Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Subaru Tribeca" in English language version.
When the car made its debut at the Detroit auto show last January, it created mixed responses. Most criticism was centered on the car's prominent nose.
Having seen it on the road in various environments, we think the car looks just fine. Those of us who have been in Europe lately find the styling strongly reminiscent of current Alfa Romeos, so guess where Subaru's chief designer for the advanced design studio–Andreas Zapatinas–worked before he came to Subaru? Uh-huh. Still, Subaru insists the Tribeca's shape was virtually complete prior to Zapatinas's arrival.
There's nothing wrong with a vehicle having personality–but you don't want it to make you cringe. This is the controversy surrounding the B9 Tribeca. Subaru has found success by thinking differently and incorporating unique styling into its cars. Remember the Brat? The SVX? Its new, three-row-seat, crossover sport/utility is attractive, inside and–mostly–out. But will the Tribeca's odd-duck face scare off potential buyers? It's a shame, if so.
The most controversial aspect of the Tribeca is clearly its front styling. The winged grille pays homage to Subaru's parent company's aircraft building heritage. It polarized our staff. Some found it eye-catching and reminiscent of Alfa Romeo. Others made reference to "snout" and Edsel.
For 2008, Subaru has abandoned their poorly-received, aviation-themed front end styling explored in recent years by the Impreza and B9 Tribeca.
Scooby's first-ever SUV is an irredeemably gruesome beast whose design should have been aborted a femtosecond after conception. While Subaru would like to convince us that "ugly ass" and "dynamic styling" are synonymous, even a pre-teen knows that repulsive is not, and never will be, the new cool.
