2023 Ascent Interior
The Ascent has a typical Subaru interior, although it is rendered in much higher-quality materials than in lower-rung Subarus. Soft-touch plastics are used wherever occupants are likely to touch, but harder plastic is still used below hip level. Cloth upholstery is used in both Base and Premium trims, Onyx Edition trims have water-repellent StarTex upholstery, and leather upholstery is standard in Limited- and Touring trims, with the latter getting a further upgrade to soft Nappa leather.
The main dashboard feature is the portrait-oriented 11.6-inch infotainment screen, from where most secondary functions are controlled. However, there are handy shortcut buttons beneath it to manage the climate control functions. The only visible brightwork in the cabin can be found on the center console, where the gear selector features a chromed surround, and on the door release handles. Interestingly, the instrument cluster is of the analog variety rather than the digital displays used by most of the Ascent's competitors, but there is a color driver information display integrated into the analog cluster.
2023 Ascent Interior Photos
Seating and Interior Space
The Subaru Ascent seats can be had in two different arrangements. The Base, Premium, and Limited trim levels can be had with eight seats, with seven seats available as an option for Premium- and Limited trims. Other models are seven-seaters. Cabin space in the front- and middle seating rows is on par with other vehicles in this segment, but the Ascent's slightly shorter length exacts its toll in the third seating row, which is quite cramped in comparison to larger competitors such as the VW Atlas, Honda Pilot, and Hyundai Palisade.
Access to the two front rows is easy, with large apertures and a comparatively low step-over height. The Ascent offers a bench seat in the second row for all eight-seater configurations, while seven-seaters feature captain's chairs in the second row. The third-row bench is fairly easily-accessible and folds in a 60/40 split for more cargo space, and can recline to improve occupant comfort in the rearmost seating row slightly.
Outward visibility is a strong suit in typical Subaru fashion, thanks to deep side glass, but the sturdy roof pillars may introduce some blind spots in some seating positions. Interior dimensions either match or fall slightly behind its competitors, though, but leg- and shoulder room in the two front seating rows are fully class-competitive. And, unless a sunroof is fitted, headroom is also at the top of its segment.
2023 Subaru Ascent Interior Dimensions:
| Subaru Ascent Trims | Base | Premium | Onyx Edition | Limited | Onyx Edition Limited | Touring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seating | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Headroom Front Seat | 41.2 in. | 41.2 in. | 40.4 in. | 41.2 in. | 40.4 in. | 40.4 in. |
| Headroom Back Seat | 40 in. | 40 in. | 38.7 in. | 40 in. | 38.7 in. | 38.7 in. |
| Legroom Front Seat | 42.2 in. | 42.2 in. | 42.2 in. | 42.2 in. | 42.2 in. | 42.2 in. |
| Legroom Back Seat | 38.6 in. | 38.6 in. | 38.6 in. | 38.6 in. | 38.6 in. | 38.6 in. |
| Shoulder Room Front | 61.1 in. | 61.1 in. | 61.1 in. | 61.1 in. | 61.1 in. | 61.1 in. |
| Shoulder Room Rear | 60.3 in. | 60.3 in. | 60.3 in. | 60.3 in. | 60.3 in. | 60.3 in. |
| Hip Room, Front | 57.8 in. | 57.8 in. | 57.8 in. | 57.8 in. | 57.8 in. | 57.8 in. |
| Hip Room, Rear | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. | 57.2 in. |
Interior Colors and Materials
In Base and Premium specifications, the Subaru Ascent has a Slate Black interior color with cloth seat upholstery. The Premium has access to Warm Ivory cloth when paired with certain colors - but it requires the addition of the Convenience Package. Limited trim upgrades this to leather upholstery, with a color choice between Slate Black and Warm Ivory for all exterior colors except Crimson Red Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, and Magnetite Gray Metallic, which forces the Slate Black interior. From Limited trim upwards and including the Onyx Editions, the door cards are upholstered in the same material as the seats.
The high-end Touring trim receives Nappa leather upholstery in either Slate Black or Java Brown, except when the exterior color is Crimson Red Pearl or Ice Silver Metallic, in which case it will have to be Black Nappa leather inside. The Onyx Edition trims get two-tone gray StarTex water-repellent cloth with bright green stitching, which looks a lot more attractive than it sounds and almost justifies going for one of the Onyx Editions on its own.
2023 Ascent Trunk and Cargo Space
With all three seating rows in use, the Subaru Ascent has 17.8 cu. ft. of cargo volume, which is almost the same as a Hyundai Palisade, but almost a full cubic foot less than the Honda Pilot offers. Thank the Ascent's smaller footprint for this disadvantage, which shows up whichever way you decide to compare it to its opponents. Fold the rearmost seats out of the way, and there's up to 43.5 cu. ft. available behind the second row (42.1 cu. ft. when equipped with the sunroof), rising to 75.6 cu. ft. with the second-row seats out of the way as well (72.8 cu. ft. with a sunroof). This is where the Ascent really shows its smaller size, because the Atlas in the same configuration can swallow up to 96.8 cu. ft and a Honda Pilot can handle a maximum of 87 cu. ft. with all its seats folded away.
At least the trunk is easy to access, thanks to a large aperture and relatively low lift-over height. Interior storage is also rather good, with large door bins in the doors, a decently-sized glove box and center console storage box, and no fewer than 19 cupholders sprinkled throughout the cabin.
2023 Subaru Ascent Trunk and Cargo Space Photos
2023 Subaru Ascent Trunk Size:
| Subaru Ascent Trims | Base | Premium | Onyx Edition | Limited | Onyx Edition Limited | Touring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trunk Width (Wheelhousings) | 45.9 in. | 45.9 in. | 45.9 in. | 45.9 in. | 45.9 in. | 45.9 in. |
| Trunk Height (Area) | 34 in. | 34 in. | 33.9 in. | 34 in. | 33.9 in. | 33.9 in. |
2023 Ascent Infotainment and Features
Features
The Subaru Ascent comes with a comprehensive list of standard features, even for the entry-level Base trim. Standard equipment includes three-zone climate control with air vents for all three seating rows, automatic power door locks, power window all round with one-touch up/down operation for the front doors, USB-A and USB-C input ports in front with USB-A and USB-C charging ports in the second row, a manually-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and reclining second- and third-row seat backs.
Moving up through the ranks adds power adjustment for the driver's seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a power-adjustable passenger seat from Limited trim upwards. Heated front seats are standard from Premium trim upwards, but ventilated front seats are only fitted to the Touring trim level. Limited trim adds heated second-row outboard seats, and all Ascents from the Onyx Edition upwards have a heated steering wheel.
Standard safety equipment in the Ascent is very comprehensive because all trims are equipped with the latest version of Subaru's EyeSight driver assist technology. This suite includes adaptive cruise control with lane centering, pre-collision braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency steering. From Premium trim upwards, blind-spot detection with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert is added, along with reverse automatic braking.
Infotainment
All 2023 Subaru Ascent models feature Subaru's Starlink Multimedia Plus infotainment system with an 11.6-inch color touchscreen display and six speakers. This base system has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM and Bluetooth streaming capability, along with two USB input ports.
The Onyx Edition Limited and Touring trims upgrade this to include embedded navigation and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with an added amplifier with a power output of 792 Watt. 4G LTE Wi-Fi capability is standard on all trims from Premium upwards, powered by AT&T with various data options available.