All Bets Are Off With The New Subaru Ascent

Are you looking for a 3-Row SUV that will handle extreme weather? 

Subaru of America announced it will offer two new Ascent trim levels for the updated 2025 model year. They have arrived. Here are the latest details. Also, check out the new Ascent configurator tool here to build your model before you visit the dealer. 

First, Subaru drops the Ascent Base trim level. 

Subaru says, "With the elimination of the Base Trim Level and the addition of standard features to Premium Trim, the year-over-year price increase for comparable content is just $340."

The Ascent Premium trim has new features and is now the entry trim level.

For 2025, the Ascent Premium now has a standard "Convenience Package," which has been repositioned in the lineup. Here's what the Premium trim comes with now. 

• 5,000 pounds towing capacity
• Subaru Starlink Safety and Security
• All-Weather Package
• Power Rear Gate
• Reverse Automatic Braking
• Second-row bench seat

Subaru has introduced two exclusive new trim levels for customers—the new Ascent Bronze Edition 7-Passenger 3-Row SUV and the new Onyx Edition Touring 7-Passenger 3-Row SUV.

Bronze Edition details. 

Priced at $48,415 (including destination and delivery), the new Bronze Edition builds on the 7-passenger Limited trim and adds an exclusive bronze finish to the side cladding, front intake cover, and 20-inch alloy wheels. 

On the inside, the seats are wrapped in black StarTex water-repellant material and contrasting bronze color stitching throughout the cabin. The heated leather-wrapped steering wheel has bronze stitching and a center-spoke insert in bronze finish.  

Ascent Onyx Edition Touring details 

Priced at $51,415 (including destination and delivery), the Onyx Edition Touring includes all the features from the Touring and adds the unique exterior and interior elements and 20-inch alloy wheels from the standard Onyx Edition.  

Exclusive to the Onyx Edition Touring is the Nappa leather-appointed power, ventilated front seats in black with silver stitching, and the high-grade leather-wrapped heated steering wheel in black with green stitching. 

The 2025 Ascent will also be available in Onyx Edition and Limited trims levels.  Here is the new 2025 Subaru Ascent pricing.

The Ascent Premium starts at $40,215, Onyx Edition ($43,615), Limited ($47,415), Bronze Edition ($48,415), Touring ($50,415), and Onyx Edition Touring ($51,415). Pricing includes destination and delivery ($1,420).

All bets are off. You may want to wait another year.

With the presidential election, overall, bets are off with what Subaru of America will do now. Subaru is now at a crossroads with the Ascent 3-Row family hauler. If you are a regular reader of my reports, you know that significant and exciting changes are on the horizon.

Subaru of America has yet to announce the 2026 Ascent changes, but three things could happen.

There could be an all-new Ascent EV.

Subaru may bid farewell to the current Ascent family hauler, but the future holds promise. A new electric 3-Row SUV is on the horizon for North American customers, expected to debut in late 2026. With its eco-friendly design, this new model is set to redefine Subaru's 3-Row SUV segment. 

Automotive News (by subscription) says, "Subaru's 3-Row SUV would have been due for a redesign in the second half of 2024, but work on the makeover has been delayed to determine what emissions standards in the U.S. will be over the next four years. The gasoline-powered three-row may be replaced in the lineup by the three-row EV built in Kentucky by Toyota, or it may follow the Forester and Outback and remain for another generation, with an optional hybrid powertrain."

Subaru's other options.

Subaru of America could drop the Ascent with the 2.4-liter turbocharged gas-powered Boxer engine, and its nameplate will become an all-new electric vehicle. If the current model is redesigned, it will get a new fuel-efficient hybrid trim level, following in the footsteps of the all-new Forester, Crosstrek, and Outback hybrids. You'll find my report here.

This new hybrid powertrain is expected to be more fuel-efficient, significantly reducing Ascent's carbon footprint. It's a promising step towards a more sustainable future for the Ascent 3-Row SUV.

The 2025 Ascent is now arriving in Subaru showrooms. 

What will you do if you are considering a 3-Row SUV?

Will you buy the 2025 Ascent 3-Row SUV with a gas engine or wait for a new Hybrid model? Would you consider an all-new electric Ascent? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

I am Denis Flierl, Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. Before test-driving new vehicles in 2001 as a freelance journalist, I invested 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am also an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Competition Subaru