2026 Subaru Uncharted revealed as brand's third EV
The 2026 Subaru Uncharted is an 'all-new, all-electric compact crossover' that bears a striking resemblance to the recently revealed electric Toyota C-HR+, all but confirming that, like Subaru's first two EVs, this is yet another Toyota twin.
Indeed, the Subaru Solterra is a twin of the Toyota bZ4X, while the Trailseeker revealed in April is a restyled Toyota bZ4X Touring. The Uncharted features a design that resembles the facelifted Solterra, including a smooth, grille-less front and slimmer wheel-arch cladding.
It'll go on sale in the United States in 'early 2026', likely alongside the Trailseeker, with pricing and full specifications still under wraps. Neither model has been confirmed for Australia, and Subaru Australia didn't respond to a request for comment before publication.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Subaru says the Uncharted will be available in three trim levels in the United States: Premium, Sport, and GT.
All use a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery.
Unusually for the Japanese brand, the Premium trim level will only be offered with front-wheel drive and in 'limited numbers'. This marks the first time Subaru will offer a front-wheel drive model in the US for a couple of decades, though it has offered FWD models since in Japan.
The Premium will be available at a 'lower price point' and offer a claimed range of more than 300 miles (482km) on an unspecified test cycle – likely the US EPA cycle – while producing 165kW of power.
For context, the C-HR+ is available with two front-wheel drive setups; however, the Uncharted seems to align best with the FWD long-range C-HR+, which has the same power figure but a tentative claimed WLTP range of 600km from a 77kWh battery. The Toyota can do the 0-100km/h dash in a claimed 7.4 seconds.
The Uncharted's Sport and GT trims feature dual-motor all-wheel drive and produce up to 252kW, with a claimed 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time of 'less than five seconds' and a maximum range of 'up to 290 miles' (466km). Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Subaru claims the EV will be able to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 'nearly 30 minutes' with 150kW DC fast charging, while it's also equipped with an 11kW onboard AC charger.
It's claimed to be 'nearly seven inches' shorter than the Solterra, and it's likely to share exterior dimensions with the C-HR+, which measures 4520mm long, 1870mm wide, and 1595mm tall on a 2750mm wheelbase. This is 55mm shorter and 25mm wider than the outgoing Mazda CX-5.
Inside, the Uncharted is fitted with a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone mirroring. This unit is identical to that found in many Toyota and Lexus products, though there are dual wireless smartphone chargers on the centre console.
Additionally, all variants of the Uncharted are fitted with an 'All-Weather Package', which includes heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, a wiper de-icer, a powered tailgate, and interior ambient lighting. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Sport trims add X-Mode with two off-road modes, a heated steering wheel, water-repellent upholstery, and a surround-view camera, while the GT gets a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system.
Standard across the range is Subaru's EyeSight safety technology, with autonomous emergency braking, front cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
Exterior items include 18- or 20-inch wheels, depending on the trim level, while the GT gains two-tone paint and black badging. Rear leg room is said to be 'comparable to that of the Subaru Crosstrek', which shares the same compact body as the Impreza.
Subaru announced plans in 2023 to offer four electric SUVs by 2026, with another four EVs due by 2028. This is ahead of EVs accounting for 50 percent – or 600,000 units – of its global sales volume per year by 2030. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
MORE: 2026 Toyota C-HR+ – New electric SUV wears a familiar name
MORE: 2026 Subaru Trailseeker looks like an Outback EV
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe drops troublesome transmission
An upgraded 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe has been revealed in the US with a conventional torque-converter automatic transmission in place of the large seven-seat SUV's problematic dual-clutch auto. The US market's petrol-powered Santa Fe previously employed an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) made by the Korean automaker's affiliate, Hyundai Transys, which has been the subject of multiple recalls in North America. The most recent US recall impacted more than 12,000 vehicles with an estimated defect rate of 100 per cent. Affected Santa Fe vehicles could unexpectedly shift themselves from Park to Neutral and roll away. This followed a previous October 2022 recall and stop-sale in the US, impacting 61,861 vehicles including the 2021-2022 Santa Fe. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. For the 2026 model year, Hyundai Motor America has replaced the DCT in 2.5-litre petrol Santa Fe with an eight-speed torque-converter automatic. There's no change for the Santa Fe Hybrid also offered in US showrooms, which continues to use a six-speed torque-converter automatic. The news doesn't impact the Santa Fe sold in Australia, which is manufactured in South Korea. The US-market version is produced in the US state of Alabama. The Santa Fe has had only one transmission-related recall in Australia, where owners were warned of a potential loss of power while driving. An Australian recall issued in January 2023 impacted 4469 Hyundai vehicles fitted with the eight-speed DCT, including the previous-generation Santa Fe as well as the Kona small SUV, Sonata N Line sedan, and the hot i30 N hatch and sedan. Hyundai Australia confirmed to CarExpert it has no plans to replace the eight-speed DCT that has been in the current-generation Santa Fe since it was released here in 2024. Transmissions for Hyundai and Kia, which