Subaru Ascent 2023 User manual

Subaru of America, Inc.
One Subaru Drive
Camden, NJ 08103-9800
MSA5B2300A
Issued September 2022
Printed in USA 09/22
2023
Getting Started Guide
Ascent
Love. It’s what makes Subaru, Subaru.

© 2022 Subaru of America, Inc. Printed in USA. All rights reserved. Contents may not be
reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission of publisher. Specications
in this Guide are based on the latest product information available at the time of publication.
Some images shown are for illustration purposes only. Some equipment shown in
photography within this Guide is optional at extra cost. Specic options may be available
only in combination with other options. Specic combinations of equipment or features may
vary from time to time, and by geographic area. Subaru of America, Inc. reserves the right
to change or discontinue at any time, without notice: Prices, colors, materials, equipment,
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typographical errors.
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PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
WELCOME ................. 4
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INFORMATION .............. 4
OWNER’S RESOURCES....... 4
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ..... 5
TOWING YOUR ALL-WHEEL
DRIVE SUBARU ............. 6
ENTRY AND EXIT
KEYLESS ENTRY ............ 7
KEYLESS ACCESS WITH PUSH
BUTTON START ............. 9
POWER REAR GATE (PRG) ....11
INSTRUMENT PANEL ........14
GAUGES AND WARNING
LIGHTS
COMBINATION METER .......16
WARNING AND INDICATOR
LIGHTS ....................17
CONTROLS
INSTRUMENT PANEL SWITCHES
(LOWER LEFT) ..............18
AUDIO CONTROLS...........18
ADVANCED ADAPTIVE CRUISE
CONTROL .................19
i SWITCH...................19
LIGHT CONTROLS ...........20
TURN SIGNALS .............21
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ........22
REAR WINDOW WIPER .......23
ONE-TOUCH INTERIOR
LIGHTING ..................24
OVERHEAD CONSOLE........25
GETTING COMFORTABLE
SEATING ...................26
TILT AND TELESCOPIC STEERING
COLUMN...................29
POWER EXTERIOR MIRRORS . . 30
REAR VIEW MIRROR .........31
CABIN VIEW MIRROR.........32
POWER WINDOWS ..........32
POWER MOONROOF ........33
CLIMATE CONTROL ..........34
ACCESSORY CONNECTIONS . . 42
OPERATING THE VEHICLE
IGNITION SWITCH ...........43
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION
SWITCH ...................43
STARTING THE VEHICLE ......43
DRIVING THE VEHICLE .......44
ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE
(EPB) .....................45
X-MODE
®
..................47
TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE...49
TABLE OF CONTENTS

REFUELING
FUEL FILLER LID ............50
FUEL SPECIFICATIONS AND
CAPACITY ..................50
PASSENGER/CARGO AREAS
CABIN CONNECT ...........51
ACCESSING THE THIRD-ROW . 51
EXITING THE THIRD-ROW .....52
FOLDING THE REAR SEATS ...52
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS .......54
LATCH/ANCHOR ............54
REAR SEAT REMINDER .......55
CARGO COVER .............56
SPARE TIRE ................57
JACK AND TOOLS ...........57
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
HOOD PROP................58
2.4 L ENGINE ...............59
ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS
NEW VEHICLE BREAK-IN......60
ENGINE OIL ................60
ENGINE OIL CAPACITY .......60
ROOF RAIL / CROSS BAR
CAPACITY .................61
TRAILER TOWING CAPACITY . . 61
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS) .............62
STARLINK OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW OF YOUR MULTIMEDIA
SYSTEM ...................65
BUTTONS ..................67
TOUCHSCREEN .............68
STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS. . 69
VOICE RECOGNITION ........69
STARLINK HOME
HOME SCREEN ICONS .......71
REARRANGING ICONS .......72
ADDING SHORTCUTS ........72
DRIVER PROFILE
CREATING A DRIVER PROFILE . . 74
VALET MODE ...............77
MULTIMEDIA
RADIO .....................82
MEDIA .....................85
PHONE
PAIRING A PHONE ...........86
PAIRING AN ANDROID PHONE . . 86
PAIRING AN iPHONE .........93
MAKING A CALL.............99
RECEIVING A CALL .........100
TEXT MESSAGES ...........101
APPS
SUBARU STARLINK
®
IN-VEHICLE
APPS.....................102
MYSUBARU ...............103
MAPS (if equipped)
MAPS OVERVIEW...........105
STARLINK SAFETY AND
SECURITY
SAFETY AND SECURITY
OVERVIEW ................106
ENROLLMENT .............107
MYSUBARU INTEGRATION ...107
SUBARU STARLINK
®
WI-FI
HOTSPOT ................108
SETTINGS AND UPDATES
SETTINGS AND UPDATES
OVERVIEW ................109
SOUND ...................110
PHONE ...................111
MAPS/NAVIGATION .........112
CLOCK ...................113
EYESIGHT
EYESIGHT
®
OVERVIEW ......114
OPERATION ...............115
FUNCTIONS ...............115
STEERING WHEEL
CONTROLS................122
EYESIGHT
®
ASSIST MONITOR
(EAM) ....................124
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING AND
PRE-COLLISION BRAKING
SYSTEM OFF ..............125
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2

