The Tribeca features a full load of safety equipment too, including standard side-impact airbags and side-curtain airbags,
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| Subaru's crossover offers traction and electronic stability control standard. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
plus electronic brake force distribution enhanced antilock brakes. Subaru claims that the front-end structure disperses collision energy in three directions through a design that forms a series of "rings" around the passenger compartment, making it an extremely safe vehicle. Subaru's crossover also offers traction and electronic stability control standard, the latter a feature not even offered with the Pacifica. The Freestyle, mind you, includes this feature standard too, as does the sub-$20K
Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage duo. In other words, expect this feature on any new sport utility or crossover vehicle, as well as the next-generation Pacifica.
In the end, am I a fan of Subaru's B9 Tribeca or not? At first glance it wouldn't take any gifts of discernment to figure out my feelings. While a solid first effort, it isn't the be all and end all of crossover SUVs. Still, none in this segment hits every mark perfectly, which translated means that
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| While a solid first effort, the Tribeca isn't the be all and end all of crossover SUVs. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
the Tribeca should work for most people, most of the time. Still, styling aside it clearly isn't anything new in the crossover segment, despite the colourful TV ads saying different, and to that end there isn't much wrong with those already battling it out, therefore nothing new is not necessarily a bad thing.
How will it do? I think that its unorthodox styling will inure it to some and repel it from others, which I can only guess is exactly what Subaru was planning to do when it signed off on the styling buck. The interior should attract more than it offends, especially when quality is the determining factor, and with that in mind Subaru's stellar reliability rating should give their new crossover the upper hand when comparing it to some rivals.
