT Biking the OB which is pretty maxed out on our camping trips will have too little load capacity for our 1300lb trailer, kids weight and 4 full sized mt bikes. A highlander/pilot sized Subaru would easily fit our adventure trip needs and still be pretty good around town.

Though to really go big and kick the competition in the tender parts Subaru could go plugin hybrid paired with a 200hp non turbo di engine. That would be a really interesting combo. No turbo reliability issues, light engine but still enough power combined with EV power to be good. Not to.mention mileage that would crush the competition.

My neighbors new 2017 Pilot averages 17mpg per tank with her weekly kid transport around town. My 4.7L Toyota V8 does 17mpg around town doing the same kid bus duty. So why drop 40k on a new family bus?

 

[toulis]

I am looking forward to seeing this vehicle hit the market, this could very well be my next vehicle. I really hope this has 4000 lb. + tow limit.

 

[RDL]

I was told that the 2018 mid-refresh Outback will still have the 3.6 option. When the Outback goes to the new platform, it will then have the new engine changes. While it might just be a rumor, it makes sense. I'm planning on a 2018, so I hope it is true. If not, I will order a 2017. Oh the waiting game LOL

 

[ghp]

2018 Subaru 3 seater

It looks like Subaru will show the Ascent concept on the 18th. This will be a big deal for them. I hope they offer a revised 3.6 or 3.0 with the turbo 4 offering. So far the test mules look like a big Forester in my eyes.

 

[KentuckyOutback]

It'll be interesting to see. Not enough to get me to buy one though.
Hopefully the third row will be bigger than the Tribeca. That thing was way too expensive, and the third row was impossible to use, unless you had legless passengers...

 

[z28dug]

It'll be interesting to see. Not enough to get me to buy one though.
Hopefully the third row will be bigger than the Tribeca. That thing was way too expensive, and the third row was impossible to use, unless you had legless passengers...

I agree it will be interesting to see.

I personally don't need a 3 seat vehicle. Traded my GMC Acadia for my OB. I kept the 3rd seat folded down. Don't think I ever used it as a seat.

I believe Subaru does need a 3 seat vehicle in their line up, along with a pickup truck.

 

[idosubaru]

I don't think it will be all that interesting to see - except that they're doing it. But looks wise there wont' be anything to look at. There will be plenty of complaints about looks. All 7 passenger vehicles look like boxes, they have to. A Subaru, average cost, 3 row vehicle isn't going to try to make waves on styling.