is also part of the broader Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), are made in the US as well as South Korea, China, and the Czech Republic. The Kia Sorento sold in the US also uses the same eight-speed DCT, which is codenamed D8LF1, and was included in the latest US recall due to the same issues. Despite this, the US arm of the automaker told Car and Driver it won't follow Hyundai in switching to a conventional automatic for the Sorento. Dual-clutch transmissions are designed to reduce fuel consumption and improve responsiveness by pre-selecting the next ratio and producing faster, smoother gear shifts when operating correctly. Several manufacturers have faced challenges after faulty DCTs in their vehicles resulted in jerkiness and even total transmission failure. The most prominent were from the Volkswagen Group, including its Audi brand, and Ford Australia – which is facing an ongoing class-action law suit following a record $10 million fine from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in 2018 for its mishandling of the customer complaints about its 'Powershift' DCTs. Hyundai first offered a dual-clutch transmission in its Veloster sports hatch in Australia in 2012.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe drops troublesome transmission
An upgraded 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe has been revealed in the US with a conventional torque-converter automatic transmission in place of the large seven-seat SUV's problematic dual-clutch auto. The US market's petrol-powered Santa Fe previously employed an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) made by the Korean automaker's affiliate, Hyundai Transys, which has been the subject of multiple recalls in North America. The most recent US recall impacted more than 12,000 vehicles with an estimated defect rate of 100 per cent. Affected Santa Fe vehicles could unexpectedly shift themselves from Park to Neutral and roll away. This followed a previous October 2022 recall and stop-sale in the US, impacting 61,861 vehicles including the 2021-2022 Santa Fe. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert For the 2026 model year, Hyundai Motor America has replaced the DCT in 2.5-litre petrol Santa Fe with an eight-speed torque-converter automatic. There's no change for the Santa Fe Hybrid also offered in US showrooms, which continues to use a six-speed torque-converter automatic. The news doesn't impact the Santa Fe sold in Australia, which is manufactured in South Korea. The US-market version is produced in the US state of Alabama. The Santa Fe has had only one transmission-related recall in Australia, where owners were warned of a potential loss of power while driving. Supplied Credit: CarExpert An Australian recall issued in January 2023 impacted 4469 Hyundai vehicles fitted with the eight-speed DCT, including the previous-generation Santa Fe as well as the Kona small SUV, Sonata N Line sedan, and the hot i30 N hatch and sedan. Hyundai Australia confirmed to CarExpert it has no plans to replace the eight-speed DCT that has been in the current-generation Santa Fe since it was released here in 2024. Transmissions for Hyundai and Kia, which is also part of the broader Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), are made in the US as well as South Korea, China, and the Czech Republic. The Kia Sorento sold in the US also uses the same eight-speed DCT, which is codenamed D8LF1, and was included in the latest US recall due to the same issues. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Despite this, the US arm of the automaker told Car and Driver it won't follow Hyundai in switching to a conventional automatic for the Sorento. Dual-clutch transmissions are designed to reduce fuel consumption and improve responsiveness by pre-selecting the next ratio and producing faster, smoother gear shifts when operating correctly. Several manufacturers have faced challenges after faulty DCTs in their vehicles resulted in jerkiness and even total transmission failure. The most prominent were from the Volkswagen Group, including its Audi brand, and Ford Australia – which is facing an ongoing class-action law suit following a record $10 million fine from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in 2018 for its mishandling of the customer complaints about its 'Powershift' DCTs. Hyundai first offered a dual-clutch transmission in its Veloster sports hatch in Australia in 2012. MORE: Everything Hyundai
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Fiona is not ready to retire but at 58, employers may be labelling her 'too old'
Despite many reporting hard-to-fill vacancies, not all employers are as open to hiring people of certain age groups. A recent survey found employers were most reluctant to hire those over 50 or under 24 years. Hesitancy to hiring over 50s is leaving job seekers like Fiona feeling irrelevant, years before retirement age. Fiona Cootes has more than two decades of experience working in events management but she wonders if she should include that detail when applying for jobs. The 58-year-old has been looking for work for more than a year since finishing her last contract and is concerned potential employers may not want to hire someone her age. Cootes said despite believing she was "the perfect fit" for a recent role she applied for, she was told the other applicant she was up against was "a better culture fit", which she feels was likely a reference to her age. "I used to write in applications that I had 20 plus years of experience, and a friend actually advised me not to say that, they suggested I should say 'extensive experience' instead," she told SBS News. She now only includes roles she has worked in across the past 10 years on her resume, but said she could not hide the fact she was not in her 20s or 30s when showing up for an interview. "I've never felt old, but this is the first time in my life that I've been made to feel old and irrelevant and scared for my future, that I might not get another job," Cootes said. New research from the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) suggests