Subaru has taken a cautious route into the fully electric vehicle market, which isn’t too surprising for a company whose identity has been built on all-wheel-drive vehicles that are perfectly at home with a kayak strapped to the roof. Its first global battery-electric vehicle, introduced in 2021, was the Solterra and was jointly developed with Toyota. For 2026, Subaru is getting more serious about all-electric vehicles with the all-new Trailseeker. It's an entirely new model for the company and it's pretty darn nice.
I'm sure that "Toyota" caught your eye in the previous paragraph. Turns out that Subaru and Toyota have been working together since 2005, including the joint development of a dedicated EV platform and electric SUVs for both companies. The Trailseeker is essentially the Subaru version of Toyota’s bZ Woodland EV, just as the Solterra also shares fundamentals with the Toyota bZ. Subaru engineers participated in the development of both models, of course, and applied Subaru-specific suspension and all-wheel-drive tuning to the vehicles, including some design choices that make them key parts of the modern Subaru lineup. Contrary to some rumors, they did not just switch vehicle badges on the assembly line. 😉
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That distinction matters once you’re behind the wheel. The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring I drove is quick, quiet, and solid, with the instant acceleration we’ve come to expect from modern EVs, with 375 horsepower from its dual-motor drivetrain. Not to worry, it still has plenty of familiar Subaru driving personality. The steering is tight and responsive, and the suspension has that slightly bouncy response over uneven pavement that's familiar to anyone who’s been in a gas-powered Subaru. The Trailseeker is polished, but for all that, it lives in a weird space partway between Toyota (the infotainment system's based on Toyota software, for example) and classic Subaru.
What might also give longtime Subaru owners pause is the exterior styling. Park the Trailseeker beside an Outback or Forester and there just isn’t a lot of family resemblance, aside from the badges and a few deliberate design cues. Taken on its own, however, I found the Trailseeker a sleek, handsome EV with a spacious cabin and a modern personality. Hardcore Subaru fans might wonder where their classic Subie went, but when considered against the crowded electric SUV market, the Trailseeker is a great addition to the lineup.
Here's what Subaru dropped off, a 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring in Magnetite Gray Metallic:
Before going any further, have a peek at the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland to compare style and design. Not identical, but certainly peas from the same proverbial pod. Now, let's talk about this vehicle, because there's quite a bit to like. Yes, its fully charged range is 274 miles, but I found that to be no limitation at all, even when I went on a longer drive one afternoon to visit my daughter. Importantly, the Trailseeker has the NACS charging port so you can use almost any of the high-powered Tesla Supercharger stations, but it also has a secret adapter kit in the back that allows you to use J1772 and CCS1 charging devices:
You might hear of these as a "Level 2" plug (J1772) or a "Combo" plug (CCS1), but between all of them, you can pull the Trailseeker into just about any possible charging spot and add some electrons to the battery. I have a 240V-based charger at home and with the J1772 adapter, it did a splendid job of quickly bringing the vehicle back to a 100% charge.
Note: Many EV owners target about an 85%-90% charge as max to extend battery life. I just didn't set that charging cap when I gave it juice, in case you're wondering.
The curb appeal of the Trailseeker is mixed; it really just looks like every other SUV on the road nowadays, perhaps a bit flatter of a front "grille" area, characteristic of modern EVs. Those big 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels not only look great but they give the Trailseeker a decent 8.5-inches of ground clearance. Not enough for Suicide Canyon, but plenty enough for more casual off-roading or winding your way home after a storm fells a few trees onto the road.
The cockpit was a pleasantly clean and uncluttered design, partially because so darn many buttons and controls shifted to the steering wheel. There are a lot of vehicle controls clustered around the steering wheel. Note also the paddle shifters hiding just behind those controls, just in case you're enthusiastic about having control over your regen-braking / deceleration levels.
Did you notice the shape of the steering wheel? I kid you not, it's called a squircle, part square, part circle. Turns out that while I was amused when I first saw it, this turns out to be quite comfortable on the hands and when you're driving straight, allows easier visibility of the main instrument cluster. However, it also meant that the driver's face camera has a small space to work with so, since I like to drive with one hand at the top of the wheel, I spent a lot of my week with the Trailseeker seeing bits of this error:
There's a way you can disable this, thankfully. It's perhaps the most annoying of the many advanced driver assist safety systems on this Subaru/Toyota partnership vehicle and one that I didn't find helpful (to say the least!). In the above you can see 100% charge = 269 estimated miles of range, by the way. Very close to Subaru's estimated range.
Not shown in the photo, but much appreciated, is that the rear view mirror has two modes: By default it's a display screen showing the camera view out the rear of the vehicle, but you can flip a lever and use it as a more traditional reflective mirror. Since I find myself going a bit bug-eyed trying to focus on the tiny screen rearview mirrors, being able to disable it was fantastic.
On first glance, it might seem odd to have so much space in the center console dedicated to wireless phone charging spots, but I found that my passengers and I both greatly appreciated it during even short jaunts. They could probably be a bit further forward, but the overall design here is nicely compact so there's space for the two cupholders, space for two phones, and all the buttons and controls needed to manage your drive mode and experience.
The dominant element of the interior design is definitely the 14-inch multimedia touchscreen infotainment system. It's smaller than many of its peers in this segment, but with all the other vehicle controls extended below the Apple CarPlay (or Android Auto) display, it seems much bigger. Certainly it's great for navigation and sounds quite good, whether it's a podcast, audiobook, or the latest tunes.
The instrument cluster with integrated driving directions offered a simple, easily understood view, common with most EVs since they don't have as much information to display to the driver.
Speaking of which, the drive experience with the Trailseeker is terrific. As with most electric vehicles, it had lots of oomph when needed, based around an impressive 4.4 second 0-60 acceleration. Suffice to say, it's likely the peppiest vehicle in the entire Subaru lineup. With its tight suspension and grippy approach to curves, it was surprisingly fun, a fast EV wolf in Subaru sheep clothing. You can drive it calmly and economically to maximize range on your way to yoga, but if you want to just get there already it's ready for that (proverbial) boost straight outta Fast & Furious. 😎
Rear legroom was surprisingly good for this size vehicle and I had four adults in the car with nary a complaint about space from the rear passengers.
The very back of the vehicle felt quite spacious too, as shown in the cargo space, above. It's a respectable 30.4 cubic-feet of space (slightly less than the Premium or Limited editions). Fold down the rear seats and it's 74.0 cu. ft.
And it can tow. 3,500 pounds maximum. That's plenty for a boat, jet skis, or a utility trailer helping with a friend's move between homes.
I was surprised how much I liked the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker. I'm an EV fan already, both for the economy and drive experience - love that acceleration! - but working with Toyota, Team Subaru has managed to produce a really terrific fully electric vehicle that's a strong competitor in this segment. With lots of smart touches and a very American-driver centric experience, it's definitely one to consider if you're in the market for an electric vehicle.
2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring in Magnetite Gray Metallic. BASE PRICE: $46,555. Options included: leather upholstery. AS DRIVEN: $48,305.
Disclaimer: Subaru loaned me this vehicle for a week in return for this candid write-up. This article originally appeared as 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring is a Surprisingly Solid EV on PlanetDave.com and is republished with express permission of the author.
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