At the 2020 Singapore Motor Show, Glenn Tan, the Tan Chong International deputy chairman and managing director, announced that the Ascent will be brought to the Philippines. However, the 7-seater SUV will be called “Evoltis” instead.
According to Subaru Philippines, the name Ascent was trademarked by Subaru North America, that's why the company can't use it in Asia.
2019 Subaru Ascent - Review & Road Test
Using different a name for the same vehicle is not an unusual case in the automotive industry. In fact, Subaru’s legacy was even renamed to Liberty in Australia.
With that being said, Motor Image, the official distributor of Subaru, trademarked Evoltis for the Asian market of the Subaru Ascent. Basically, the Ascent and the Evoltis are the same cars but just have different names.
Subaru Ascent in Crystal White Pearl paint job
>>> Related: What to expect from 7-seater 2020 Subaru Evoltis a.k.a. Ascent
Subaru Evoltis/Ascent Production
The Subaru Evoltis or Ascent will be made in Indiana, U.S. – which makes it the only U.S.-manufactured Subaru in the current Philippine lineup. It made its debut at the LA Auto Show on November 28, 2017, and was first made available in the third quarter of 2018.
Under the hood, the Subaru Evoltis is powered by a 2.4L turbocharged FA24F boxer engine capable of generating 260 hp and 376 Nm of torque and is mated to a continuous variable transmission.
In addition, we can expect the Evoltis to be installed with Subaru’s Eyesight driving assist tech for better safety.
Under the hood of the Subaru Evoltis
In terms of pricing, the price for the Subaru Evoltis or Ascent in the U.S. starts at $31,995 for the entry-level variant and $45,045 for the top-spec variant which Subaru calls Touring.
However, Subaru Philippines hasn’t released any official pricing for the Subaru Evoltis.
We can expect to have the Evoltis priced above the Subaru Forester which is priced at Php 1,698,000 for the entry-level variant.
It’s pegged to go head-to-head against ladder-frame midsize SUVs but with the advantage of extra ride refinement and tech features.
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