DRIVER ASSIST
TECHNOLOGIES
REAR-VISION CAMERA ......127
SURROUND VIEW CAMERA . . 128
BLIND SPOT DETECTION (BSD) /
REAR CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT
(RCTA) ...................131
HIGH BEAM ASSIST (HBA) ...133
STEERING RESPONSIVE
HEADLIGHTS (SRH) .........133
REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING
(RAB) ....................133
DRIVERFOCUS DISTRACTION
MITIGATION SYSTEM
(if equipped)
DRIVERFOCUS
®
OVERVIEW . . 135
DRIVERFOCUS
®
COMPONENTS.............135
DROWSY/INATTENTIVE
WARNINGS ................137
DRIVER PROFILE/CONVENIENCE
SETTINGS .................137
DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEM
OFF......................139
CARE AND LIMITATIONS
STEREO CAMERA
PRECAUTIONS .............140
WINDSHIELD GLASS AND
DASHBOARD ..............140
FRONT VIEW
ASCENT ..................141
EYESIGHT DISCLAIMER
EYESIGHT
®
DISCLAIMER ....142
HOW TO APPENDIX
HOW TO OVERVIEW.........143
SETTING THE CLOCK .......144
MEMORY HEIGHT ..........148
MEMORY DRIVER’S SEAT ....150
WI-FI .....................151
MAPS ....................154
FIRMWARE AND SOFTWARE
UPDATES .................172
INDEX .....................173
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3

WELCOME
Congratulations on choosing a Subaru Ascent and welcome to the Subaru family!
Subaru is more than a car company™. We are committed to making the world a better
place, and the Subaru Love Promise is our vision to show love and respect to all people at
every interaction with Subaru. We believe in building lifelong relationships with our
customers, earning your trust and exceeding your expectations by providing customer
service with integrity and compassion.
This Getting Started Guide will introduce you to your new Subaru Ascent by providing
information on the basic operation and key features of your Subaru as well as the
STARLINK
®
and EyeSight
®
systems in your vehicle.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
The Getting Started Guide is not intended as a substitute for your Owner’s Manuals. We
strongly encourage you to review your Vehicle, STARLINK
®
, and EyeSight
®
Owner’s
Manuals to ensure complete understanding.
OWNER’S RESOURCES
If you’re having difficulty using any of the functions outlined in this guide, or want to learn
more, you can get additional information from the
following sources:
Your Subaru Owner’s Manuals:
Located in the glovebox
Online Subaru Owner’s Resources:
www.subaru.com/owners
Subaru Customer Support:
www.subaru.com/customer-support
1-800-782-2783 (1-800-SUBARU3 )
PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
4

