2026 Subaru Trailseeker Leads the Brand into Its All-Electric Off-Road Future

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2 days ago

The Solterra marked Subaru's first step into off-road-ready EVs—but the Trailseeker proves they're taking it to the next level.
Subaru and Toyota didn't try that hard to hide the fact that the Solterra and bZ4X were rebadged versions of the same car. The interior design was identical, there were only minor changes to the exterior between the two companies, and the pricing was nearly identical, too. Subaru adapted its own AWD system for the Solterra, but otherwise, it was a Toyota.
While it wasn't shocking, and seemed a little lazy to some, it proved to buyers that Subaru had its foot in the door—they were ready to step into the developing market of off-road-ready, rugged, capable, 'adventure' EVs.
Then the company revealed the Trailseeker at the NY Auto Show. More horsepower, a higher range, a longer wheelbase, full-time AWD, an NACS charging port, raised roof rails, all-terrain tires, higher ground clearance, and a dual-function and updated X-MODE Terrain Selector showed us that Subaru means business. And if it's done right, business is about to be booming.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Now that we have a Forester Hybrid, which leans a lot less on Toyota like the previous Crosstrek Hybrid did, Subaru truly is stepping up to the plate. Which we love to see, as they were drastically behind the electrification game. Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, and Mazda were able to produce (and sell a lot of) AWD drive hybrids that put the Forester in than desirable position on the scoreboard.
People put a lot of pressure on Subaru to produce a hybrid and an EV, and it took them many years to finally put one out. Subaru says the Forester hybrid is one of Subaru's best, since it's a hybrid with an electric motor but still has a true, mechanical AWD system—unlike the Toyota RAV4.
The Solterra was Subaru's way of finally arriving at a party it was very, very late to. But we're happy to see it here, and come back stronger with the Trailseeker and an updated and redesigned Solterra for 2026, which is 100% Subaru engineering and design. It shares the same platform as the Trailseeker and bZ, but it has a better range, a sporty XT trim, and adorable styling changes.
Now that Subaru's gained some confidence and is a little more surefooted, the company is likely gearing up to produce some incredibly capable, efficient, and very Subaru-y EVs in the near future, especially once the company doesn't have to borrow so much from Toyota.
Unlike the Solterra, Subaru is riding shotgun instead of sitting in the backseat. With the announcement of the bZ (previously bZ4X) Woodland, it seems like The Trailseeker is just a redesign of that. And with nearly identical exterior and interior designs, it would be fair to say they're industry twins.
The Trailseeker sits on the e-SGP EV platform, which is identical to Toyota's EV platform, e-TNGA. Obviously, Toyota has its name on a lot of the EV tech in the Trailseeker, like the improved battery technology and some EV drivetrain bits, but Subaru's designed it carefully to appeal to its loyal fanbase.
The two share the same AWD system, too. Both the bZ Woodland and the Trailseeker have independent electric motors on the front and rear axles—there's no physical connection between the two axles and the generator. Both axles are electronically controlled. Which is only a bad thing if the main computer doesn't do a good job of communicating which wheels should be doing what, and Subaru claims their version of X-MODE makes all the difference.
The bZ Woodland and the Trailseeker have a dual-EV motor setup that generates 375 horsepower, with a range of about 260 miles. Which is probably the most amount of horsepower any Subaru has ever had (more than the STi S209, by the way).
Both EVs share identical ground clearance figures (8.3 inches) and wheelbase length, too. Trust us, though—this time, the Trailseeker truly feels and looks like a Subaru instead of a rebadged bZ Woodland, and that's because this time, it was truly a joint effort of the two companies.With the redesigned 2026 Toyota RAV4, Toyota announced its new 'Arene' software, which is a new software that would control and improve the multimedia system, enhance voice recognition software, and make it a more 'software-defined' SUV. Most importantly, it will roll out the newest version of Toyota's safety suite.
The bZ Woodland will have that, too, and it will hopefully fix all the issues many drivers reported with the infotainment system and voice assistance. Subaru's new EV will have the most recent version of the tri-camera EyeSight safety system, which is winning awards left and right.
Toyota's safety suite uses radars instead of cameras, which makes them more reliable in rain or snow, but less reliable in places where cameras excel—like bumper-to-bumper traffic, driving downtown where there are a lot of pedestrians, or driving at night. As of right now, Subaru's EyeSight system is the only safety system in the industry that can detect pedestrians at night, no matter what they're wearing.
You can't lose with either one, though, as all models from both companies are regularly taking lead positions as Top Safety Picks with the IIHS and the NHTSA.If you look at the manufacturer images of the bZ Woodland and the Trailseeker, you'll notice the curvature on the front and rear doors is identical, the taillight bar is essentially the same, the exterior cladding is the same, and most of the front fascia is the same. Subaru uses some silver accenting in the front while Toyota's accenting is all black to fit within the Woodland brand.
