2024 Subaru Evoltis touring: American comfort, WRX punch
Subaru Philippines seems to happily be on the rebound nowadays.
With the appointment this year of marketing veteran Karl Bobis-Castillo as Motor Image Pilipinas country manager, the local operation of the Japanese brand seems to have finally found some much-needed stability after years of rumored management issues related to its Singaporean parent company, Tan Chong International Limited (TCIL).
And the timing couldn’t be better – TCIL issued a profit warning to investors this July because of a “severe drop in sales in the automotive division” in Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines. Post-tax profits from January to June 2024 plummeted to HKD25 million (around P180 million) from HKD187 million (around P1.3 billion) in the same period last year.
The beleaguered company had also closed its Subaru assembly plant in Thailand last May, with the Philippines now having to source popular models like the Forester crossover in Japan again. Nonetheless, TCIL said it expects “much better” performance in the second half of 2024.
Despite all this, Subaru retains a small yet truly devoted following since Motor Image Pilipinas set up shop in 2006. That’s because the brand has always had a certain sparkle not found in other Japanese brands like Toyota, Honda Cars, Nissan and Mitsubishi.
Owning a Subaru meant having the pedigree of three World Rally Championship (WRC) manufacturers’ championships, three WRC drivers’ championships, and the unassailable traction of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. A Subaru was something arguably left-field, but in a nice way.
Although the 2024 Subaru Evoltis crossover won’t be running rally events anytime soon, this American import is looking to be the ultimate family shuttle for upper-class Filipino families who wouldn’t be caught dead in a van. We tried one out to see if it makes the cut.
Palatial cabin
That previous sentence wasn’t a misprint – the Evoltis (also known as the Ascent) is manufactured exclusively by the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant in the USA.
This enormous, seven-seat crossover is the successor to the rather oddball Subaru Tribeca (also made in Indiana). And nowhere is this American influence more felt than inside its cavernous cabin, lined in black Nappa leather.
Cars like the Evoltis are the U.S. counterpart of our beloved Toyota Innova – a vessel in which you can cram people and things so that you can all travel long distances in comfort. But unlike the Innova, nobody has to assume some bizarre yoga position in the Evoltis, which is built for much taller people in mind.
Up front are electrically operated and air-conditioned seats, with the driver getting additional adjustments for the thigh and lower-back supports. The three-zone climate-control system seems to have been engineered with the Philippines in mind – not quite Nissan levels, but it can get the concert-hall-sized interior cool in a hurry.
Meanwhile, the rear seats have dedicated air-conditioning vents, while the second-row captain seats with armrests have a gaping chasm in between that you could ride a motorcycle through. Other fabulous in-car amenities include the panoramic moonroof, 14-speaker Harman/Kardon surround-sound system, dozens of cup holders, and even a 120-volt power outlet.
There’s also the 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – it may be easy to operate, but the layout and graphics are rather antiquated. And although the fake wood is very American, real timber and some chrome would perk up the rather generic interior design.
Anonymous styling
The generic feel carries over to the outside of the Evoltis, which my GenZ friends would compare to an “NPC vehicle” in a video game.
You do get the boomerang-style LED headlights you find in the Outback wagon and the Forester, flanking a huge front grill. There are also touches of silver in the side mirrors and lower door trim, somehow complimenting the 20-inch, two-tone alloy wheels.
But even in this sleek, black paint scheme, the Evoltis doesn’t quite have the flair of rivals like the thoroughly premium Mazda CX-90 or even the rather sparkly Ford Explorer.
Sparkling performance
Where the Evoltis does come alive is on the move, chiefly with ride comfort that is simply impossible in pick-up-based sport-utility vehicles.
This crossover is effectively just a WRX with a living room on top – it uses the same turbocharged 2.4-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve, flat-4 gasoline engine from its rally-bred sibling, pumping out 260 horsepower, and 376 Newton-meters of torque with a lovely thrum.
At full throttle, this punchy powerplant distributes power evenly from 2,000 rpm to the redline, with the Symmetrical All Wheel Drive keeping things totally controllable. However, the Lineartronic continuously variable transmission feels generations behind what rivals Honda Cars and Toyota are producing now, especially with the considerable lag when overtaking.
The Evoltis’ brakes are certainly strong enough to handle the performance, complimenting the responsive pedal. But the steering could use more feedback to help place this behemoth more effectively on the road.
Nonetheless, fuel economy is quite good for a car this big that goes this fast – 7 to 10 kilometers per liter in the city, if you don’t indulge yourself with all that turbo boost.
Effective active-safety system
Something else that works brilliantly in the Evoltis is Subaru EyeSight.
The Japanese carmaker was among the first to make its active-safety suite standard across its lineup. In the Evoltis, you get niceties like Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking System, Lane Departure and Prevention, and even Reverse Emergency Braking.
This comprehensive system adds to the safety provided by the standard front, side, curtain and driver’s knee airbags, along with the ISOFIX child-restraint anchors. EyeSight also monitors if the driver is distracted or dozing off, setting off alarm bells if you aren’t completely paying attention to the road.
Tough segment
Overall, the Evoltis is a quick, extremely spacious, refined and well-equipped seven-seater that has all the ingredients to become a wonderful premium family hauler.
I just wish it didn’t feel somewhat discordant, especially at P3,798,000. This puts the big Subaru in direct competition with the Mazda CX-90 Exclusive, which is priced exactly the same, but has been engineered to take on BMW and comes with an electrified powerplant.
And then there’s the Ford Explorer Limited, another American import, which comes in at P3,498,000. It may not drive as well as the Subaru, but it is just as accommodating to passengers, while sporting a more up-to-date design.
The Evoltis is certainly leagues better than driving around in clattery, pick-up-based family cars that Filipinos have come to know, but it just needs more pizzazz to make it more desirable.
