GREEN CHOICE

2026
Subaru Trailseeker

Name: 2026 Subaru Trailseeker
Brand: Subaru

EPA Range: 260 miles

Subaru Trailseeker First Drive

Summary

2026 Subaru Trailseeker Is a Bigger, Better Solterra EV

It's not a class leader on range or charging speed, but the Trailseeker benefits from a versatile size and standard AWD

The all-new Subaru Trailseeker is a larger version of the current Solterra EV—over six inches longer and nearly an inch taller. The Trailseeker promises more cargo space as well as standard all-wheel drive.

Size-wise, it’s unique among EVs: a smidge larger than the Ford Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Tesla Model Y, but smaller than three-row models like the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. If you’re switching from a gas car, it’s about the same size as the 2025 Subaru Outback.

Thankfully, the Trailseeker also benefits from the same upgrades that the Solterra got for 2026, including a 74.7-kWh lithium-ion battery. However, these upgrades don’t make the Trailseeker a class leader.

Subaru says the new EV can travel up to 260 miles of range on a charge, which is still less than the similarly sized Chevrolet Blazer EV and Honda Prologue. Charging is through a built-in Tesla-style NACS port, and its maximum DC fast charging speed is 150 kW—50 percent higher than the 2025 Solterra’s rate, but eclipsed by many competitors.

We’ll be sure to test the Trailseeker’s range and capacity when we purchase one for our test program once it goes on sale in 2026.

It competes with the Chevrolet Blazer EV, Honda Prologue, and the Toyota bZ Woodland.

Impressions

Beyond its extra height and length, there’s not much else to say about the Trailseeker’s appearance. The side profile is much more wagonlike than the Solterra, kind of like a chunkier Toyota Crown Signia. The front gets distinct headlights and an illuminated Subaru badge, and there’s a cover for a tow hitch at the rear. We think the plastic cladding around each front wheel arch is better integrated into the overall design than the current Solterra. Buyers can choose from 18-inch or 20-inch wheels.

The Trailseeker has a version of the updated Solterra’s Toyota-designed interior. The instrument panel behind the steering wheel is a bit closer to the driver, and the center console is lower and less intrusive, with a wireless charging pad at the top.

The horizontally oriented 14-inch touchscreen looks straight out of a modern Lexus, as do the climate controls. The Solterra’s touchscreen-based temperature selection has been replaced by knobs, just like the ones you’d see in the Lexus NX. Subaru says the Trailseeker’s additional space benefits the cargo area most. We’ll be sure to test its capacity when we purchase one for our vehicle test program.

The Trailseeker’s 74.7-kWh lithium-ion battery powers dual electric motors (one at the front axle, one at the rear) that put out a combined 375 horsepower. Recharging is courtesy of a Tesla-style NACS connector that can be plugged in at Tesla Superchargers, although it will need an adapter for J1772 and CCS plugs.

Every Trailseeker comes standard with an all-wheel-drive system that Subaru says was developed by its own in-house engineers, not as a group project with Toyota. Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds.

An impressive set of features come standard, including Subaru’s EyeSight suite of active safety systems, Front Cross Traffic Alert, a surround-view camera, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane centering assistance, and Emergency Stop Assist—a new feature that can pull the car over to the shoulder and stop safely if the driver is unresponsive while advanced driving assistance systems are active.

Change Vehicle

2026
Subaru Trailseeker

Subaru Trailseeker First Drive

Summary

Introduction

Overview

Impressions

Outside

Inside

What Drives It

Safety and Driver Assistance Systems