Subaru B9 Tribeca is anything but ‘benign’ for 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – Subaru may be establishing its own personal time-warp with the introduction of the B9 Tribeca, which is the largest SUV-type vehicle ever built by the company and is intended to parlay the historic aircraft tradition of Fuji Heavy Industries and the weirdly contracted name of a New York borough, and come out with its vehicle of the future.
Subaru has declared that the Tribeca will be the companyÂ’s flagship, retaining all the virtues that have made Subaru popular and adding to its reputation as a leader in all-wheel-drive vehicle production. After the Legacy, Outback, Impreza, and new WRX STi compact hot-rod, thatÂ’s saying something.
The name itself certainly draws attention. Tribeca comes from the New York City region so named as a compressed abbreviation from being “triangular†in shape and located “below†the “canal.†As for the B9 part of the name, it remains to be seen how prominent it will be, because at least a couple of journalists at the world introduction of the vehicle in San Francisco urged company officials of the needless risk of naming a bold new vehicle as the alpha-numeric equivalent of “benign.Ââ€
Despite being introduced at the Detroit auto show in early January, and because the Tribeca wonÂ’t be in showrooms until early summer, the media was asked to hold all driving impressions until June 1. So we will pretend we havenÂ’t driven the Tribeca yet, but the vehicle itself commands scrutiny anyway.
First, its looks. Subaru always had designed and built tough little all-wheel-drive vehicles that were a little on the eccentric side, until the 2005 Legacy and Outback – which are smoothly designed and very impressive, as well as being not eccentric. The Tribeca represents something of a return to eccentric, from a styling point at least. Unusual for certain, a little bizarre maybe – but definitely not benign.
From the side, the Tribeca looks a lot like the Acura MDX, or the Lexus RX330, or a little like the BMW X5. ThereÂ’s a good reason for that, because those are the three primary vehicles Subaru used as target benchmarks for design.
From the rear, the Tribeca retains that similarity, although its taillights are quite a bit higher, running along a beltline that circles the car and also is quite high, giving the vehicle a taller appearance than it needs. That, too, is by design. Tom Ishitobi, one of the design engineers on the project, said: “We got a lot of criticism that the Forester looked too low, so we moved the taillights and the beltline up higher on the Tribeca.Ââ€
It is from the front, though, that the Tribeca is most unusual. Looking straight on, there is a tall, slightly oval center grille, flanked by long, horizontal openings on either side. A few observers were sure that was to copy Alfa RomeoÂ’s corporate grille from sports cars long past, but thatÂ’s not true. The reality is that the front-end look is designed to resemble the fuselage and wings of an airplane coming at you, to reflect the aircraft heritage of Fuji Heavy Industries, SubaruÂ’s parent company.
A little investigation unearthed the facts that Fuji started building aircraft in the 1920s as Nakajina Aircraft company, located in Ota City, Gunma-Ken, Japan. The administration building at that facility is shaped like a capital “T†with a serif on the bottom, resembling the design of an airplane when viewed from above. Fuji still builds aircraft in that facility, including helicopters, a jet trainer, and smaller private planes. Fuji also contributes design and engineering to specific elements of Boeing’s 767 and 777 jets.
At any rate, the front view is a stylized view of some of the early aircraft, and it makes a memorable impression to any observer.
Andreas Zapatinas came on board as chief designer of the Tribeca, but that was after the exterior was already designed, so his contribution is mainly to the interior. And the interior is stunning, mostly resembling the very impressive curves and cockpit-style layout of the Infiniti M45 in the way it curves around the instruments to the center stack, then back up on the passenger side.
Inside, the Tribeca is the first Subaru that can carry seven occupants, although it can be bought without the two-seat third bench. The split second row and the third row can all fold flat for stowage, as can the right front bucket for hauling extremely long objects.
Personally, I question SubaruÂ’s history as an SUV maker. True, Subaru wagons preceded the trend toward all-wheel-drive family trucksters, but theyÂ’ve always been flexible, utilitarian all-wheel-drive vehicles and wagons. When the SUV craze took over its dominant role, Subaru understandably tried to buy into it, but to me, they were never considered SUVs.
