A yet unnamed three-row, seven-passenger flagship SUV from Subaru will be built at Subaru of Indiana
It’s been a year now that we’ve been waiting for the flagship three-row, seven-passenger SUV from Subaru, which will ultimately serve to fill the gap left by the now discontinued Subaru Tribeca SUV. We don’t know too much about this crossover, not even its name. Subaru promises that it will be “synonymous with outdoor adventure,” in the same way that the Outback, Forester, and Crosstrek are named for their off-road shenanigans.
Back in late spring of this year, we reported that several people partook in a survey in which they were asked to rate potential names for a seven-passenger vehicle that Subaru would offer in the future. Options included Centauri, Cypress, Ascent, Meridian, Sojourn, and Columbia. While we never did hear anything beyond that, I’m holding out for Subaru Sojourn. Something about that alliteration, I guess—though that would make Subaru Cypress and Subaru Centauri good options as well.
The new SUV will fill the hole in Subaru’s lineup left by the Tribeca
Regardless of what the new SUV is named, it will be built right here in the United States at Subaru of Indiana (SIA) in Lafayette. The unnamed three-row crossover will join the Legacy, the Outback, and the upcoming Impreza compact sedan and 5-door model, which will begin production at SIA late next year.
By the end of 2015, SIA is projected to have built 228,000 units. The addition of the updated Impreza, which ushers in Subaru’s new global architecture, and the mystery seven-seater SUV will catapult that number to at least 394,000 in future years.
That means good things for Lafayette. Not only will jobs be added to the plant, but suppliers will also grow with the increased demand, making this a strong investment in the community.
Funny how Subaru can commit to spending millions of dollars on production, but deciding on a name is so damn difficult. Just name it Sojourn, Subaru. Just name it Sojourn.
Timothy Moore takes his leadership inspiration from Michael Scott, his writing inspiration from Mark Twain, and his dancing inspiration from every drunk white guy at a wedding. When Tim is not writing about cars and money, he’s working on his novel or reading someone else’s, geeking out over strategy board games, hiking with his pooch, or channeling his inner Linda Belcher over beers with his friends. See more articles by Timothy.