Tribeca SUV could boost Subaru´s UK sales
Author: Miles Better News Agency
Published: 08 August 2006
Subaru’s UK sales in the UK are in need of a lift following a near 50 per cent decline in July and down 23 per cent for the first seven months of this year. Given that the overall new car market is down overall by 4.20 per cent Subaru is under achieving. This is partly due to the fact that Subaru predominately sell their Impreza, Forester Legacy and Outback models in the private buyer sector that has been hit hardest by the downturn in the UK market. The lack of any diesel engine options for their models does not make them appealing to heavily taxed business users and company car buyers. Sales of diesel models now account for 39 per cent overall of all new cars sold and over 60 per cent of company car users choose diesel models. Even private retail customers are moving more to diesel as shown by an increase of 5.2 per cent in sales so far this year according to figures released by the SMMT last Friday. A new generation of Subaru with an up-market look hits showrooms in November but still there is no option of a diesel engine, ‘a must’ in the large SUV market place. Tribeca is entering the luxury SUV sector against the Nissan Murano, Volvo XC90 and BMW X5 which were its respective targets for value, roominess and sportiness. The company which popularised small four wheel drive estates is now taking on the luxury end of the market with an SUV which can trace its DNA to that early series of estate cars of 25 years ago. Its strongest links are a horizontally opposed 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine and asymmetrical permanent four-wheel drive. Subaru UK managing director Peter Kinnaird said last week at the media launch of the new model, “Our dealers are very enthusiastic about the car and believe it will sell in reasonable numbers. “It is an important car for us because it builds on our core values while taking us into a new sector of the market with a product we feel is going to be very competitive and attractive.” There will be three versions of Tribeca available, the S5, SE5 and SE7, priced from £28,995 to £33,995 and as their names suggest, a choice of five or seven seats and two trim levels. They all have the same 245 PS 3.0-litre petrol engine, Pro-drive developed sequential five-speed transmission, fully independent suspension and advanced electronic braking and handling systems. Built and on sale in America, Tribeca has undergone further dynamic refinements for Europe and the UK to optimise the handling and towing ability is now 2.5-tonnes said Subaru. Equipment levels are high with the top versions getting satellite navigation, reversing camera and rear seat entertainment systems. The most popular version in the UK is expected to be the SE5 mid-range derivative. Since Subaru said it would introduce the car to Britain it has received 1,200 requests for further information and it is confident of selling 300 this year, possibly over 1,000 units in a full year and worldwide as many as 9,000 Tribeca models are expected to be on the roads by the end of 2006.
Subaru said much of the attraction for the Tribeca would be down to the very modern interior that sets the tone for future Subaru models. This styling includes a sweeping centre console that carries most of the secondary controls and electro-luminescent gauges in the on-board computer. The five-door body is designed to give good access, comfortable seats and an absorbent ride. Initial comments from the media feel the legroom is not as good as the head or shoulder space and if customers choose the seven-seat version the nominal luggage space is small. The rearmost seats quickly fold down to dramatically increase capacity and with the middle row folded it provides a large luggage capacity. With no Tribeca due in showrooms before November, two months after the 56-plate introduction and with the Land Rover Freelander 2 due about the same time, Subaru has not done itself any favours, least of all by not putting a diesel engine into the line-up.
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