Subaru claims the Tribeca is a “crossover SUV,†but I question that, also, because to cross over, a company generally combines a truck-like SUV with a sedan or wagon, coming up with a compromise, which is so popular these days. Subaru didn’t have a larger SUV to use for the top end of the crossover, so the Tribeca, instead, comes closest to being a full-fledged midsize SUV.
It is based on an enlarged platform from the Legacy and Outback, longer in wheelbase, length and wider in track, and its body structure is strengthened for a 22-percent improvement in torsional rigidity and 55-percent increase in bending stiffness compared to the Legacy/Outback.
Ground clearance is 8.4 inches – greater than the Explorer, for example – and an new suspension system has a strut-style front and double-wishbone rear.
The engine is a 250-horsepower derivative of the six-cylinder flat-opposed “boxer†engine from the WRX STi, peaking at 6,600 RPMs, and torque is 219 foot-pounds at a 4,200-RPM peak. A five-speed automatic is the only transmission, and the symmetric all-wheel-drive system divides 45 percent of power to the front and 55 percent to the rear, adjusting to driving conditions from there.
Vehicle Dynamics Control controls Variable Torque Distribution, and an all-speed, all-wheel electronic traction-control system is all standard on every Tribeca.
Safety technology includes front seat side airbags and a curtain side bag system for the front seats, and four-wheel disc brakes with antilock and electronic brake force distribution also are standard.
The Tribeca, which originally was intended for U.S. distribution only but now will go worldwide, will be built in SubaruÂ’s plant in Lafayette, Ind. Prices start at $30,695, ranging up to $37,695 for the top-line, seven-passenger with rear DVD entertainment, navigation system, and all the trimmings.
(John Gilbert writes weekly reviews and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Envoy, by any other name, doesn’t have XUV roof
Timing is everything, they say, I just never realized “they†might be talking about the automobile business. That thought occurred to me as I spent a week road-testing a 2005 GMC Envoy XUV.
The term XUV is an attempt by General Motors to differentiate among its newest SUV and other SUVs. The Envoy is GMCÂ’s version of the Chevrolet Trailblazer, similar to the way the GMC Sierra pickup is a GMC version of the Chevy Silverado. Frankly, I think the large oval grille is more attractive than ChevyÂ’s grille opening, which has a horizontal bar across the middle on both its SUVs and pickups.
EnvoyÂ’s XUV, then, is a large midsize sport-utility vehicle with an optional 5.3-liter V8 engine making 300 horsepower and 300 foot-pounds of torque. Although it is not listed anywhere on the vehicle or its engine, the 5.3 has displacement on demand, which means that at highway cruising speed, four of the eight cylinders shut down, a move aimed at improving fuel economy.
By chance, or the luck of the draw, on the day before the GMC Envoy XUV was retrieved from my clutches, an Isuzu Ascender was delivered to me. The Ascender is a large sport-utility vehicle with an optional 5.3-liter V8 making 300 horsepower with 330 foot-pounds of torque.
Huh?
Is it another SUV, or is it Memorex? Now, Memorex might be as creative a name as “Ascender,†which I previously mentioned could be a regrettable name if someone bumped you in the rear and left a dent right next to the name, because folks behind you at a stoplight might put the inflection on the wrong syllable. But the Ascender and the Envoy are the same vehicle. Closer scrutiny shows both were even built in the same plant, in Oklahoma City.
If you’re keeping score, GM produces versions of the Trailblazer/Envoy for Buick, as the Ranier, and also for Isuzu, a loyal affiliate for years, and the new Saab 9-7 is yet another version of the same truck, on the same platform, with the same engines – a 4.2-liter in-line six or the 5.3 V8. All of them have variations in grille design, thankfully, but does the world really need five (or more) of the same truck? General Motors apparently thinks so.
That was all part of my timing for the week, but it carried further.
The Envoy XUV, with an as-tested sticker price of $41,235, has EPA fuel-economy notations of 14 miles per gallon in city driving and 19 on the highway. We drove it a lot, and we appreciated the all-wheel-drive security during a late-winter snowstorm that swept across the Twin Cities and Duluth. But at a constant cruise-control setting of 75 miles per hour – all right, we cheated just a bit on the I35 outstate limit, for scientific reasons, you understand – I got 14.9 miles per gallon as an overall average. It stayed there, all the way up to Duluth, around town, and back to the Twin Cities, except for the very end of the 300-mile trip when the computer said it rose to 15.1.
