Shockingly Sensible? Subaru Plugs In and Gets Slightly Interesting
Image Credit: Subaru.
Subaru has finally decided to plug itself into the 21st century with something that isn't a bit… beige. Feast your peepers on the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker EV, a vehicle that looks like it might actually have a personality, unlike some of its rather sensible stablemates.
I'll be honest - here's the bit that got me interested: Subaru reckons it'll do zero to sixty in a rather spritely 4.3 seconds. Blimey! That's quicker than you can say "all-wheel drive and a thermos of lukewarm tea." Apparently, it'll leave even a poor, unsuspecting WRX choking on its electric dust. Progress, eh? Though I do feel a pang of sympathy for the petrol-fueled dinosaurs. Their time is drawing to a close, like a particularly dull episode of Antiques Roadshow.
In America, bigger is always better (except maybe when it comes to your waistline, but that's a different story for a different day), and this Trailseeker is a proper chunk of metal… err, I mean, environmentally conscious materials. It's six inches longer and an inch taller than the Solterra. That's almost a whole baguette extra. The point is - it's got more room for all your paraphernalia. Subaru themselves are chirping about an "ample space for people and their gear to explore the trails and beyond." Which, if you translate from marketing gibberish, probably means you can fit your Labrador, three sets of golf clubs, and that inflatable kayak you bought on a whim and have used precisely once.
Image Credit: Subaru.
The electrickery that makes this thing go "vroom" in a decidedly less "vroomy" way is quite interesting. It's packing a 74.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, the same as in the updated Solterra. Subaru reckons that's good for about 260 miles of range. That 260 miles might not sound like you can circumnavigate the globe, but it's enough to get you from your suburban McMansion to that artisanal sourdough bakery and back, with maybe a quick detour to the garden center for some petunias. And just like the new Solterra, it's got one of those fancy Tesla-style NACS charging ports. This is big news - it means you can plug into Tesla's Supercharger network. Which is rather handy, unless you have a pathological aversion to anything vaguely… Tesla?
Charging speeds, you ask? The boffins at Subaru claim it'll go from a measly 10 percent to a respectable 80 percent in under 35 minutes, thanks to its 150-kilowatt maximum charging capability. That's about the time it takes to brew a decent pot of coffee and read a few pages of that incredibly intellectual magazine you keep meaning to finish.
Of course, being a Subaru, it wouldn't be a proper mountain goat without all-wheel drive as standard. They've even thrown in some fancy-sounding modes like "Snow/Dirt" and "Deep Snow/Mud." It seems the good folks at Subaru envision you tackling terrain that would make a Sherpa think twice. There's also something called "Grip Control" and "Downhill Assist Control." Sounds terribly technical, but I imagine it just stops you from ending up upside-down in a ditch when things get a bit… enthusiastic.
The bit that makes your wallet twitch nervously: the price? Subaru is being coy, tighter-lipped than a politician caught in a compromising situation. They wouldn't even whisper if this Trailseeker will cost more than the Solterra. Given that it's bigger and, on paper at least, a bit more exciting, one would assume it'll require a few more of those green folding rectangles. But we'll have to wait until 2026 to find out the damage to our bank accounts.
Image Credit: Subaru.
The Trailseeker does seem to tick a lot of boxes for the Subaru faithful. Those hardy souls who brave the elements in places where the weather changes more often than my socks have been clamoring for a proper electric Subaru, something with a bit more oomph and practicality than what's currently on offer. And this, my friends, just might be it. Could this be the chariot of choice for eco-conscious adventurers? I reckon it's got a jolly good shot. It certainly has more character than a Tupperware container, and that's saying something.
