And even before this woman at the gas station had me questioning my own vehicular design tastes, I was starting to find
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| I was starting to find the Tribeca's front end styling was growing on me, but mind you some of my colleagues think I'm nuts to admit it. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
the Tribeca's front end styling, that incidentally is supposed to depict an airplane fuselage and wings in tribute to Subaru/Fuji's history in aviation, was growing on me, but mind you some of my colleagues think I'm nuts to admit it. One such employee said that he could see GM's influence over Subaru coming through in the new crossover, as it mirrors the outgoing Pontiac Aztek. Them's fightin' words among Subaru faithful, no doubt, but on closer inspection of its tall, snub-like nose, headlight clusters which sit atop the fenders, and horizontal secondary grilles, I can see what he means. And my colleague is not alone. There are online forums dedicated to this very subject, with most scribes saying that they think the Tribeca looks better. Although I never hated the Aztek's front end design like some others, but rather felt that its tail end was the most awkward angle, agree with those that feel
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| I'm a little peeved at Subaru for making the Tribeca's rear end look so similar to that of one of my favourite carmakers, Alfa Romeo. (Photo: Alfa Romeo) |
that the Tribeca looks better than the ill-fated Pontiac. Unlike the Aztek, the rear end is one side that Subaru's design team got right. But while I'm a big fan of the Tribeca's rear styling, I'm a little peeved at Subaru for making it look so similar to that of my favourite carmakers, Alfa Romeo. While an argument could be made for it not being Subaru's fault entirely, as the man behind the Tribeca's exterior design, and also the chief designer for Subaru at Fuji Heavy Industries Tokyo Studio, is none other than Andreas Zapatinas, an ex-Alfa designer who was at least partially responsible for the Fiat-owned Italian brand's stylish new duds. Still, someone high up the food chain was willing to sign off on a design that looks a great deal like an Alfa Romeo 147 from the hind end and side profile.