Meanwhile, the Isuzu Ascender, which has a sticker of $39,468, and the exact same figures of 14 and 19 mpg, was so near identical in every feature except the rearward opening roof. I drove it almost identically with the cruise set on the freeway, and got 14.9 miles per gallon from the Twin Cities to Duluth, around town, and then back down to the Twin Cities, when, it, too, nipped just a bit upward to 15.1 at the end of the trip.
That consistency is reassuring. Or, at least it would be if it hadnÂ’t been for a couple of other bits we can attribute to timing, on the television news. ust before I got into the Envoy, there was an item on CNN where a bright young woman newscaster read an item about ToyotaÂ’s energetic plans to expand its capacity in current and future U.S. plants, while also planning on opening a couple more plants. The inevitability of Toyota passing General Motors as the worldÂ’s largest automotive company was suggested by GM officials during the recent auto show tour, but on this particular newscast, the woman said something to the effect that: “General Motors is fighting back to ToyotaÂ’s challenge by offering $5,000 rebates on some of its vehicles, including SUVs like the Trailblazer and Envoy.Ââ€
Rebates generally mean vehicles arenÂ’t selling quickly enough, and General Motors, for at least a decade, has focused its earnings on its trucks and SUVs, at the expense of developing its cars in some cases. So if GM is offering large rebates on one of its most popular-sized SUVs, itÂ’s hardly a show of strength in competition. But it was good PR.
The more significant bit of timing came in two other news items, both of which broke the same Wednesday that they picked up the Envoy. The first item was that the price of crude oil rose to a record $56 per barrel, meaning that the price of a gallon of regular gasoline, which has risen to the neighborhood of $2.25 in the Midwest, was destined to go higher by summertime.
No wonder the olÂ’ credit card took a $45 hit when we filled the Envoy. And, obviously, the Isuzu Ascender.
The second item that night was a feature where a Twin Cities TV crew went out to a Chevrolet dealer, and shot a panoramic view of about an acre of SUVs, sitting unsold. The dealerÂ’s representatives were upbeat, anticipating that this was just a lull that would change back to business as usual. But with all these things coinciding, it gave reason for thought.
Has the American quest for more power and larger vehicles, fed eagerly by GM and other manufacturers for the last few years, finally reached the saturation point? Are consumers reacting to escalating gas prices by creating the sudden drop-off in large SUV sales? Are items such as the limited fuel economy of most SUVs, and the rising tide of gasoline prices, something other than just “timing?Ââ€
Time, as they say, will tell.
Meanwhile, the Envoy XUV is loaded with features, not the least of which is an elongated body. I think the extra length gives the Envoy a neater proportion, and it also makes its most unique feature more interesting and useful. That is the power-vanishing rear roof that leaves the rearmost section open for hauling tall objects, in a completely compartmentalized area, separated from the first two rows of seats by a window. The tailgate either drops or swings to the side, opening to a plastic-shrouded area that not only can haul all sorts of grungy stuff if necessary, but can be hosed out afterward without spraying the seats inside. Push a button and the top slides forward until it disappears. Push it again, and it closes securely with the tailgate glass.
I like the instrumentation of the Envoy XUV, and the vents are simple to aim and adjust. It came with a heavy-duty trailer package and Bilstein shocks, plus 17-inch aluminum wheels. Rain-sensing wipers, headlight washers, an upgraded audio, running boards and adjustable pedals are options that boosted the price from $37,790 over the $40,000 plateau.
Standard inside the Envoy XUV are such features as four-wheel disc brakes with antilock, turn signal indicators on the outside mirrors, dual climate control, leather heated seats, and remote keyless entry.
The V8 is not as big as the 6.0-liter one found in the larger Tahoe/Suburban size SUVs, but it has plenty of power to launch the big Envoy, and it maintained freeway speed with ease. Speaking of speed, setting the cruise at 75 meant that we passed very few other vehicles, but got passed by, maybe, 20 vehicles, all but two of which were large SUVs.
One of the best features on the Envoy XUV is the round switch on the dash, by which you set your drive control. You can turn it to the usual two-wheel-(rear) drive high-speed, for most freeway cruising or dry-weather functioning, or you can lock in four-wheel-drive high or low, assuring that all four wheels will turn all the time, either in normal street speed or low off-road speed. But you also can choose what I mainly did, the full-time AWD setting that locks the Envoy in all-wheel drive and lets it regulate itself on how much torque should be distributed to the front or rear wheels.
