Given how Subaru’s solid reputation is built on assets such as reliabilitly, practicality and AWD, a pickup truck wearing this badge sound like a logical proposal. And since the Japanese automaker’s range hasn’t included such a machine in quite a while, this digital proposal builds a truck out of the Ascent crossover.
Choosing the Ascent, which is labeled as a mid-size crossover, as a base for this pixel build seems like the best way to build on an existing model. And that’s because this is the largest vehicle the company has ever built , and it can seat up to eight people.
However, when translated into the pickup truck world, the Ascent’s 113.8 in (2,891 mm) wheelbase and 196.8 in (4,999 mm) length mean it would become a compact rather than a mid-size truck. And this would involve joining a segment that’s currently experiencing a a boom thanks to the Ford Maverick (expect an onslaught of custom Mavericks at SEMA) and the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
Having listed some reasons that drove digital artist known as Theottle to use the Ascent as a starting point for a Subaru truck, a real-world effort from the carmaker would probably use a differnt path.
Subaru could work with Toyota to reenter the truck market
You see, Subaru has joined forces with Toyota to release multiple siblings, from the BRZ/GR86 sports cars to the Solterra (Subaru’s first EV)/ bZ4X crossovers. For the record, while Toyota is preparing to introduce the next generation of its Tacoma mid-size truck, which will come as a 2024 model, there have been no rumors of a Subaru iteration.
As die-hard Subaru fans will tell you, the carmaker does have a history of compact trucks. It all started with the US-driven Brat, an UTE (coupe utility) the company built between 1978 and 1994. This two-door was followed by the Baja four-door (2003-2006).
Based on the Legacy/Outback wagon, the Baja fell below its sales targets, with just 30,000 units finding homes. Couple that with the fact that the popularity of sub-full-size trucks in the US only recently started to grow, and you’ll see why Subaru abandoned this market.
However, as more and more EVs show up, reshaping the market, we could see the Japanese company returning to the pickup truck world. Meanwhile, you can check out the Ascent receiving a virtual bed—with a bit of Maverick help—in the YouTube clip below.
