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Would you buy a Subaru pickup if it were offered by the Japanese automaker? Now would be a great time for Subaru to offer it. Pickup trucks outsold passenger cars in America for the first time ever and Subaru would be in a great position to cash in if they would build one. It’s been one of the hottest segments for automakers and it’s our guess it would sell well like the brand’s new Ascent family hauler. The new 3-Row SUV has done better than expected. So would a new Subaru pickup.
Subaru needs to build a mid-size pickup to compete with the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Nissan Frontier. The brand’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system would be perfect for a pickup and would likely be a big hit with truck buyers who want to go off-road. Subaru has two options, but one is best.
A Crosstrek-Baja would be too small for the North American market
The new Subaru Global Platform would allow the Japanese automaker to use the bigger Ascent platform, or use the smaller Crosstrek architecture as a blueprint. We think the Crosstrek-Baja would be too small and the mid-size Ascent-Baja would be the sweet spot.
Remember the Subaru Baja compact pickup? The Baja was the spiritual successor to the smaller Brat pickup, and like the Brat, Baja was based on Subaru’s wagon platform. But Baja had some serious issues. The Baja was too small, and only a small portion of the rear bulkhead (the mid-gate) folded for cargo. The bed was small, and the ride height was only 8.4-inches.
Subaru Baja was a good idea but it had flaws
A mid-size Ascent-Baja pickup would be a great addition to Subaru’s AWD lineup and it wouldn’t be hard for the automaker to design one. Like Baja that used Subaru’s wagon platform as the vehicle’s starting point, Subaru could use the new Ascent SUV as the mid-size truck’s launching platform. Cut off the back, make a few exterior design changes and you’ve got a good-looking 4-door Subaru all-wheel-drive truck for Americans.
It could be manufactured right alongside the new Ascent 3-Row family hauler in Lafayette, Indiana with its new 2.4-liter direct-injection four-cylinder boxer engine for power. The Ascent-Baja would sit higher off the ground with at least 8.7-inches of ground clearance and could also be offered as a Sport trim with a raised suspension.
Subaru needs an Ascent-Baja mid-size pickup
An all-new Ascent-Baja pickup would be right in Subaru’s wheelhouse of niche all-wheel-drive models and appeal to tens of thousands of truck buyers. A Crosstrek-Baja pickup would be too small for the North American market, but the larger Ascent platform would give Subaru a truck to compete in the hot mid-size pickup segment with the Tacoma, Frontier, Colorado, and Canyon. It would be the sweet spot for Subaru. Would you buy a Subaru pickup if it were offered by the Japanese automaker?
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his reports are archived on our Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Subaru Report. Check back tomorrow for more Subaru news and updates at Torque News!
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Comments
Subaru should get with Toyota
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Subaru should get with Toyota and design a Subaru pick up truck from the Toyota Tacoma frame (ladder frame is much stronger then a unibody frame)
Please Subaru, build a new
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Please Subaru, build a new Baja as it was but maybe hybrid or electric. If you built even a the same thing as 2006 I would buy it!
I had a beat in high school,
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I had a beat in high school, and loved it. Tried a BAJA once, but it had a hell of a time pulling my 18 foot fiberglass boat out of the lake and up the ramp. Ended up putting the boat back in the water, then ratchet strapping my trailer to the front bumper and pulling the boat out backwards.
But a BAJA on the ACSENT DRIVETRAIN looks & sounds like it would do the trick. Would be a good truck, with great mileage. Better than the 4WD RANGER I then bought to pull my boat. I fish from my boat until the ice stops me, and as soon as the ice turns to shake, I am back on the water. Usually, the boat ramps are still ice covered, and I use chains on all 4 tires when launching and shoring the boat.
NO !!!!!!!!!!! WANT A SMALL
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NO !!!!!!!!!!! WANT A SMALL PICK UP....MID SIZE ARE TOO EXSPENSIVE,,,BRING BACK THE BAJA PLEASE ,
There are no competitors
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There are no competitors except upcoming Ford Mavericks with smaller trucks. We need those. There is a reason Baja and Tacoma prises are going UP not down for older models. Subaru needs a Legacy/Outback chassis sized truck not one the size of a Tundra...to make money you find a need with no solution. Then you steal the market.
Well?
8th subaru 2nd baja owner speaking here. And I've had a Taco. And a z71. Trust me we need a 2002 sized midsize truck, not a 2020 sized "midsize".
For gods sakes the new Ranger is bigger than my 1975 F100 big block long wheel base. That's not a midsize truck!
My next vehicle is going to
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My next vehicle is going to be a Subaru. This pick up would be awesome. I would definitely get one.
When the Baja first came out
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When the Baja first came out in 2003 I bought one. I loved it despite the fact it was a little underpowered. In 2005 I was at the dealer getting mine serviced when I saw a 2005 turbo in the showroom. Since I had an hour to wait, I asked the salesman to allow me to take one out for a test drive. I fell in love and traded mine in on the spot. The service on the 2003 wasn't even completed yet!
That little turbo-charged truck was powerful for its size and had exceptional handling - I even spanked a WRX Sti driver over a hundred miles of mountain roads in Oregon once. The guy was amazed that the truck could handle as well as his designed-to-rally car and he was embarrassed that he got beat by an old dude in a pickup truck.