By the way, at $2,000 less, the Isuzu Ascender didnÂ’t have the rear open-roof thing thatÂ’s unique to the Envoy XUV, and it lacked a few of the touches of the GMC. But the Isuzu had a power moonroof, satellite radio, a Bose audio upgrade, and OnStar. It had similar fake woodgrain trim on the dash, which was a lighter color than the fake woodgrain on the Envoy.
Two key differences were that the Envoy had a rear axle ratio of 3.42 while the Ascender was 3.73, which gives the Isuzu a little more low-end launch power for a 6,200-pound towing capacity. The second one is the Isuzu warranty, which is better than the EnvoyÂ’s at 3-year/50,000 miles, with a 7-year/75,000-mile powertrain and 6-year/100,000-mile anti-corrosion warranty.
Depending on consumer needs, those wanting the biggest Suburban/Tahoe type SUVs can still get them, and enjoy the room and power that comes at the cost of faltering gas mileage. For most, it would seem that the Envoy (and siblings) would probably be big enough and powerful enough to tow or haul almost anything. Trying out the very efficient 4.2-liter in-line six might be advisable, because that engine will get better fuel economy and still has enough power to satisfy most hauling jobs.
If you need to haul home a 10-foot tall palm tree from your neighborhood nursery, the Envoy XUV with the slide-opening roof could be the perfect vehicle. The only trouble is, once you have your palm tree home, it might be awhile before you find something else so tall that youÂ’d need that open roof.
New models power upgraded Anaheim auto show
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — The high price of gasoline may be guiding the automotive world to a more fuel-efficient future, but that message was scarcely seen or heard at the California International Auto Show, which became a high-performance fantasyland at the Anaheim Convention Center, appropriately located down the block from Disneyland.
The traditional Big Three of U.S. manufacturers led with the loudest roars. General Motors introduced a pair of high-performance Pontiac sedans – the GPX models of both the Bonneville and the Grand Prix – along with the new Hummer H3, which is a shrunken Hummer to accompany the Hummer and its more-mainstream H2 models. Ford, which is just now getting the redesigned 2005 Mustang to dealerships, unveiled the Saleen high-performance version of the new Mustang. And Chrysler, which has the 300C stirring up hot sales as a car of the year candidate for 2005, rolled out its SRT-8 high-performance version of the 300C as the perfect drive-in dominator.
Organizers of the California International Auto Show acknowledge that they are not in the same elite status as the Los Angeles and Detroit in January, or the later Chicago and New York shows. But the show is making large strides as a brief but significant preview of the bigger shows. Organizers have bigger things in mind, and the news and new introductions bolster their claim as being the biggest five-day show.
While the domestics made high-performance waves, other prominent introductions made this the most significant Anaheim show to date, including the 2006 Infiniti M45, which was thinly disguised as a concept car in order to delay “official†introduction until the Detroit Auto Show.
Audi showed the new, taller corporate grille of the new A6, which isnÂ’t scheduled for media introduction until the coming week. Jaguar took the wraps off its X-Type station wagon. Kia, meanwhile, introduced a new Sportage, recreating the popular but cramped SUV as a new and stylish version of the Tucson, a new compact SUV displayed nearby by Hyundai, KiaÂ’s Korean patron. Volvo, which hit truck-of-the-year paydirt with its XC-90 for the 2003 model year, presented a new V8 version of the XC-90, which wonÂ’t get its media introduction until the end of November. Honda and Toyota displayed the latest entries in their environmentally conscious duel, with Honda introducing its Hybrid Accord, while Toyota showed off its Lexus 400h, the hybrid version of the RX330 SUV.
GM vice president Bob Lutz joined his new high-performance toys on the floor of the centerÂ’s arena, and said the Bonneville GXP will be devoid of cladding but will be hot with its tweaked 4.6-liter, dual-overhead-cam North Star V8. The Grand Prix will gain a 5.2-liter pushrod V8 that can cut one bank of cylinders when cruising, or when not exercising its 5.9-second 0-60 acceleration capability.
