2003 Subaru Baja - The Crossover of Crossovers
How many car based pickup trucks of distant memory can you think of? Off the top of my head I recall the Chevy El Camino and the Ford Ranchero of the 70s - we actually had one of the latter. The 80s saw the Dodge Rampage/Plymouth Scamp based on the Omni 024/TC3 as well as the Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup followed shortly thereafter by the Subaru Brat of course. Weird cars? No doubt. Did they sell? Obviously not well enough to keep building them.
So why does Subaru think their radical new Baja is any different? Actually, they've got a lot of good reasons. First, unlike any of these previous examples the Baja has four doors and seats four. All of a sudden the funky car-based pickup idea turns practical. Now its outdoor cargo area seems a lot more useful than a trunk or enclosed wagon. You can fit bikes, surfboards, building supplies, loads of dirt and dare I say a tiny camper within its bed - OK, scratch that last one.
What's more Subaru has added its Switchback system, consisting of a folding panel bisecting the box and the cabin, when called upon to carry long loads. If you're familiar with the Chevy Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT, GM models that use a similarly designed system, you'll appreciate the versatility of such a feature. With the rear seats folded forward and the Switchback panel opened, and with the tailgate extension in place, a total of 1,974 mm (77.7 in) puts the Baja's bed length into compact pickup territory. Its 1,244 mm (49.0 in) maximum bed width makes it just wide enough to slide in a 4x6½ ft sheet of plywood - you'll have to chop off 1½ ft before leaving the lumber yard. But wait, that's not right. You'll have to factor in the width of the Switchback opening at only 765 mm (30.1 in), meaning the front portion of the plywood would need to be cut on both sides by 1 1/4 ft. On second thought, cancel all attempts of fitting in anything remotely resembling a normal size sheet of plywood. But of course, contractors won't be lining up to buy Baja's for hauling building materials.