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2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca Crossover Test Drive and Review

From Colin Hefferon

2 of 5

First Glance at the 2006 B9 Tribeca

Subaru B9 Tribeca

photo by Colin Hefferon
This one will definitely catch your eye. The design is definitely not your mainstream Japanese. This is probably because Subaru hired Andreas Zapatinas who had been with Italian icon Alfa Romeo to head up its design team. His first project was an entire new front fascia for the Impreza line and for the Tribeca. In fact, the grill is not the only part of the Tribeca that appears to have benefited from Andreas’ Mediterranean touch. Personally, I think the entire vehicle looks like it could be wearing an Alfa Romeo badge or perhaps the Renault/Citroen insignia.

Except if it were intended for any of those legendary Italian or French manufacturers' customer base, it would have had to be about 2/3 the current size and have a common-rail diesel as the base engine.

It just has that kind of style. Frankly, I can’t see a line I don’t like on the entire vehicle. Others, including my 20-something single female neighbor did. She thought it looked "like a station wagon." What??

Incidentally, the official line on the new 3-part grill is it celebrates parent Fuji Heavy Industries' 80+ years aircraft manufacturing heritage. The center, more upright part is supposed to represent a fuselage and the two side parts, the aircraft wings.

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