This is what happens to the Ford Explorer Sport Trac in Bill Ford’s worst nightmares. It is shrunken down, placed on a car chassis, and given a Chevy Avalanche-like pass-through in the rear bulkhead to preserve carrying capacity. The brawny V6 is replaced by a turbocharged, 2.5-liter 210-hp four-cylinder mated to a four-speed automatic and full-time all-wheel-drive.

In his dream, the optional bed extender that folds out over the tailgate increases bed length to 58 inches, or over 90 inches if the rear seat is folded down and the “Switchback” opening is used. But the full width is wasted because the Switchback is a rectangular hole in the center of the rear bulkhead, and doesn’t extend all the way to the sides of the plastic-lined bed. And there’s no power rear window to increase ventilation.

Performance isn’t of the sports car variety, mainly because horsepower has been traded for torque. In this case, 235 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm. It’s a fair tradeoff, especially since the Baja Turbo is more likely to carry equipment in the abbreviated cargo hold than the perfect drift through a World Rally Championship special stage.

Nor will the Baja win any beauty contests, festooned as it is with all of the plastic cladding formerly reserved for Pontiacs. Stylistically, the Baja is an enigma. It has huge fog light openings and a coarse egg crate grille that are a cross between a rally car and a truck. The cladding is meant to protect the body sides when off road, but mimic the plastic found on the side of the Legacy Outback, only without the subtlety. And the cabin looks like it belongs on the Legacy sedan, while the tail is akin to the late Subaru Brat. It’s like Salvador Dali was the chief stylist, and he was on a week-long bender.

If the looks don’t scare you off, you’ll find a nicely appointed, capable, er, vehicle underneath. Unfortunately, the open cargo bay means that transporting items in inclement weather isn’t always fun. If the kids come along, the groceries could be wet by the time you get home, but tall, narrow items will fit just fine. If you don’t carry a lot of those types of items, buy the wagon.

A Second Glance

By Gary S. Vasilash

The most noticeable thing about the Subé Baja is, well, the way it looks.  Like a car that has been mated with a pickup truck.  No, this is not some sort of car-based crossover sport utility vehicle.  Not by any means.  It is something else entirely.  It is not an El Camino.  Not a Ranchero.  Given the propensity for people to create neologisms to describe vehicles, I'd have to describe the Baja as a "caruck."  No, not the sweetest sounding word ever created.  But that's what it is.  A caruck.

Admittedly, the truck bed is a bit on the diminutive side.  The vehicle's EPA cargo volume is 17.7 ft³.  Presumably, that's the bed.  Because behind the backseat there's a wall.  Not a whole lot of storage room there.  The bed does have a bed light and tie-down clamps.  Ideally, I think, it would be well suited to handle the gear of two people (gear, of course, because conventional luggage or goods would be open to the elements, so unless it is a nice day. . .it had better be gear).   But that leads to the question of why there is seating for five: Where would all their stuff go?  Perhaps it is a case of traveling light.

Since there aren't a whole lot of carucks out there, the vehicle did receive some stares from other motorists.  Which might be a good thing.  Or maybe they agree with the observations of Mr. Sawyer and are simply gobsmacked at the profile of the vehicle.

I've enjoyed the Subés I've had the opportunity to drive.  Including this one.  The turbo isn't the sort of thing that causes the whites of one's eyes to be visible when getting on the pedal, but for city driving, it does quite nicely.  And I found everything in order on the interior: all the gauges evident and the knobs sufficiently large to be handled with gloved hands.  (One assumes that, oh, Vermont is the ideal spot for this AWD vehicle.)

But the whole caruck thing.  I don't think that I could get used to it.

(You can check out the non-turbo version of the vehicle we drove at: http://www.subaru.com/servlet/research ?model=BAJA&trim=BAJA&command=overview)