The Ford unveiling included two specialty vehicles from Steve Saleen’s high-performance shop – a Saleen Mustang, and a Saleen Focus, which can achieve 250 horsepower with its standard-issue nitrous injection. Also unveiled was the GR-1, a concept that seems to have replaced the Shelby concept as Ford’s next potential project.
ChryslerÂ’s latest idea from its SRT (Street Racing Technology) shop is the SRT-8 model of the 300C. It has aerodynamic spoilers low on the chin and the rear, huge brakes, and the hot, 5.7-liter Hemi V8 bored out to 6.1 liters, with a forged crankshaft, sodium-filled valves and raised compression ratio conspiring to produce 425 horsepower and 420 foot-pounds of torque. It will go 0-60 in 5 seconds, cover the quarter-mile in the 13-second range, and spans 0-100-0 in about 17 seconds. The car will be available in the spring, in either a silvery-white or black.
The Kia stand was the scene for a couple of surprises. Being right in the heart of tuner-country – or Fantasyland, take your pick – a couple of little Spectras tricked out for the SEMA electronics show, which runs this week in Las Vegas. Then came the unveiling of the Sportage, which had faded from production as a tiny SUV, and now returns as an uptempo SUV that will be under $20,000 and challenges the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.
Kia has improved its quality by 64 percent in J.D. Power ratings over the last five years, and the new Sportage will come in either two or four wheel drive, with either a 2.0-liter four or a 2.7-liter V6, with lockup axle capabilities. Kia officials estimate up to 60 percent of sales could go to women, at a price starting at $17,000.
Volvo went to Japan and worked closely with Yamaha to build a new, narrow-angle (60-degree) V8 for the XC-90. Volvo officials say the price will be $45,395 for the XC-90 V8, which will have 311 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. The 4.4-liter V8 will take the SUV from 0-60 in a scant 6.9 seconds, while also reaching super-ultra-low-emission vehicle II standards.
The Infiniti M will be loaded with luxury and performance features, with either a 280-horsepower V6 or a 340-horse V8, an all-wheel-drive system from the FX45 or G35, plus a DVD surround audio with 14 speakers, and even heated, power-reclining rear seats.
Along with the introductions, the best evidence of the rising status of the Anaheim show is that Chrysler, the traditional leader of clever showtime gimmicks, had a bevy of attractive young women on rollerskates escort the gathered media outside the Convention Center, where a couple dozen vintage Chrysler and Dodge Hemi-engined vehicles were lined up. We were ushered into the cars, which then drove us away in a caravan to a Sonic Burger drive-in. After burgers, onion rings and Cokes were served with 1950s and Â’60s music for background, up drove the glistening silvery-white 300C SRT-8 for its introduction.
Truly, the California International Auto Show has become more than just a valid preview of the bigger shows to come.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews, and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Redesigned Pathfinder charts new paths for 2005
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WASH. — Among the countless sport utility vehicles on the market, the Nissan Pathfinder has always been one of my favorites. Virtually all SUVs have some impressive characteristics, but for some reason, whenever IÂ’ve climbed aboard a Pathfinder since it was introduced in 1986, everything always seemed to fit.
The new 2005 model of the Pathfinder seems to fit, too, although it also seems to have grown closer to full-size than the mid-size segment it helped create. Even diehard Pathfinder fanciers may require a period of adjustment before recognizing the all-new, third-generation of NissanÂ’s original sport utility vehicle.
After driving a couple different versions of the new Pathfinder in the stunningly beautiful ruggedness of Bainbridge Island, and the urban jungle that best describes mainland SeattleÂ’s traffic patterns, there is no question that the new Pathfinder is the most impressive one ever, and projected sales should easily duplicate or improve on the vehicleÂ’s record of 900,000 sold over19 years.
A bigger body on a bigger platform, with a bigger engine and a bigger interior, including third-row seating, plus a book-full of technical advancements to help the new Pathfinder climb rugged terrain or descend cliff-like slopes, give the vehicle an active demeanor while rendering normal on-road operation no challenge at all.
Nissan has made a strong investment in the future with its “F-Alpha†platform — $2.4 billion, to be exact – and its intention is to establish a global presence, in 32 countries of North America, Europe and Asia. Despite its Japanese name, the new Pathfinder is clearly aimed at the U.S. market by one clear fact – the vehicle is assembled in NissanÂ’s Smyrna, Tennessee, plant, and its engines are made up the road at Decherd, Tennessee, where Nissan has built a new engine facility.