The main difference is the 'face' of the car. The Trailseeker has Subaru's EV design signature: larger, more open 'star' headlights (the same sort of design we saw in the updated Solterra), and a softer, rounder look as opposed to Toyota's more angular and squinted design. It's a more approachable look, while the bZ is more executive-like.
Inside the car, the interior design is eerily similar. Both screens are similarly sized (14 inches), the driver control buttons are in identical places, the driver information screen is the same size and in the same place, too. But the steering wheel is a different shape. It's more of a squirkle in the Subaru instead of a perfect circle seen in the Toyota.
Interior colors and materials are slightly different, though. The Trailseeker uses Subaru's StarTex technology, which is the company's water-resistant fabric seen in the Wilderness and Onyx editions (which is LIFE CHANGING with toddlers, let me tell you). Toyota's SofTex isn't marketed as waterproof, but it's meant to be 'more resistant' to spills and stains.
Otherwise, Subaru's more open to contrasting colors with a khaki-ish gray and black, while Toyota's interior is all black. Of course, Subaru opted for a funkier wheel design, while Toyota's wheels are more muted and subtle (and all black—yum).Subaru hasn't announced pricing for the Trailseeker just yet, but if we've learned anything from the Solterra vs. bZ4X, the pricing is likely going to be very similar, but slightly lower than the Toyota.
Based on the technology in either car, we'd wager that if the Toyota costs close to $50,000 for the base model and around $54,000 for the top-shelf trim level, the Subaru will likely range between $45,000–$50,000.
Which, when looking at what's included, is not a bad range at all. However, since the Trailseeker is set to be built in Subaru's Japan plant, it won't be eligible for the full federal tax credit. The bZ is going to be built in Japan, too, putting it in the same boat as the Subaru.
Then there's also tariffs to worry about, too. Subaru has already announced that cars built in Japan, like the Outback, Solterra, and Trailseeker, will be subjected to tariffs.I've done a lot of off-roading in my 14 years on the road, and I'll tell you, being able to carry extra canisters of gasoline inspires both confidence and a sense of adventure. You can easily explore that unmarked trail because you know you can fill up and make it home. You can't do that with an EV, and having a range of only 260 miles doesn't leave a lot of room to explore remotely.
Should you run out of charge, you'd have to call a tow truck, and many tow companies will likely feel very nervous about fishing an EV (packed with incredibly heavy and expensive batteries they could be liable for if damaged) out of a ditch, pond, or deep mud.
However, if you're looking to the Trailseeker to do just that—seek Trails—it will be a great scouting vehicle, camping companion (especially with a 3,500 lb towing rating), or softroader. I used the Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT to scout trails around my home of Bend, Oregon, to bring my Jeep later, and it was wonderful. It was a blast to drive, had the capability to handle the soft, silty dirt, break loose on the gravel roads, and handle minor, easily walkable trails. And I did it comfortably.
That's what I imagine the Trailseeker would be great for, especially with the plethora of off-road view cameras, dual-function X-MODE, all-weather floor mats, waterproof seating, and high ground clearance. If anything, it would be about four times more capable than the Hyundai, solely because of the ground clearance. If I fit my kids extremely comfortably in the Hyundai, I can only imagine how much room they'd have in the Trailseeker.The 260-mile range isn't all that impressive in the world of more modern EVs, but it's not too shabby, either. My 2011 Subaru Forester averages about 17 mpg, and I'm lucky if I get more than 280 miles out of a full tank of gas. So, a 260-mile range for a very heavy, full-time AWD all-electric SUV isn't too shabby.
But let me be the devil's advocate here for a second. In a standard Crosstrek, my best friend regularly gets about 400 miles out of a full tank of gas. When she goes on long road trips, she regularly travels about 500 miles before she needs to fuel up. My sister's Forester Wilderness can go about 540 miles before needing to be topped off.
Unlike an EV, fueling up is much quicker than charging, and the infrastructure is more supported. So, if range is a deciding factor, it might be smarter to go with gas—for now, anyway. No other Subaru has the cargo space of the Trailseeker, but range is a big deal for those who have to charge publicly. Now, if you have an at-home charger and you rarely leave town, range will never be an issue.
Since the Trailseeker comes with an NACS charging port, you'd be able to charge at a lot more stations. Reliability improves every day, and Subaru has access to Tesla's vast (and growing) Supercharging network, making it less and less frustrating to charge publicly every day. Since Rivian won the 2023 Rebelle Rally, which is the longest off-road competition in the US, it won't take much longer.