2008 Subaru Tribeca
 

Subaru's crossover has a new nose, a new tail, a new engine and a more mainstream appeal as it sidles into the 2008 model year.

But wait, isn't the Tribeca only three years old? And while we're at it, what happened to the B9 middle name-the one that reminded us to make a doctor's appointment?

It sounds sinister but really, it's the best thing that could have happened. In its third model year, the Tribeca's been revisited in the mode of those low-budget shows on Oxygen or A&E, where women are kidnapped off the streets and forced to ditch their wardrobes and acquire some serious fashion sense dictated by the ubiquitous "Girlfriend!" and her ubiquitous gay sidekick.

The Edsel grille (the handiwork of designer Andreas Zapatinas, who also seems to have disappeared) is gone. And so is the B9 tag. Now the Tribeca wears a resculpted front end that's much more streamlined and mainstream. The grille's tucked neatly into the front bumper, while new headlamps give it a wider appearance and a much broader appeal. And along its sides, the Tribeca also wears new three-quarter windows, a reshaped rear valance, and bigger taillamps.

It's so mainstream it looks a lot like Chrysler's Pacifica , we say, or looks a lot more like an SUV, Subaru says. Either way, it's good move for the Tribeca, which in every other way already was an interesting alternative to the Pilots and Muranos of the world.

Source: [url=http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/suvs/0707_2008_subaru_tribeca]Automobile Magazine[/url]