The Subaru Ascent And The Revealing Untold Story

May's sales performance of the Subaru Ascent midsize 3-Row SUV declined again. The family hauler has declined for eleven consecutive months. Is Subaru of America (SOA) worried? They aren't concerned at all, and I'll explain why. But first, here is where the Ascent is now. 

Subaru of America reports that the 2024 Ascent's May sales decreased by 18.9 percent compared with the same month in 2023. SOA delivered 5,277 models to customers in May, compared with 6,505 in May 2023. In the first four months of 2024, 22,935 Ascent models were delivered to customers, down 15.8 percent.

Still, the Ascent midsize SUV remains SOA's fourth best-selling model. Read my Ascent performance report here.

Where Is The Ascent Going?

The Ascent is now in its sixth year of its life cycle, and it's due for a complete remodel. Unless Subaru throws a curve ball, the 2025 Ascent should get a redesign from the ground up. Subaru has been silent as usual on the upcoming Ascent changes. I expect Subaru to give an announcement this fall. Find out more in my report here. 

In a recent interview, WardsAuto Podcast Host David Kiley talked with Jeff Walters, Subaru of America's President and COO. Walters wasn't silent on the Ascent 3-Row family hauler's issues. Here are excerpts from that revealing interview. 

An Interview With The New Boss

David Kiley asks Walters, "Last year, the Ascent, which replaced the Tribeca, you did about 60,000 in sales. It was about the same as the year before. Is that a number that Subaru likes for that model, or is it maybe underperforming? Is it meeting expectations?" 

How Do You View The Ascent?

"Let me answer that question by talking about value. With selling cars, including the Ascent, at the right value, the way we want to make it work at Subaru, you want to have the right product for the segment and your customers. You need to price it correctly. We strive to do that so we have the right value." 

"But it's not as simple as that. You need to have good discipline. I appreciate the good conversations we can have with our partners and colleagues back in Japan to ensure we have the right strategy and are approaching our business in a sustainable way that provides that value." 

We Are Reasonable With The Number We Build

"So it's the right product at the right price, and we try to be reasonable regarding (manufacturer) incentives for the customer. We are reasonable with the number that we are going to build. If we get anything out of sync, that's when you'll run into problems."  

"Then we have to resort to incentives we don't want to use, we have to fleet the car, and we hurt our retailer's profitability, and many things start to break. So, we talk about sales value, which is a part of the process. That's what we spend a lot of time thinking about." 

"And that goes back to the Ascent. Where we want to position and come to market with it and make it work for everyone, that's the right value for that car." 

Is The Ascent In Trouble?

David Kiley: "I thought that the Ascent was meant to give you greater incremental sales because it's a new segment for the showroom. Higher than 60,000 in sales, but you are telling us that you think that's the right number in terms of the marketplace to keep pricing, profit, and resale value, right?"  

"That's right. The Ascent keeps people in the brand when they need a larger vehicle. Customers who have younger children now have nowhere to go. Ascent was really meant to keep them in the Subaru brand. And then once their children are grown, they return to an Outback," says Walters. 

In the same interview, Jeff Walters provided more insights into Subaru's new strategy for its new all-electric vehicles. 

See why Subaru's new president and COO say it's on a new smart path and strives to be a quick follower. Learn more about Subaru Changes Its EV Strategy: Are They Smarter Than Everyone Else? In my report here. 

Shoppers looking at the 2024 Ascent can check pricing.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent has six trim levels: the base trim starts at $35,490, and the Premium trims begin at $38,090. The Ascent Onyx Edition starts at $42,890, the upper Limited starts at $43,190, the Ascent Onyx Edition Limited is priced at $47,890, and the top-trim Touring has a starting MSRP of $49,790. Pricing includes destination and delivery fees ($1,295).

You can find more information on SOA's Ascent online tool, where you can check each trim level with standard features, color selection, packages, accessories, and images of each 2024 model change. Check here for my online configurator tool report. 

I would say the Ascent is an excellent vehicle for Subaru's most active customers. It has the automaker's Symmetrical all-wheel-drive for all-weather performance and X-Mode and dual-function X-Mode for extreme weather and all-terrain performance.

This is the latest information on the Subaru Ascent. Are you shopping for a 3-Row SUV? What do you like about the Ascent? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

I am Denis Flierl, a top Torque News reporter since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am 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: Competition Subaru