Autoblog

mk @ May 14th 2008 11:58AM

That is what I have been thinking, but rather a used Subaru Baja small truck.

Subaru under-cut it's baja so much that it didn't tow, was an old chassis with hacked-on bed, and didn't sell.

If they had "trucked it up" a bit, maybe make it look more like the front of a forester, rather than a car/outback...

But a diesel, with Subaru's mechanical symmetric AWD setup makes a TON of sense in a vehicle like that. A small convertible/coverable truck bed behind 4 seats, in a mini-truck format. (like a 5/8 scale Avalanche or H2 SUT, or a smaller honda ridgeline, but as an AWD turbo diesel Subaru.)

I would even suggest a folding mid-gate arrangement, with the rearward side doors be sliding, like smaller version of van doors. I hate getting trapped while loading or unloading cargo items, between front and rear side doors in parking spaces, with either forward or reverse-opening rearward doors. Sliding doors usually have more un-shrouded approaches, and wider openings than conventional hinged doors. If they could figure out how to do it with integrating the B-pillar into the sliding door, that would be even better.

With proper brakes, transaxle/diff oil cooling, robust suspension, and a 5000/500 class III tow capability... that could be a fantastic little unibody truck.

And based on the new big Forester, although re-styled as a specific model, not just a bed hacked onto a Forester, and not based on a previous, outmoded chassis, body and interior, as the Baja was. Nothing like keeping an old chassis alive for just one barely-saleable vehicle, while the rest of the line had moved on...

The reclaimed Veggie-diesel idea occurred to me as well... especially with a vehicle that can be used to go get the veggie oil stock.