So, in a boringly predictable variation on a theme, the new Subaru Tribeca is a good car. Subaru have been making quite a few of these lately, and it does make reviewing them a rather monochrome affair. A manufacturer like Kia – well, there’s the boom/bust temperament that puts the flush on my cheeks and the salt and pepper in my hair.

I’m being rather facetious here, of course, even though the underlying point is a valid one. The Tribeca is a safe, solid, stylish performer that won’t set the land speed record or open the next Paris Fashion Week, but will reward owners with years of reliable service. Having said this, it is necessary to disclaim preliminarily that, middle of the road comfort notwithstanding, the Tribeca does have one feature in particular to distinguish from other models Subaru have lately pumped out. Its roomy cabin can convert from a five-seat ride to reasonably accommodate seven, without compromising on aesthetic sensibilities. Aside from this, its ferociously competent business as usual for another quality Subaru vehicle.

The Tribeca has a Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system that ensures that engine power reaches each wheel at the optimum rate for gaining maximum traction. The system has what it takes to get through and over tricky road surfaces. The Tribeca makes the most of a superb 190 kW 3.6 litre dual overhead cam Subaru engine that is petrol powered. The colossal 350 Nm of torque is very useful, particularly when the SUV is heavily laden. The Tribeca comes standard with a 5-speed adaptive automatic gearbox. The auto is electronic and has a direct-control feature, with a SPORTSHIFT manual control as well. The gearbox is silky, and it makes use of the engine power superbly so that progress is unhindered, swift and smooth.

The Subaru Tribeca’s interior comes with an 8-way power driver’s seat and a 4-way power passenger seat. Both have manually adjustable lumbar support, both come with 3-stage heated front seats as well as a 2-position driver’s memory seat. Jump into the second row of seats in the rear and you will find that the seats have a 60/40 split. Play musical seats, and before long, you will find yourself in the third row. The third row has a 50/50 split feature, and they fold flat when added storage capacity is needed. The Tribeca also comes with electronically controlled cruise control, a HomeLink® remote transmitter with 3-memory settings, a top of the line 9 speaker audio system with a subwoofer and a 6 disc in-dash CD changer with MP3 capability. There are even steering wheel mounted audio controls as well as an auxiliary audio jack for portable media players. To really kit out the Tribeca, you might opt for the outstanding touch screen GPS navigation system, plus the rear-seat DVD entertainment system which boasts a 9″ widescreen. Wireless headsets and an auxiliary input for a game console or portable MP3 player are other features. Wow!

Of course, safety plays a big role with the Subaru Tribeca, hence the five star safety results. So with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, vehicle dynamic control, ESP, a traction control system, a reversing camera, a tire pressure monitoring system and driver and passenger front and side mounted airbags, as well as second row airbags, you are well protected.

A respectable rival to the other big name SUVs on the market, the Subaru Tribeca will fulfil about everything you ask of it – provided you don’t ask too much. It’s not the best thing since sliced bread, but it’s superior to lots of other things, and may be well worth investigating for yourself.