2021 Subaru Pickup Truck, Baja Replacement to Debut Soon

It is not a secret anymore – Subaru wants to join the truck market once again. It’s been a while since the Baja truck was discontinued. Well, the pickup was there for only a few years, but the company’s charm made it so popular. With the recent events in the market, we believe the comeback of the 2021 Subaru pickup truck is not impossible.

Subaru was hit by the economic crisis. The carmaker needed some time to recover. The most popular vehicles survived, including famous rally cars. Also, their SUV and crossover lineup is growing. The latest addition is a seven-seat model, which could be turned into pickup soon, according to experts.

A lot of mystery is surrounding the arrival of the 2021 Subaru pickup truck. One of the biggest questions is the name. We doubt Baja is going to be back. On the other hand, some things are already predictable. Boxer engines are the difference-makers. However, we don’t know how truckers are going to accept them. Also, the four-wheel drive is standard, without the 2WD option.

2021 Subaru Pickup Truck

2021 Subaru Pickup Truck Concept

The upcoming truck is going to be based on one of the existing SUVs. The largest one, we assume. Ascent is the latest model by the carmaker and the company could use it to build the truck on the same platform. The bad thing is that Ascent is using a unibody architecture, which is not quite popular among truckers. It brings a sportier ride and a cheaper production. On the other hand, body-on-frame architecture provides durability and away better-towing capacity. Most trucks in the US are built on the BoF platform. The only sporty pickup is the Honda Ridgeline. It is also the slowest-selling model in 2019.

Still, the 2021 Subaru pickup truck could add something special to the segment that will buyers love. Well, the Boxer engine is not a feature you will meet every day, not only in this class. It is one of the biggest reasons why buyers are choosing Subaru vehicles. A low center of gravity brings better handling. On the other hand, it is not the best option for an off-road drive. Nevertheless, the four-wheel drive is a synonym for the company. The truck will have it, and the only question is if the carmaker is making a big departure with the 2WD system. We doubt, but the truck will need a surprising moment.

Since Subaru has joined the Toyota group, it is realistic to expect the Subaru pickup truck to share the platform with the new Tacoma.

2021 Subaru Pickup Truck baja
Baja Truck

Specs

Again, Subaru is not developing new units for the upcoming truck. The company will use all it has to provide the smoothest drive. Again, truckers will seek for the engine with the most potential. In the family, that is a flat-four mill with 260 hp. The turbocharged powerplant is also creating 280 lb-ft of torque. Both outputs are neat the average value we are seeing from the mid-size trucks using V6 units. As said, the four-wheel drive is standard and a CVT copies an eight-pace gearbox when transferring power to axles. For the off-road drive, there is the X-Mode, one of the most popular features among buyers. Truckers will definitely need it.

The company dropped the last six-cylinder engines last year when the 3.6-liter flat-six unit had the last run in Outback and Legacy vehicles. We see this drivetrain as a better solution for the 2021 Subaru pickup truck. Again, its position and setup keep all the advantages of the Boxer configuration. But, the towing capacity on the crossover was not special, with only 2,700 pounds. Definitely, the truck will need the boost to 5,000 pounds, or even more, to be competitive. The engine was part of the famous XT package. Although it had many fans and discontinuation caused a lot of controversies, the sales records say only 5 percent of buyers purchased this engine over the four-cylinder.

2021 Subaru Pickup Truck specs
Possible flat-6 engine, previously used by Subaru Outback XT

2021 Subaru Pickup Truck – Is it Baja?

The nameplate is still alive. Old fans remember the period between 2003 and 2006 when Subaru was present in this market. Well, the carmaker is not well-known for using the nameplates from the past. So, we can expect a new name when the 2021 Subaru pickup truck debuts.

When it is going to happen is still a question. The mid-size segment is pretty popular nowadays. Still, the requirements for joining the class are not easy to meet, even based on the existing concepts. A flat-six engine needs to be adapted and tow more, and the company must take care of the look of the future pickup. So, a lot of work is ahead, which makes many fans doubt that Subaru will enter this project. On the other hand, there are a lot of good things that could be used, and the waste of opportunity is an even greater shame.

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