Tribeca's all change

	It's not the first time Subaru has carried out an early refresh on a slow-selling model. The bug-eyed Impreza was hastily restyled in 2003 after it was greeted with a lukewarm response from buyers

Check out the new front end given to the heavily revised Subaru Tribeca, which was unveiled at the New York Motor Show.

According to a spokesman, the Japan­ese brand was forced to change the look of its SUV to kick-start sales, and only the doors have escaped unaltered. "The pub­lic reaction to the Tribeca has been mixed, and we wanted to give it more of an SUV look," he said. "People didn't dislike it, but it wasn't rugged enough."

It's not the first time Subaru has carried out an early refresh on a slow-selling model. The bug-eyed Impreza was hastily restyled in 2003 after it was greeted with a lukewarm response from buyers. Now, the big four-wheel-drive Tribeca has been given the same treatment, and the distinctive aeroplane-inspired three-part grille of the original has been ditched in favour of a more conservative, Forester-like design.

Behind the new grille, there's a bigger 3.6-litre version of the manufacturer's six-cylinder boxer engine. This takes the place of the 3.0-litre powerplant in the existing model. How­ever, the increase in capacity doesn't only translate into a boost in performance - because the new Tribeca will be more economical as well.

Figures have yet to be confirmed, but the 3.6-litre is also expected to emit less CO2 than the outgoing unit. What's more, the SUV's five-speed automatic transmission has been tweaked to deliver sharper responses and smoother changes.

Inside, the seven-seater's middle row of chairs has been improved to aid access to the rearmost seats, while the rear side windows are enlarged to boost visibility for passengers in the back.

The revised car goes on sale at the end of the year, with a small increase in price to cover the modifications.