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By
EWAN KENNEDY
26 March 2007
Though Subaru has been designing 4WD vehicles for generations,
the Tribeca is the Japanese company’s first foray into the
fast-growing seven-seater field.
It comes with radical styling that initially didn’t suit all
tastes, though with time on the market many people are starting to
appreciate what the designers are aiming to achieve.
If you think the exterior is radical in appearance, the cabin
is something else again, particularly the dash area. The front
seating area is divided by a sweeping centre console, to the
extent that it almost becomes two separate cockpits rather than a
single area. We really like this design and found that, despite
first appearances, there's still plenty of room for a pair of
wider than average people.
Though the fitment of seven seats is arguably the biggest
selling point of Tribeca, you can also buy it with five seats.
There is good seating for those in the front two seat rows, but
the back seat is strictly for kids or adults who were otherwise
going to be stranded without a lift.
Tribeca's centre row of seats can slide forward to gain more
legroom for the rearmost seat and/or luggage. Folding flat all
seats behind the front buckets gives a huge load area, and doing
so is much simpler than in most other vehicles. Boot space is at a
premium if all the seats are in use, but we have seen much worse.
Versatility is excellent and the Tribeca has no fewer than 64
luggage/passenger combinations on offer.
The 3.0-litre flat-six engine used in the Tribeca is virtually
the same format as in Subaru's Outback. Torque output is
impressive, with the engineers almost managing the hard task of
achieving 100 Newton metres per litre. However, the torque peak
doesn’t come until the engine is spinning at 4200 rpm. So the
five-speed automatic transmission is pretty busy at times to keep
almost two tonnes of SUV moving well in hilly country.
Subaru is a past master at all-wheel-drive systems and there
are electronic stability devices to assist on slippery surfaces
and/or when the driver makes a mistake. Testing in the USA has
shown the Tribeca to have greater resistance to rolling over than
any SUV tested to date.
When we test drove Tribeca at the time of its introduction to
the press last November we commented that it felt down on
performance. On our latest test in February we had a car with
close to 7000 kilometres on the clock, it had noticeably freed up
and, while still no ball of fire, certainly felt better than the
presumably tight car we first sampled.
Having said that, another half litre or so in the engine
department would make Tribeca a real winner.
Fuel consumption depends very much on how the car is driven.
Push a Tribeca hard and it’s liable to use as much as 15 to 17
litres per hundred kilometres in suburban and/or hilly country
conditions. More moderate drivers can pull this down to 12 to 14
litres per hundred. Easy motorway running can see it come under 10
litres.
Subaru Tribeca isn’t intended to be a heavy-duty, off-road
vehicle, rather it’s an on-road SUV that provides good traction
on dirt and muddy roads. But the 215 mm ground clearance is better
suited to harsh outback roads than that of many in this class.
Tribeca has impressive levels of refinement and comfort. Though
aimed at the American market, a considerable amount of testing was
done in Australia and the dynamics have been sharpened up to suit
local drivers’ demands.
Road grip is high and handling is predictable, but this is a
heavy vehicle with a relatively high centre of gravity so you
couldn’t really describe it as nimble. But as a people mover it’s
more than adequate in the way it performs in bends.
Thus, after some initial criticisms of the styling, sales of
the Tribeca are starting to take off in Australia. Which is not
really a surprise because there are many loyal Subaru buyers out
there who have been waiting for a vehicle just like this.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Tribeca 3.0R 3.0-litre five-door five-seat wagon - $53,990
Tribeca 3.0R 3.0-litre five-door seven-seat wagon - $55,990
Tribeca 3.0R Premium 3.0-litre five-door five-seat wagon - $58,990
Tribeca 3.0R Premium 3.0-litre five-door seven-seat wagon -
$60,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Standard
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Driver Airbag: Standard
Passenger Airbag: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Subaru Tribeca 3.0R 3.0-litre five-door
five-seat wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 3.000 litres
Configuration: Six cylinders horizontally opposed
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore/Stroke: 89.2 x 80.0mm
Maximum Power: 180 kW @ 6600 rpm
Maximum Torque: 297 Nm @ 4200 rpm
DRIVELINE:
4WD Type: Full-time
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Five-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4855mm
Wheelbase: 2750mm
Width: 1880mm
Height: 1685mm
Turning Circle: 11.4 metres
Kerb Mass: 1895kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 64 litres
Towing Ability: 700kg (2000kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, lower L-arms,
coil springs, gas dampers, anti-roll bar.
Rear Suspension: Independent, Double wishbones, coil springs,
anti-roll bar.
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 9.8 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 17.5 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 95RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 12.4 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
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Marque Publishing Company
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