Such an investment is always a gamble, and among the gambles Nissan is making is that customers world wide are going to like the look of Nissan trucks, all of them, because the new Pathfinder bears a striking family resemblance to that whole family. The Titan full-size pickup came out a year ago, looking bold and aggressive with its distinctive grille with its “V†shaped diagonal bars and its abruptly contoured fenders and body panels
.
The rest of Nissan’s fleet were in the process of being redesigned or invented, and only now do we realize the strategy. In national advertisements and brochures, you can get a folder that shows the whole array of Nissan trucks coming at you – Titan, Pathfinder, Frontier, Xterra and Armada – and if they all were coming straight on so you could only see the front, you might guess that all five were the same vehicle.
Nissan executives donÂ’t disagree. They think the Titan makes such an impressive impact that they wanted the family to follow its lead. It was a natural that the Armada would, since itÂ’s on the same platform. Interestingly enough, I thought the introduction of the Armada would create a nice size difference above the Pathfinder, but the Pathfinder has grown to jump onto the same platform.
Obviously, during the PathfinderÂ’s lifespan the SUV market has ballooned, from seven nameplates in 1985 to 38 in 2005. The middle size has remained stable, with about 1.4 million annual sales for the last six years, with the big four of that segment being the Pathfinder, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet TrailBlazer and Toyota 4Runner. Nissan has a fleet of competitive SUVs now, with the entry Xterra, and the larger Armada, plus the upscale Murano.
By rebuilding the Pathfinder the way it has, obviously Nissan wants it to move up in scope, while retaining its virtues of what it calls “innovative functionality for highly active families.†To that end, it does not want to abandon off-road service, while most new SUVs are aimed predominately at staying on the road.
While it goes with exceptional power, thanks to its larger, 4.0-liter V6, and steers and handles every on-road need with the agility of a sports sedan, the Pathfinder has been engineered to be an over-achiever.
The engine, for example, went from being NissanÂ’s outstanding 3.5-liter V6 to 4.0 by increasing the stroke, but, typically of NissanÂ’s slick engine-building, it also has a modified block to better contain noise and vibration, and has variable valve timing on its dual-overhead-camshaft layout to raise power to 270 horsepower, with 291 foot-pounds of torque spread out over a broad peak range. That gives Pathfinder more power than some V8 competitors.
It also makes for a 6,000-pound towing capacity, which is better than some pickup trucks. A built-in recessed trailer hitch is standard on all models. If Nissan can bring the Pathfinder in at or about $30,000 for all its improvements, it should sell a lot of them.
Nissan wanted a stiffer chassis, but instead of hydroforming the frame rails, it used stronger and lighter high-tensile steel to accomplish the same added rigidity without adding weight. The boxed, body-on-frame construction is coupled with double-wishbone independent front and rear suspension and a new rack-and-pinion steering system, all of which improves stability and steering feel. That also allowed Nissan to make two major improvements.
First, the suspension takes up less space, making room for a third row of seats to be installed. Second, engineers capitalized on the more compact suspension layout by positioning the drivetrain, gas tank and all other necessary parts above the frame rails. That improves ground clearance to 9.2 inches, and we proved the benefits while crashing across Nissan’s off-road course on Bainbridge Island – if and when the Pathfinder bottoms out over rough terrain, the frame rails hit first. And they can handle it.
Power is controlled via a five-speed automatic transmission, and a switch can put the Pathfinder into low-range for the most-rugged terrain, where two neat new features improve driving control. First is hill-descent control, which can be switched on or off with a console switch. When itÂ’s on, if you take your foot off both the gas and the clutch while descending a dangerously steep grade, the Pathfinder automatically slows to 3.25 miles per hour. It takes great self-discipline to not step on the brake in such a circumstance, but if you step on the brake on such a steep hill, the vehicle is likely to skid on sand or gravel.
The second new device is an ingenious thing called hill-start assist. Whenever driving up an extremely steep off-road hill – or one of the steeper avenues on a winter day in Duluth – you come to a stop, and when you take your foot off the brake, you have a few anxious moments as the vehicle starts to roll backwards. But with hill-start assist, stepping on the brake prompts the Pathfinder to automatically hold its position without rolling back for two seconds – plenty of time to get your right foot onto the gas pedal.