employers may be overlooking experienced professionals due to their age. Nearly 24 per cent of this year's respondents consider workers aged between 51 and 55 to be older, more than double the proportion from 2023 (10 per cent), according to the report. Source: SBS News How old is 'old'? The report, Older and Younger Workers: What Do Employers Think?, the fifth such national survey of employers and human resources professionals, revealed almost one in four employers considered workers in their 50s 'old' and were reluctant to hire people over 50. Sarah McCann-Bartlett, CEO of the Australian HR Institute, said despite growing labour shortages, the findings suggested many employers remained hesitant to hire workers over 50. "It found that employers are increasingly viewing workers as older at a younger age," she said. "People are being written off well before retirement age, with nearly one in four respondents stating that a 51 to 55-year-old is considered old and that's more than double the figure in 2023." Just 56 per cent of HR professionals say they are open to hiring people aged between 50 to 64, and only 28 per cent report being open to hiring those aged 65 and over "to a large extent", the findings state. Source: SBS News Cootes said despite having what she described as "a broad wealth of experience and knowledge", having worked for the Queensland government, a five-star hotel and the Census, among a number of other employers, she had found it challenging to get an interview. "It just makes me feel totally irrelevant and redundant," she said. She said while she wanted to put her skills and experience to the best use, she had recently applied for a role that was a more junior position than the ones she had worked in and still never got an interview. At the same time, she said it did not seem fair that people of a certain age should have to feel as though they should take on much more junior roles simply because they were considered 'old'. "I'm worth more than that to start at the bottom of the chain again," she said. "And what does that do for my confidence when I've had dozens of years in the workforce, and for someone to say, oh, just get any job, it doesn't matter, just get an income, it does matter." Productivity growth Despite more than half of respondents reporting hard-to-fill vacancies, just 56 per cent stated they are open to hiring workers aged 50–64 "to a large extent", with that number halving for those over 65. McCann-Bartlett said sidelining certain people due to irrelevant factors, such as age, in the current economy, which was experiencing skills shortages, made little sense. "In a tight labour market, there is a clear economic imperative to tap into the full potential of the available labour pool, and that means building inclusive practices that support employees at every stage of their careers," she said. A substantial majority of employers rate older workers higher than younger workers in terms of reliability, commitment, loyalty, awareness, and ability to cope with stress, according to the report. Source: SBS News Economists have expressed concern about Australia's lagging productivity rate, and Treasurer Jim Chalmers has identified improving it as one of his key priorities, having called it the most significant structural problem facing the economy. Productivity growth fell by 1 per cent in the year to March, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The results indicated employers thought younger workers were less able to cope with stress and less reliable, while they rated older workers relatively low in terms of career ambition and their ability to use technology. Age-based assumptions McCann-Bartlett said while most HR professionals agreed job performance did not differ by age, the research found that many age-based assumptions were being made in the workplace. Among the most commonly cited advantages of employing younger workers are perceived proficiency with technology (79 per cent), being more physically capable (59 per cent), and having more energy (52 per cent). Source: SBS News "Younger workers were seen as less likely to cope with stress and less reliable, while older workers were rated relatively low for career ambition and their ability to use tech," McCann-Bartlett said. Encouraging multigenerational workplaces Over 50s were not the only age group for whom employers showed reluctance in hiring; the research also showed that employers were wary of hiring those under 24. Of those surveyed, 41 per cent said they were open to recruiting job seekers aged 15 to 24 "to a large extent". McCann-Bartlett said hesitancy around hiring people from certain age groups only limited employers' access to essential skills and experience that different groups of people have to offer. "If we want to lift productivity in Australia, we need to use better use of the talent we already have and that means hiring based on skills, not age and keeping great experience in the workforce for longer," she said. "To support a multigeneration workforce employers can do things like implement training and inclusivity initiatives that support age diversity, this is things like training leaders to better lead across generations, offering phased retirement, job sharing, and providing career planning to encourae workers to stay in the workforce longer." Robert Fitzgerald, age discrimination commissioner at AHRC, said the recent report's findings highlighted the need for sustained action against ageism. "What we're seeing is bias at both ends of the age range. Sadly, this undermines diversity of thought and productivity," he said. "Older and younger workers can be a real advantage for businesses." Fitzgerald said age-diverse teams bring different life experiences to the table and that such workforces are better at solving problems. "Employers need to support inclusive workplaces, where competency isn't assessed against age or career stage. "Providing equal opportunity for people of all ages to remain engaged in meaningful work can enhance productivity, while also helping close skills gaps."
