Subaru Tribeca Reportedly Axed

One of the least-loved Subarus is about to find out what happens when you lose a popularity contest in the auto industry.

Set to be axed at year’s end according to insider sources, even Subaru wouldn’t confirm the crossover’s existence beyond the 2013 model year.

While easily criticized for its unusual styling back when it first launched in 2005, that was just one of a long list of flaws. Other reasons not to love the Tribeca include the fact that its engine was too small and not powerful enough, fuel economy wasn’t great and size-wise it was always a bit of a stretch to call it a three row.

Sales never lived up to expectations and Subaru’s lack of interest in its future is obvious in the fact that apart from minor updates, little development has been done to plan for the crossover’s future. In fact, even the 2012 model continues to use an outdated 5-speed automatic transmission.

Past rumors have suggested a next-generation Tribeca could be in the works, sharing the same platform as the Toyota Highlander.

[Source: MotorTrend]