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
SUBARU STARLINK
®
Safety and Security (if equipped, subscription
required)
SOS Emergency: Press the red
“SOS” button on the overhead
console in the event of an
emergency to speak with a
SUBARU STARLINK
®
Customer
Care Advisor.
Enhanced Roadside Assistance:
Press the blue “i” button on the
overhead console or select the
“MySubaru” button and then
choose “Roadside Assistance” on
the multimedia system.
For more information, please
refer to “Safety and Security
Overview” on page 106 in this
Getting Started Guide or “Introduction” in your SUBARU STARLINK
®
Safety and Security
Owner’s Manual. Not available in all states. See Retailer for details.
Subaru Roadside Assistance
Subaru Roadside Assistance:
1-800-261-2155
Subaru Roadside Assistance is free and standard on your Subaru; there are no forms to complete. This service is
available anytime during the 3-year/36,000-mile Subaru Limited Warranty, whichever comes first. See your Subaru
Retailer for details and refer to the Roadside Assistance guide in the owner’s information kit for the details on this
coverage. A Subaru Roadside Assistance decal has been affixed to the driver’s door window.
Roadside assistance helps with:
• Towing to the nearest authorized Subaru Retailer if you cannot safely drive your Subaru
• Jump-start if your battery is dead
• Gasoline delivery if you run out of gas
• Flat tire change to install your spare
• Emergency lockout service
• National Subaru Retailer locator service, with phone numbers and location of the nearest
Subaru Retailer anywhere in the U.S. or Canada
NOTE: Specifically excluded from Subaru Roadside Assistance coverage are service
requests or claims resulting from: accidents, vandalism, acts of God, violation of any laws,
or vehicle modifications not recommended by the manufacturer.
SOS and Roadside Assistance Buttons
PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
5

TOWING YOUR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SUBARU
Since Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive distributes power to all four wheels, improper
towing may damage your AWD system. The best way to tow your Ascent is with a flatbed
truck by your Subaru Retailer or a commercial towing service.
For more information, please refer to “In Case of Emergency” in your Owner’s Manual.
PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
6

KEYLESS ENTRY
1Lock/Arm
• Press the lock/arm button to lock the doors, the rear gate,
and the fuel filler lid and to activate the security alarm. A
chirp sounds and the hazard warning lights flash once.
• If any of the doors or the rear gate are not fully closed, five
rapid chirps sound and the hazard warning lights flash to
alert you.
• Press the lock/arm button three times to activate the vehicle
finder function. If you are within 30 feet of your Subaru, the
horn sounds once, and the hazard warning lights flash three
times.
2Unlock/Disarm
• Press the unlock/disarm button once to unlock the driver’s
door and fuel filler lid. Two chirps sound and the hazard
warning lights flash twice. To unlock all the doors and the
rear gate, briefly press the button twice.
• The interior lights will illuminate when you press the
unlock/disarm button if the interior light switch is set to the
“DOOR” position on the overhead console.
3Rear Gate
• Press the rear gate button to unlock the rear gate.
• If your Subaru has a Power Rear Gate, press and hold this
button to open or close the rear gate.
4Panic Alarm
• Press the panic alarm button to sound the horn and flash
the hazard warning lights.
• Press any button on the access key fob or transmitter to deactivate the panic
alarm.
Transmitter
Access Key Fob
ENTRY AND EXIT
7

Automatic Door Locking/Unlocking
This feature allows you to set when your Subaru automatically locks or unlocks the doors
through the STARLINK
®
Touchscreen (select “Settings”, and then select the “Car” menu).
The available settings are listed in the table below.
AVAILABLE SETTINGS
AUTO DOOR LOCK Vehicle Speed
(12 mph)
Shift into or
out of PARK
OFF
AUTO DOOR UNLOCK Ignition OFF Driver Door
Open
Shift into or
out of PARK
OFF
ENTRY AND EXIT
8

KEYLESS ACCESS WITH PUSH BUTTON START
(if equipped)
The Keyless Access with Push-Button Start system features the following touch-activated
door locking or unlocking functions without the key ever leaving your pocket or purse. You
can customize the touch-activated door locking or unlocking settings using the
STARLINK
®
Touchscreen by selecting “Settings,” and then selecting the “Car” menu.
Unlocking Using Door Handles
Grip the driver’s door handle to
unlock the driver’s door and fuel
filler lid. Grip the front
passenger’s door handle to
unlock all doors, the fuel filler lid,
and the rear gate. Two chirps
sound and the hazard warning
lights flash twice.
Locking Using Door Handles
Close all the doors and the rear
gate and touch the door lock
sensor (two lines) on either front
door handle. All doors and the
rear gate lock. One chirp sounds
and the hazard warning lights
flash once.
Door Unlock Sensor
Door Lock Sensor
ENTRY AND EXIT
9

Unlocking Using the Rear Gate
Press the rear gate opener button
to unlock and open the rear gate.
Two chirps sound and the hazard
warning lights flash twice.
Locking Using the Rear Gate
Close all the doors and the rear
gate and press the rear lock
button. All doors and the rear gate
lock. One chirp sounds and the
hazard warning lights flash once.
Rear Gate Opener Button
Rear Lock Button
ENTRY AND EXIT
10