Vehicle dynamic control lets the Pathfinder offer computer-aided assistance to all driving conditions. Four-wheel limited-slip and traction-control leave the driver with a feeling of secure command. Flip a switch and go from two-wheel drive to automatic, to four-wheel drive, to four-wheel-drive low range. The four-wheel drive system has an advanced torque-splitting system that optimizes driving power by altering the power left-to-right on each axle to shift power to the wheel with more traction.
The comfortable and spacious interior is enhanced by other features when encountering the most rugged terrain. While the Pathfinder comes in four varieties – the base XE, upgraded SE, higher performance SE Off-Road, and top LE – it will be sold in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive versions. Nissan figures the loaded LE will account for 40 percent of sales, with the SE 30 percent, leaving an equal split of 15 percent each for the base XE and the hot-tuned SE Off-Road.
The second-row seats have a 70-30 split, fold-down capability, and the third row has 50-50 split fold-down-ability too, and both the second and third rows fold down into the floor for a flat surface. Fold down everything, and you get a 10-foot cargo length, and a maximum 37.7 cubic feet of cargo volume. Put all the seats up, and you can seat seven and still find adequate room behind the third bench, with an easily cleaned vinyl-covered cargo floor.
Nissan also projects that 80 percent of all the two-wheel-drive Pathfinders will be sold in the Southwest, while 90 percent of Pathfinders sold in Northern climates will be 4x4s, with virtually 100-percent 4×4 in snowy states like Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Some neat ideas had ulterior motives on the Pathfinder. For example, the automatic transmission stalk comes down from Park to Reverse, then drive, then 3, then 2, but you then move the stalk to the right to engage first. That seemed like a logical fail-safe idea, because most drivers would only hand-shift it to first for the toughest off-road projects. But thatÂ’s only part of the reason. The other one is that by having the shift stalk move horizontally for its last move, enough room was created for an extra cupholder.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews. He can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Isuzu Ascender rises above rivals and peers alike
The Isuzu Ascender is a well-proportioned, nicely sized and beautiful little sport-utility vehicle. With its dark “Nordic blue metallic†paint, the Ascender avoids the slab-sided sameness of some rival SUVs, although we first must concede that it is pretty near identical to some others.
Stylishly set off by 6-spoke silver alloy wheels, and a wide swath of ding-absorbing side molding strips, the Ascender does ascend – climbing steep hills and virtually anywhere else with a big in-line 6-cylinder engine, which coordinates with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing to generate 275 horsepower and 275 foot-pounds of torque. There is utility-based room inside, even though the optional leather seats are rich enough to convince you that “utility†might mean hauling another couple to the country club.
I must, however, take issue with the name. In a time when many manufacturers are going for totally confusing letter combinations instead of actual names, we probably shouldnÂ’t complain. But “Ascender†sounds good, as long as you conjure up the picture of zipping up and over a steep hillside. It could become less impressive if, at some time, the owner should get bumped in the rear end. An entirely different image would be conjured up for the folks in the car behind you, when, noting the dented rear end, they might put a slightly adjusted inflection on the chrome nametag – “Asc-ender.Ââ€
WhatÂ’s in a name, anyway? Well, it’s the only way to tell the players from the other players, in some cases. The Ascender’s attractive and contemporary silhouette, with high-arching wheel openings and the hint of a rise where the body passes the rear axle, has harmonizing angles from the way the grille angles back at the front to how the hatch tapers toward the roof. At a glance, it might remind you of something else: maybe the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, or the GMC Envoy, or a hint of the new Buick Ranier, or maybe even the new Saab 9-7.
If you were to guess the closest resemblance, you would be right, of course, if you picked “all of the above.Ââ€
The TrailBlazer was originally Chevrolet’s attempt to create a downsized version of the Blazer utility truck, before SUVs acquired “sport†as a first name. It has evolved into a pretty tidy truck, after being renamed from S-10 Blazer to TrailBlazer a few years ago. Then it started proliferating, quite naturally spinning off into the GMC version, and now Buick has found the highway to profit is congested with trucks. And the same TrailBlazer platform for those three will wear a Saab logo as the 9-7.
