An Electric Wagon Worth Considering

Subaru stuck a toe in the EV waters in 2023 with its Solterra SUV. This year, it’s planting its feet more assuredly with two new vehicles: the 2026 Uncharted we told you about last week, and the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker. 

Like the Uncharted, the Trailseeker comes from a partnership with Toyota. In this case, the look-alike bZ Woodland matches the Trailseeker’s specs—but Subaru says it’s had more of a role in the development of this vehicle. That’s obvious in some places and in some features, less so in others. 

Start outside, for example. The Trailseeker’s styling locks in the same vibe as Subaru’s stalwart Crosstrek and Outback models. A body-color nose panel breaks for a Subaru logo and not much else, while LED running lights cut in at the hoodline. The actual LED headlights rest beneath those, tucked into black plastic cladding that wraps back around the front wheels. With some muscular chamfers and contours on its wagon sideview, and some more cladding over the rear wheels, it would be easy to mix the Trailseeker up with a gas-powered Subaru. Cladding lifts up the rear end, while an LED light band cuts across the tailgate with lighted SUBARU lettering. With the wild swings taken with Subaru’s latest Outback and Forester, the Trailseeker has the better, more coherent, more familial look.

The Trailseeker interior lines up perfectly with Subaru’s pragmatic past, too. It’s an uncomplicated place to work, with a smaller digital display for speed, regen, and more, all above a squircular steering wheel. The broad-shouldered console houses twin phone chargers and drive-mode selectors, with storage beneath it. Above that, a massive 14.0-inch screen from Toyota’s supply house weighs down the dash, complete with wireless CarPlay and dual knobs for climate adjustment. That, plus a handful of horizontal surfaces, tells the whole story. There’s nothing, save for those screens, to distract.

The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Trailseeker sports a 74.7-kWh battery and is rated at 375 hp. Its pack discharges entirely if you drive a Premium-trim model for 281 miles. That dips to 274 miles in the top Limited and Touring editions. All versions have a NACS port for charging, but, like the other Subaru EVs and related Toyota bZ, charging peaks at 150 kW. So rated, charging from 10% to 80% takes 28 minutes.

Those underwhelming charge specs still benefit from electric-car basics: even at a minimum of 4,465 pounds, the Trailseeker Premium can rip off 4.4-second 0-60 mph times, which will scald any WRX and most STIs, too. And neither of those can tow up to 3,500 pounds.

On the road, the Trailseeker delivers admirable ride quality, thanks to a strut-and-multi-link suspension developed by Subaru. Base cars clabber around on 18-inch wheels, but the 20-inchers on the Tourings we drove don’t seem to come with a downside other than the slightly lower range. The Trailseeker has better steering feel than the smaller Uncharted, too—but like it, has four modes of brake regeneration without any one-pedal drive mode, which would have made hustling this thickly built SUV through the hillsides near Laguna Beach in mist and rain more entertaining.

Off in the dirt, the Trailseeker finds its light. Its stock all-wheel-drive setup includes hill-start assist, variable torque splits, an X-Mode traction system with drive modes for snow, dirt, and mud, and a downhill-speed-control system. Punch all the buttons and let the Trailseeker loose on a rutted mud trail, and its 8.5 inches of ground clearance and all-season tires can spin briefly before it locks down and pulls through semi-challenging slick stuff. It’s as good as an Outback at delivering the 90 percent of off-road ability most drivers actually need. 

It excels in packaging, with power front seats that leave inches of headroom above my six-foot frame and almost as much in back, too. At 190.8 inches long and with a wheelbase of 112.2 inches, it has a cargo hold with 74.0 cubic feet of space, or 71.8 when the panoramic roof replaces the metal roof. Behind the rear seats, 32.2 cubic feet gives the Trailseeker Outback-like space for four suitcases or more granola than any single Costco usually has on hand. A 75-inch object will sit behind the front seats, which means the Trailseeker is totally down for ski season or dragging home a Christmas tree.

Standard safety equipment includes blind-spot monitors, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, and hands-free driver assistance that works at 25 mph and less. Voice controls can command the climate, phone, and audio, in case that huge touchscreen doesn’t do the trick.

The $41,445 Trailseeker Premium has a power driver seat, a power tailgate, 18-inch wheels, twin wireless smartphone charging pads, four USB-C charging ports, and a 14-inch touchscreen. The $44,445 Limited models have 20-inch wheels, a 120-volt power outlet in the cargo hold, Harman Kardon audio, a surround-view camera, a power front passenger seat, and a hands-free power tailgate. The $48,005 Touring editions add a panoramic glass roof, cooled front seats, and options for two-tone blue paint ($395) and leather upholstery ($300). With Crystal White paint and leather, add another $100.

Faster charging would be great, and more range wouldn’t hurt either. Otherwise, the Trailseeker proves Subaru has found the right path for EVs that will appeal to its loyal drivers. 

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Quick Take

A Subaru EV that’s on the right path.