Seems like if they’re going to do one, now is the time. Ford is killing it with the Maverick, and Hyundai has the Santa Cruz. Pickup trucks and SUVs are where it’s at. The market is ripe for a new Baja. Some sites suggest Subaru has already announced a pickup is coming but is that rumor or fact?
Maverick is in a different class than the Santa Cruz and Baja. The Santa Cruz isn’t selling, and the Baja didn’t sell at all (one regular MONTH of Outback sales exceeds ALL sales of the Baja for ALL years, sadly).
Sadly, no one wants a truck that size.
Some people suggest the Ascent should be used as a platform for a new Baja, but that won’t work either. The Ascent and Ascent concept are too small (for instance, it’s only 3″ longer than a Baja).
If Subaru were to succeed with a truck, it would have to be based off the decently larger VIZIV-7 concept. The VIZIV-7 is not the Ascent’s concept. The Ascent Concept is the Ascent’s concept. The VIZIV-7 was bigger in all the right ways, and would allow a full 48″ (a little wider) bed between the wheel wells, plus longer cargo/passenger areas.
| CAR | SIZE |
|---|---|
| VIZIV-7 | 204.7 inches (5.2 m) in length, 79.9 inches (2 m) in width and 72 inches (1.8 m) in height. Its wheelbase measures 117.7 inches (3 m), making the Viziv-7 some 15 inches (38 cm) longer than the current Outback. |
| Ascent and Ascent Concept | 196.8 inches in length and a wheelbase of 113.8 inches. It also impresses with its width of 85.7 inches (76 inches wide excluding mirrors), standing tall at 71.6 inches. |
The VIZIV-7 is:
- much taller: 8.3″ taller
- wider: 3.3″ wider meaning that it would increase from the Ascent’s 45″ interior width between the wheel wells, to 48.3″
- longer: 7.9″ longer
VIZIV-7 Concept
Ascent Concept
IS Subaru considering a truck?
That’s up to you – but, it won’t be a Baja/OB/Ascent/Santa Cruz sized one, since literally no one ever buys them. That’s not gonna happen.
But, if you all are looking for something Maverick/VIZIV-7 sized, or HEV or BEV, Subaru is listening, and you should let them know. Heck, I’ve enrolled some of you in owner research studies about this. 
