1st Subaru Ascent rolls off Lafayette plant's assembly line

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - A Subaru plant in northwest Indiana has produced its first Subaru Ascent as part of an expansion that's added more than 200 jobs to the plant.

Upbeat music reverberated inside Subaru of Indiana Automotive's Lafayette plant Monday as an Ascent sport utility vehicle rolled onto the production floor. A yellow Labrador retriever and a golden retriever which are featured in Subaru commercials poked their heads from the SUV's window during the debut.

The Ascent can hold eight passengers in three rows of seating. It will be sold only in North America to satisfy demand for bigger vehicles.

The Journal & Courier reports the company announced in December that it would begin producing the Ascent at the plant, adding more than 200 jobs and boosting its workforce to about 5,600 workers.

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Information from: Journal and Courier, http://www.jconline.com