The Subaru Ascent is inching upmarket for the 2025 model year, dropping 2024’s Base trim level and adding two new trims in its place (the Bronze Edition and Onyx Edition Touring), plus a number of standard safety features. Blind spot monitors, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, reverse automatic emergency braking, emergency steering assist and emergency stop assist are now standard. The elimination of the Base trim means the three-row mid-size SUV’s price of entry jumps nearly $4,500 from 2024, to $40,215 (all prices include $1,420 destination).
Related: 2024 Subaru Ascent Review: Growing Pains
Carryover Powertrain
The Ascent’s powertrain is unchanged for 2025. The sole engine offering remains a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four-cylinder making 260 horsepower and 277 pounds-feet of torque. It’s mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission and sends power to a standard all-wheel-drive system.
Official model-year 2025 EPA ratings are not yet available, but there’s no reason for them to budge from 2024’s figures. For 2024, the Base and Ascent Premium returned 20/26/22 mpg city/highway/combined, while the rest of the lineup was rated at 19/25/21 mpg.
Availability and Pricing
The 2025 Subaru Ascent will go on sale in the fall. Full pricing is as follows:
- Premium: $40,215
- Onyx Edition: $43,615
- Limited: $47,415
- Bronze Edition: $48,415
- Touring: $50,415
- Onyx Edition Touring: $51,415
Safety Features and Trim Levels
Subaru’s standard EyeSight safety suite includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-centering steering assist, blind spot monitors, lane departure steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, reverse automatic emergency braking and emergency steering assist. It also includes emergency stop assist, which can detect a nonresponsive driver and bring the Ascent to a stop in its lane.
The Premium trim, which is the new entry-level Ascent, rides on 18-inch wheels and features adaptive LED headlights with automatic high beams, keyless entry and start, a power liftgate and a windshield wiper de-icer. Inside are cloth upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, and Subaru’s StarLink 11.6-inch touchscreen with satellite radio and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A second-row bench seat is standard, but captain’s chairs are available for no added cost.
The Onyx Edition is available exclusively in the seven-seat configuration with second-row captain’s chairs. It gets additional drive modes and black finishes on the 20-inch wheels, exterior trim and badging, grille and side mirrors. The Onyx Edition also adds a heated steering wheel and is upholstered in gray synthetic leather with green stitching.
The Limited forgoes the Onyx’s black accents but also rides on 20-inch wheels. Additional features include a panoramic moonroof, perforated leather upholstery, an upgraded driver’s seat, power-adjustable passenger seat, heated second-row seats and second-row window shades. The Limited’s tech suite is upgraded with navigation, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with a third-row PA system, and a 360-degree camera system.
New for 2025, the Ascent Bronze Edition mirrors the Limited’s equipment level but features exclusive bronze finishes on the exterior trim and wheels, as well as black synthetic leather with bronze contrast stitching.
The former range-topping Touring trim level is demoted to penultimate Ascent for 2025. Offered only with second-row captain’s chairs, the Touring features exclusive faux-wood trim with a matte finish and brown perforated Nappa leather upholstery with tan stitching. The Touring also adds ventilated front seats and rain-sensing windshield wipers.
The 2025 model’s other new trim level, the Onyx Edition Touring, combines the Onyx Edition’s black accents and the Touring’s luxury content with exclusive black leather featuring silver stitching on the seats and green stitching on the steering wheel.
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