I drove that car for the next ten years without any issues, doing only normal maintenance and tire and brake changes. Then I got rear-ended on the interstate. Because the model had been discontinued, the insurance company refused to rebuild it. I've waited patiently for years for Subaru to offer another pickup. In the meantime, I bought a used 2003. I like it, but, as I said above, it's underpowered. I'm eager to see a new pickup from Subaru with the performance and handling that the 2005-2006 Baja had. A little more cargo space in the bed would be great, but not a deal breaker for me because I found the bed size of the 2003 - 2006 Baja adequate for just about anything I needed to carry. In the one or two instances where I needed a truck to haul something larger, I just went down to a truck rental and rented their $19 a day special to get the job done. That's a whole lot simpler than buying a larger truck that would have reduced usable space in the garage. If/when Subaru comes out with a new truck, I'll probably be the first one standing in line at the dealership to try it out. If it turns out to be anywhere near what my Turbo Baja had been, I'll be a buyer.
When the Baja first came out
Permalink
When the Baja first came out in 2003 I bought one. I loved it despite the fact it was a little underpowered. In 2005 I was at the dealer getting mine serviced when I saw a 2005 turbo in the showroom. Since I had an hour to wait, I asked the salesman to allow me to take one out for a test drive. I fell in love and traded mine in on the spot. The service on the 2003 wasn't even completed yet!
That little turbo-charged truck was powerful for its size and had exceptional handling - I even spanked a WRX Sti driver over a hundred miles of mountain roads in Oregon once. The guy was amazed that the truck could handle as well as his designed-to-rally car and he was embarrassed that he got beat by an old dude in a pickup truck.
I drove that car for the next ten years without any issues, doing only normal maintenance and tire and brake changes. Then I got rear-ended on the interstate. Because the model had been discontinued, the insurance company refused to rebuild it. I've waited patiently for years for Subaru to offer another pickup. In the meantime, I bought a used 2003. I like it, but, as I said above, it's underpowered. I'm eager to see a new pickup from Subaru with the performance and handling that the 2005-2006 Baja had. A little more cargo space in the bed would be great, but not a deal breaker for me because I found the bed size of the 2003 - 2006 Baja adequate for just about anything I needed to carry. In the one or two instances where I needed a truck to haul something larger, I just went down to a truck rental and rented their $19 a day special to get the job done. That's a whole lot simpler than buying a larger truck that would have reduced usable space in the garage. If/when Subaru comes out with a new truck, I'll probably be the first one standing in line at the dealership to try it out. If it turns out to be anywhere near what my Turbo Baja had been, I'll be a buyer.
Yes get rid of the CVT they
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Yes get rid of the CVT they suck! Dual range tranny would be nice.I'm currently on my 3rd Baja,ive owned more subaru's than any other make.I won't buy any make with a CVT their Junk!
I would buy it if you could
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I would buy it if you could put it into 'real 4WD' mode or something. And if it had a rear locker option. It would also be great if they had a 6cyl option. Or maybe a diesel option. Something without the turbo that requires high-grade fuel but can provide the power required for trails.
It also should have an option for a separate transmission cooler. Yeah, the lower model would be fine for around town, especially in the colder climates. But offering something more for the off-road community could be intriguing.
I own a 2004 Baja and love
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I own a 2004 Baja and love everything about it since I always owned compact cars and needed a pickup truck, but all the others were too big for me, and this was a perfect size. I added a lid to the bed and was unable to open it because an item got stuck so I could not open the lid. Thank goodness there was a door back of the backseat that I could crawl throught to release the item so I could open the lid. Also am able to pass long ite.ms through this door.
I have had many offers to sell my car,. I hope this is my forever car as I have loaded my Baja several times with cement pavers, bulk items fromhardware stores and large box stores.
Bringing back a mini truck like Baja would be a great seller for women and shorter people because of its size that is not too low or too high to enter the car. Also, the style is unique and stylish like a high-end car. It looks sporty, and yet looks like a car, so I call it my CA-TRUCK when people first saw my BAJA. I still don't know whether to call it a car or a truck!
The Mid-gate, albeit a…
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The Mid-gate, albeit a little larger, and the fold out license plate are my two favorite features on my current. Baja would buy this truck ASAP if they designed it well and had a few of the features that we Baja drivers love, including the great payload and towing weight.
Why do dumb magazines and…
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Why do dumb magazines and manufactures assume that everyone in this country wants large trucks? Just loom at the Ford Maverick, huge success for Ford and is no where near a large truck. A lot of people ai’ve spoken to have told me that they would love a compact pick up truck. In size similar to the ones we had in the 80’s. I know many people who own businesses and they have told me that a compact truck would hit the sweet spot for them. Large trucks are way too expensive to buy and insure (due to their cost), fuel burners, and larger than needed. I remember when trucks used to he the cheapest type of car you could buy. In the 80’s a compact pick up truck started around 7-10k. And they sold a lot. But I get it, US auto makers won’t produce compact pick up trucks because it will hurt the sales of their full size trucks. Like I said, people
Want a compact truck, if they started producing them, why pay the outrageous prices of large trucks if you could get a compact for much less? I’ve been wanting a truck a about 20 years, but I am NOT willing to pay the greedy amount of money manufactures are asking for them.