One New Subaru Ascent Feature You Won’t Find On Any Other 3-Row SUV

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You have plenty of choices when it comes to family haulers but the 2020 Subaru Ascent comes with one feature you won’t find on any other 3-Row vehicle.

When Subaru build their first-ever 3-Row vehicle, they designed the new Ascent for North American customers. The Japanese automaker did a good job of bringing the new family hauler with a comfortable ride, seating for up to 8 passengers, a generous interior and cargo space, a new fuel-efficient turbocharged engine, and up to 5,000 towing capacity.

The big 3-Row vehicle also offers families top safety ratings with standard EyeSight suite of driver-assist safety technology. But one feature called X-MODE is something you won’t find on any other 3-Row vehicle. What is X-MODE and why do I want it?

2020 Subaru Ascent

This one feature comes standard on the 2020 Subaru Ascent and is what sets the vehicle apart for the rest. The 3-Row vehicle comes with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, standard Subaru Symmetrical full-time all-wheel-drive, and the X-MODE system with Hill Descent Control. If you have ever experienced slick conditions in a snowstorm, it’s a feature you will be glad you have.

With a flip of a switch located on the center console, X-MODE will get you out of a sticky situation even if you aren’t taking the vehicle off-pavement. When the wheels begin to slide or slip on ice or deep snow, the average all-wheel-drive vehicle will still get stuck. The Ascent’s X-MODE allows you to keep your foot off the brake and let the system do the work, and you can keep your attention on the road.

2020 Subaru Ascent

The Subaru Ascent X-MODE reduces accelerator input for increased control of engine output, helping control wheel-spin for improved traction when you are driving on slick slippery surfaces. When you activate the system, wheel-spin is reduced and grip enhanced by controlling the engine, transmission, AWD system, brakes, and Ascent’s Vehicle Dynamics Control System (VDC).

Is Subaru X-MODE worth it?

The new Subaru Ascent is designed for active families who want to get to the trailhead for hiking, mountain biking, and transportation to the ski slope. But even if you don’t take the 3-Row vehicle off-road, you could also encounter sticky situations close to home.

The 2020 Subaru Ascent with standard X-MODE will allow any driver regardless of skill level, to escape a dicey situation with the flip of a switch and get home safely. No other family vehicle offers this extra level of all-road/all-weather capability and is what sets Ascent apart for the rest. If you live where the snow flies, you will be glad you have it.

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See you in my next story where I am discussing why you won't see the 2020 Subaru Forester and Crosstrek Hybrid in the United States, which launch next year.

Photo credit: Subaru

Submitted by Digitaldoc (not verified) on November 5, 2019 - 1:05PM

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X-mode is proprietary to Subaru, so of course no other manufacturer offers it. The question is not that only Subaru has X-mode, but if it is truly better, and in what situations than some other excellent AWD systems, such as Audi's Quattro, or Mazda's iActivesense among many others. Unfortunately, nobody really tests these vehicles objectively, so we are left with overmarketing, and no real data.

I love my Ascent but just have a couple of issues being that this is the first model coming out of it's kind. In the first month my panoramic roof glass cracked and the brakes squeak really bad. Even though the dealership cut the rotors and changed the brakes on a brand new vehicle now a month later brakes started squeaking again!! SUBARU HAS TO look into these adjustment before bragging about other features. I heard I'm not the only one with the brake problem. Thank god I leased cuz if I dont hear IMPROVEMENT on such an important part of any car..I'm going back to Toyota Highlander!!!!!!