The Subaru Tribeca was a mid-size crossover made for the 2005 to 2014 model years. It was built on the Legacy platform with five or seven seats, was first sold as the B9 Tribeca, and was named after the Tribeca district of New York City.
Subaru Tribeca at a glance
| Maker | Subaru, built at Lafayette, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Model years | 2005–2014 |
| Class | mid-size crossover SUV |
| Platform | Subaru Legacy |
| Seats | five or seven |
| First shown | B9X at the South Florida Auto Show, 5 November 2004 |
| Engine 2005 | 3.0-litre EZ30 flat-six |
| Engine 2008 | 3.6-litre EZ36 flat-six, 256 hp |
| Gearbox | five-speed automatic |
| Not sold in | Japan |
| Saab version | 9-6X, cancelled in 2005 |
| Name change | B9 dropped for 2008 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Subaru Tribeca.
History of the Subaru Tribeca
Subaru presented the car as the B9X on 5 November 2004 at the South Florida Auto Show and renamed it the B9 Tribeca a month later after asking customers. The “B” stood for boxer and the number for its place in the range, a naming scheme Subaru planned to spread across its models; the Tribeca name was added to borrow the associations of the New York district. The world debut came at the North American International Auto Show in January 2005, with production at the Subaru of Indiana plant in Lafayette supplying the United States, Canada, Australia and Chile.
Controversial design
The first B9 Tribeca had a roughly triangular grille and a rounded body that echoed the Impreza and the Japanese R1 and R2 kei cars. The press was unkind — the Guardian called it “a bungalow-size, high-riding suburban 4×4” — and Subaru abandoned both the design language and the B naming scheme for later models. The grille and aviation theme had first appeared on the B11S and B9 Scrambler concepts by the Spanish studio Fuore Design, meant to recall Fuji Heavy Industries’ aircraft history, while Subaru designer Andreas Zapatinas and his team shaped the interior and dashboard.
Engines and updates
The car launched with the 3.0-litre EZ30 flat-six and a five-speed automatic. A light rework for 2007 brought a revised grille, struts, stabilizer bars and spring rates plus satellite radio and iPod connectors, and the 2008 model, shown at the New York auto show in April 2007, had a facelift and the larger 3.6-litre EZ36 flat-six with 256 hp. Subaru claimed 10 per cent better fuel economy on regular petrol, where the 2006 and 2007 cars needed premium. The B9 name was dropped in every market, the tail lamps were rounded, the hatch restyled and the rearmost side window reshaped, and the second row was redesigned for easier access to the third.
The Saab that never was
Saab, then owned by General Motors, planned to sell its own version as the 9-6X, to be built alongside the Tribeca in Indiana. The programme was cancelled in 2005 when GM sold its 20 per cent stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, part of which went to Toyota, and the 9-6X stayed hidden until a prototype went to the Saab museum in Trollhättan in 2011. Many of its exterior details, including the front wings, were used for the 2008 facelift. The Tribeca was sold in North America, Australasia, Europe, South America, South Africa, China, the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia, but never in Japan.
Design and features
- Legacy platform: car-based engineering in a mid-size crossover.
- Seven seats: five- and seven-seat layouts were offered.
- Flat-six engines: 3.0 litres at launch, 3.6 litres from 2008.
- 2008 facelift: new front end taken partly from the cancelled Saab 9-6X.
- American production: built at Subaru of Indiana in Lafayette.
Subaru Tribeca versions
- B9 Tribeca (2005–2007): 3.0-litre engine and the original triangular grille.
- Tribeca (2008–2014): facelifted car with the 3.6-litre engine.
- Base and Limited: the two North American trim levels.
- Special Edition (2007): mesh grille, satellite radio and unique wheels.
- Saab 9-6X: cancelled sister model.
The Tribeca was built on the Legacy platform and shared its role in the range with the Exiga, which replaced it in Japan. More Subarus are in the Subaru collection.
Video: Subaru Tribeca
Video by Motorvision Deutschland on YouTube.
Sources
- Subaru Tribeca, English Wikipedia: history, design, engines, markets
