TOKYO -- Subaru says the new three-row crossover planned to enter production in 2018 will be bigger than the outgoing Tribeca crossover it is replacing in the U.S. lineup.
The new vehicle will be manufactured at Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc., the company’s assembly plant in Lafayette, Ind.
Subaru hasn’t disclosed a name, but it won’t be Tribeca. Instead, the crossover will likely carry a name “synonymous with outdoor adventure” in the vein of the Outback, Forester and Crosstrek crossovers, Subaru said Monday.
Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, president of Subaru-maker Fuji Heavy Industries, confirmed at the Tokyo auto show late last month that Subaru plans to produce its new seven-seat crossover in Indiana and that it will be sold only in North America.
Yoshinaga didn't give a volume projection.
When the B9 Tribeca debuted in 2005, Subaru of America expected annual sales of about 36,000 vehicles. But with its quirky name, looks and cramped rear seating, the crossover posted U.S. sales of 18,614 in 2006, its first full year, and only 1,598 in 2013.
Subaru later dropped B9 from the Tribeca name and the crossover went out of production in January 2014.
When output of the new crossover begins in 2018, Subaru will have four models produced in the U.S.
The nameplates include the Legacy, Outback, a new Impreza compact sedan and five-door model starting production in late 2016.
Subaru production in Indiana is projected to be approximately 228,000 units in 2015, and annual capacity is scheduled to grow to 394,000 with the addition of the Impreza, the company said.
Thomas Doll, President of Subaru of America, said the addition of the three-row crossover will help the red-hot brand keep its sales momentum. The company is on pace to book its seventh straight year of record U.S. sales in 2015.
