If the corporate’s contribution to the Uncharted was largely AWD tuning, trip, and security … what makes it a Subaru?
Subaru unveiled its third devoted electrical car Thursday evening, a compact hatchback roughly the dimensions of its Crosstrek, to be referred to as the Uncharted. The 2026 Subaru Uncharted is 7 inches shorter than its Solterra, which first went on sale for 2023, not to mention the longer Trailseeker electrical wagon/SUV, which works on sale earlier subsequent yr.
Charged attended the debut in New York Metropolis and spoke with Chris Charles, the planning supervisor for the brand new Uncharted, and Garrick Goh, who has the identical title for the bigger Solterra and Trailseeker EVs. They stated that whereas improvement prices for the Uncharted—and its Toyota twin, the C-HR—have been break up 50-50 between Subaru and Toyota, every firm was liable for its personal areas of experience on the ultimate car. Toyota dealt with the powertrain, together with the battery, electrical motors, and energy electronics, areas by which Subaru had little expertise. Subaru, however, managed the all-wheel-drive tuning, the trip and dealing with, and lots of the security points. The design, Charles stated, had enter from each side.
However, the brand new Uncharted shares its fundamental construction and most of its sheet metallic with the Toyota C-HR revealed in Could. It has Subaru’s new and distinctive entrance finish design, with a flat panel that holds a trapezoidal opening with the Subaru six-star badge representing the Pleiades star cluster. The badge is illuminated, which undoubtedly makes an impression in dimmer gentle.
NACS port normal, 300 miles with FWD
Whereas it could parallel the Crosstrek in Subaru’s rising EV lineup, the Uncharted is nearly twice as highly effective: it’s rated at as much as 252 kilowatts (338 horsepower) for the EV versus 152 or 182 horsepower for the gasoline Crosstrek. A Premium FWD base mannequin (“accessible in restricted numbers”) makes use of a single 163-kw (221 hp) motor powering the entrance wheels. It’s the primary front-wheel-drive Subaru supplied on the market in roughly 30 years, because the final FWD Impreza and Legacy fashions of the mid-Nineteen Nineties.
All variations are powered by a 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery. For the 2026 mannequin yr, all Subaru EVs will come normal with a NACS charging port slightly than the CCS port used on the 2023-2025 Solterra. Subaru plans to offer two adapters: a J1772-to-NACS adapter for Stage 2 charging at as much as 11 kilowatts, and a CCS-to-NACS adapter for DC quick charging at as much as 150 kW. Subaru quotes a fast-charging time of 10 to 80 % of “practically half-hour” (we presume meaning barely extra than half an hour) beneath best circumstances. Battery preconditioning whereas en path to a charging station will carry it to the optimum temperature for recharging.
Ranges for the 2026 Uncharted differ with trim degree and tools; the Sport and GT all-wheel-drive variations are projected at 290 miles, whereas the Premium FWD mannequin will are available in at greater than 300 miles. That 300-mile mark is the purpose at which customers cease worrying about EV vary, stated Garrick Goh, product supervisor for the Solterra and Trailseeker.
He famous the primary three years of Solterra have been rated at 222 to 228 miles, which proved to be too little for a lot of customers to really feel snug, Goh stated. Surveys confirmed a model with 300 miles ended these worries. (GM has stated precisely the identical for a number of years now.) The upcoming 2026 Solterra will probably be rated at 285 miles, possible shut sufficient to alleviate most worries.
All however the FWD mannequin haven’t solely Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive (a Subaru trademark) however the firm’s X-Mode Twin Mode selector, which adjusts traction management, braking, and energy supply for various terrains chosen by the motive force. Given Subaru’s prevalence in snowy climates, each Uncharted model comes with an All-Climate bundle that features heated entrance seats and mirrors, and wiper de-icing. Additionally normal are an influence rear liftgate and a driver-distraction monitoring and alert system.
The automotive’s 14-inch middle touchscreen contains Android Auto and Apple CarPlay telephone mirroring as normal, and twin wi-fi telephone chargers sit within the entrance console. Rear-seat passengers can cost their units on a pair of USB-C ports. Wheels are available in varied 18- and 20-inch variations.
When it goes on sale early in 2026, the Subaru Uncharted will compete with the Hyundai Kona Electrical and the Kia Soul EV, neither of which presents all-wheel drive. That listing will possible additionally embrace the 2026 Chevrolet Bolt EV that GM will reveal in September or October, an up to date model of the 2022 Bolt EUV mannequin with a brand new, bigger battery pack; new drive motor; and new energy electronics. The brand new Nissan Leaf might also be a competitor.
Subaru will launch closing specs, trim particulars, and pricing near the automotive’s on-sale date.
Whither Subaru in an EV age?
In assessing a brand new mannequin just like the 2026 Uncharted, a query usually mentioned amongst automotive reporters—and, internally at Subaru much more, it seems—is just: “If it doesn’t have a horizontally opposed engine, what makes a Subaru a Subaru?”
As Subaru’s North American viewers has grown, its product managers counsel the boxer engine has develop into much less and fewer necessary within the eyes of customers. Whereas drivers could recognize the decrease middle of gravity offered by that configuration towards vehicles with upright inline engines, they’re way more within the values proven in each Subaru commercial: security, sturdiness, and journey.
As Goh put it, the “upscale sensible” patrons of Subarus today desire a car that allows their “out of doors way of life”—together with the flexibility to haul gear (tools for mountain climbing, climbing, kayaking, crusing, and many others.) and journey with their pets.
“If REI bought vehicles,” Goh stated, “They’d have one thing like a Subaru of their shops.” And whereas each maker of each compact SUV is now compelled to indicate it on rocky trails or subsequent to a campfire surrounded by younger, engaging, ethnically numerous individuals having enjoyable … Subaru truly walks the stroll, as a result of its homeowners do the identical.
Right here’s the issue: Just about any battery-electric crossover SUV with all-wheel drive can simply be tuned to offer “symmetric all-wheel drive”. So what differentiates a Subaru? Goh and Charles fell again on suspension tuning and software program, together with extra sensible options on some fashions: roof rails which can be truly usable to mount all that gear, Thule carriers included, versus the much less useful, extra ornamental ones used elsewhere.
The corporate has its personal, devoted scalable structure for all fashions it sells in North America, designed particularly round its boxer engines. So will Subaru ever develop its personal devoted EV platform? The reflexive, anticipated response from one of many product managers we spoke with was, “We don’t touch upon future merchandise.” After an extended pause got here another phrase: “Possibly?”
In the meantime, Subaru now has three incrementally modified variations of Toyota EVs—and we slightly suspect that Quantity 4, as a consequence of be unveiled someday subsequent yr, would be the similar. We stay up for driving the up to date 2026 Solterra, and the brand new 2026 Uncharted and Trailseeker, earlier than they attain clients early in 2026.
Subaru offered lodging and meals to allow Charged to carry you this first-person report.