Isuzu, meanwhile, has been a loyal trooper, so to speak, for General Motors. While building an original Japanese off-roadable truck in the Trooper, Isuzu always was a Japanese truck company first and foremost. Isuzu used to make a little pickup for Chevy, and it made the Spectrum compact sedan for GM as well. But IsuzuÂ’s pickups were best known for sturdy performance and endless durability. The big Trooper later was augmented by the midsize Rodeo. IsuzuÂ’s fortunes have waned recently, so for 2004 became time to build a new model to replace the venerable Trooper and its expansive, square-cornered shape, GM came to its affiliateÂ’s rescue with the Ascender, which officially replaces the Trooper.
Isuzu couldnÂ’t have done much better. I think the TrailBlazer is one of the best vehicles in the entire Chevrolet/GMC array, particularly because it became the vehicle to carry GMÂ’s first attempt at putting a high-tech (dual-overhead-cam) engine into a truck. Amid all the various car-magazine attempts to justify less-costly pushrod engines, there is no question that the future of gasoline internal combustion engines is with overhead-cam design. Except, of course, for those who would rather use a typewriter than a computer word processor, or listen to a 78-RPM record instead of a compact disc. So the Ascender gets the DOHC in-line 6 in the deal, as well.
Inside the Ascender, the steering wheel and instrument panel are nicely laid out, as is the center stack with its audio and heat-air controls. Again, if you find the Ascender’s switchgear and controls vaguely familiar, then you, too, have been inside a TrailBlazer in the last couple years. The seats are comfortable, although I’d like more lumbar support adjustment. The plastic “woodgrain†trim is OK, if not very realistic looking. If you need to haul people more than stuff, you can get a third-row seat. Dual zone climate control, intermittent wipers and rear wiper-washer-defogger are nice touches.
I found the steering over-boosted a bit, and it took a few drives before I got comfortable with the lightweight steering that made the Ascender eager to wander and feel less precise.
Privacy glass and a sunroof, with top rails to aid stowage on the roof, set off the appearance. The front and grille appears to be a styling advancement on the Rodeo, IsuzuÂ’s once-popular compact SUV. I like the open-grille look, and the headlights are shielded by large glass covers, angled up before meeting the large parking-directional lights on the outside. Foglights are integrated, sunk into the lower fascia of the bumper.
Performance-wise, the in-line 6 accelerates well and seems well-suited to the AscenderÂ’s size and intentions. A four-speed automatic transmission, and on-demand four-wheel drive that can be changed from two to four to low-range with the touch of a rotating switch on the dash panel, work well. The power rack and pinion steering may have too much boost at cruising speed, but the Ascender stays put pretty well, because of coil-spring front and rear suspension. It has a 5,500-pound towing capacity, and a platform-type trailer hitch is standard, as are the 17-inch wheels.
Base price of the Ascender is $27,699, although you can quickly build it to $33,372 by adding option packages that include power driver seat, privacy glass, side moldings, keyless entry, side airbags (complementing the standard front driver-passenger bags), cruise control, moonroof, 6-CD changer in the upgraded audio, limited slip differential, alloy wheels, power passenger seat, and leather interior trim.
The 6 moves the Ascender with agility and swiftness, and still can get up to 21 miles per gallon during highway driving. Because itÂ’s no secret that TrailBlazers have turned into various other vehicles under different nameplates, it might seem silly to compare the Ascender with the TrailBlazer. But check out certain comparisons.
The engine, power ratings and other elements of measurement are identical, but the Isuzu gives you roadside assistance of 7 years, 75,000 miles instead of TrailBlazerÂ’s 3/36,000; a 3-year, 50,000-mile basic warranty, instead of 3/36,000; and a 7-year, 75,000-mile powertrain warranty, compared to the TrailBlazerÂ’s 3/36,000. Chrome accents on the fenders, fender moldings, 17-inch alloy wheels and the woodgrain are standard on the Ascender, and either not available or options on the TrailBlazer. Several other items also are extra-cost add-ons on the Chevy.
ThatÂ’s impressive, but the startling thing is that the base price of the Ascender is $27,699 — $4,471 less than the TrailBlazer. Once all the optional packages are loaded, the Ascender still is $3,498 under the TrailBlazer. In other words, you get more equipment and a better warranty for less money if your vehicle says “Isuzu†instead of “Chevrolet†on its grille, flanks and backside.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto reviews; he can be contacted at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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