POWER REAR GATE (PRG) (if equipped)
The Power Rear Gate allows automatic opening, and a single touch
of a button can close the gate and lock the entire vehicle. The
opening height can also be adjusted for spaces where clearance is
limited.
You can learn more about the Power Rear Gate from the video
linked in the QR code and “Keys and Doors” in your Owner’s
Manual.
Power Rear Gate Button
Opening the Power Rear Gate
Press and hold the Power Rear
Gate Button on the instrument
panel to automatically open the
rear gate. Two chirps sound and
the hazard warning lights flash
twice.
Stopping the Power Rear Gate
If you briefly press the Power
Rear Gate Button while the rear
gate is opening, it will stop. Press
and briefly hold the button again
to close the rear gate.
Closing the Power Rear Gate
Press and hold the Power Rear Gate Button on the instrument panel to close the rear gate.
If you briefly press the button while the rear gate is closing, it will open.
The operation of the Power Rear Gate is the same using the Power Rear Gate Button on
the access key fob or transmitter.
NOTE: If the doors are locked when you operate the Power Rear Gate, you may hear three
rapid beeps from the vehicle. In this case, unlock the doors and then operate the Power
Rear Gate.
Power Rear Gate Button
ENTRY AND EXIT
11

From the Rear of the Vehicle
Opening the Power Rear Gate
To open the rear gate, briefly
press the Rear Gate Opener
Button on the underside trim near
the license plate, and the rear
gate automatically opens.
Stopping the Power Rear Gate
If you briefly press the Power
Rear Gate Close Button on the
inside edge of the rear gate while
the gate is opening, it will stop.
Press the button again to close
the rear gate.
Closing the Power Rear Gate
To close the rear gate, briefly
press the Power Rear Gate Close
Button on the inside edge of the
rear gate. If you press the button
while the gate is closing, it will
open.
Rear Gate Opener Button
Power Rear Gate Close Button
ENTRY AND EXIT
12

Power Rear Gate Lock
Press the lock button on the
inside edge of the rear gate. The
Power Rear Gate will close, and
all doors, the rear gate, and the
fuel filler lid will lock.
The Power Rear Gate also comes equipped with a memory height function, allowing
you to set the where the Power Rear Gate stops when it opens. For step by step
instructions on setting the memory height, please refer to page 148 in this Getting Started
Guide.
Power Rear Gate Close and Lock Button
ENTRY AND EXIT
13

1Power Windows (p. 32)
2Power Exterior Mirrors (p. 30)
3Instrument Panel Switches (p. 18)
4I Switch (p. 19)
5Audio Controls (p. 18)
6Light Controls (p. 20)
7Combination Meter (p. 16)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
14

8Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control (p. 19)
9Center Information Display (CID) (p. 65)
10 Windshield Wipers (p. 22)
11 SUBARU STARLINK
®
Multimedia Touchscreen (p. 65)
12 CVT Select Lever (p. 44)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
15

COMBINATION METER
1Tachometer
2Combination Meter Display (CMD)
3Speedometer
4Fuel gauge
5Trip meter and odometer
6Select lever/gear position indicator
7Engine coolant temperature gauge
GAUGES AND WARNING LIGHTS
16

WARNING AND INDICATOR LIGHTS
Red lights indicate immediate attention is required. Some examples are:
Seatbelt warning Door open indicator Brake system warning
Yellow lights indicate caution. Some examples are:
Low fuel Engine low oil level warning Tire pressure warning
Green and blue lights are for information. Some examples are:
Headlight indicator Auto Vehicle Hold High beam indicator
GAUGES AND WARNING LIGHTS
17

INSTRUMENT PANEL SWITCHES (LOWER LEFT)
The switches in the lower left of the instrument panel allow you to control several
convenient and important features. Knowing their location and function will improve your
driving experience.
1Power Rear Gate
(if equipped, p. 11)
2One-touch Interior Lighting
(if equipped, p. 24)
3Illumination Brightness
(p. 21)
For more information, please
refer to your Owner’s Manual.
AUDIO CONTROLS
1Source
2Presets/Skip
3Info Switch
4Arrow Switches
5Call and End/Mute Switches
6Talk Switch
7Volume Switches
For more information about your audio
system and controls, please refer to page 69 in
this Getting Started Guide or “Quick Guide” in
your STARLINK
®
Owner’s Manual.
CONTROLS
18