Revived Subaru Tribeca Hypothetically Lands on Top of the Automaker's SUV Lineup

However, that was only valid for the original model from 2005. After the 2007 model year, things looked a lot better due to a revised front fascia. Subaru's Tribeca then started gaining enough charm to make customers fall in love with the mid-size crossover SUV named after the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City. Throughout its lifespan, it was produced on the Subaru Legacy architecture in five and seven-seat configurations – the Lafayette, Indiana (SIA) factory also equipped the top SUV of the Subaru family with a 3.0-liter boxer-six engine and a larger 3.6-liter after the facelift.

Following its demise in 2014, the Subaru Exiga took its place in Southeast Asia and Australia, while the Ascent, launched in 2018, became its rightful heir in North America. Speaking of the US market, Subaru currently sells the small BRZ and slightly larger WRX sports cars, the Impreza and Legacy passenger cars, and the Solterra, Crosstrek, Forester, Outback, and Ascent as crossover SUVs.

Basically, the Japanese automaker covers well the low and middle ground – but there's no flagship or halo model at play. For sure, the Tribeca was never intended as a halo nameplate, but its flagship duties could not be denied. As such, it is no wonder some people are actively wondering what would happen if the Tribeca came back to life and assumed the top SUV position once again.

Some even decided to take matters into their own hands if the carmaker didn't seem to budge. Or rather, at the tip of their CGI brushes, as we are dealing with the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. More precisely, Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has taken up the task of revealing the reborn Tribeca as Subaru's next flagship crossover SUV.

The unofficial design – which should be taken with a healthy dose of salt as it's probably merely wishful thinking on the artist's behalf – is quite sensible in further expanding Subaru's current design language seen on models like the Ascent or the thoroughly redesigned 2025 Forester. All in all, it's not a bad attempt at a new flagship SUV from Subaru – one that could easily duke it out with the new Mazda CX-90, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder, or Toyota Grand Highlander if equipped with three rows of seats.

As for powertrains, Subaru could easily enlist the help of its partner Toyota – and maybe should also think about making this Tribeca revival an electrified model with hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. So, what do you think?