Subaru Reveals 2026 Trailseeker, an All-New Electric SUV-Station Wagon Not Called Outback
Competes with: Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y
Looks like: A Subaru Outback with an EV nose
Powertrain: 375-horsepower dual electric motors; 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery; all-wheel drive
Release date: Early 2026
If you look at the all-electric station wagon pictured here and think “Subaru Outback,” you’re not wrong. Well, technically you are, because Subaru says its newest electric vehicle is an SUV and calls it the 2026 Trailseeker. But you’re also not wrong because, well, look at it.
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What Are the 2026 Trailseeker’s Powertrain Specs?
Subaru more or less acknowledges that an Outback by any other name looks as sweet, cryptically saying the Trailseeker “adapts an iconic silhouette onto a next-generation powertrain.” That powertrain consists of two electric motors, one driving each axle for standard all-wheel drive, generating what the automaker says is “approximately” 375 horsepower.
Whatever the final figure, it’s safe to say the Trailseeker will be vastly more powerful than Subaru’s first EV, the Solterra. Co-developed with Toyota, the 2025 Solterra tops out at 215 hp. It’s not exactly a slug — few EVs are slow when measured against internal-combustion vehicles — but the Trailseeker will be much quicker: Subaru claims it will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds and can tow up to 3,500 pounds. If you’re curious, that’s the same amount as the Outback Wilderness is rated to handle. (Subaru does not recommend towing with the Solterra.)
Even if you could tow with the Solterra, though, doing so would be nerve-wracking given its maximum EPA-rated range of just 227 miles. With a 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery, the Trailseeker will have a range of more than 260 miles, per Subaru (an official EPA estimate is not yet available). It will also have a standard North American Charging Standard port, allowing it to be plugged in at Tesla Superchargers nationwide. Subaru is not quoting charge times yet, but it does note that the Trailseeker will be able to accept up to 150 kilowatts on a DC fast charger.
Like the Solterra, the Trailseeker will include Subaru’s Dual-Mode X-Mode vehicle management system, which targets better performance off-road with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes that seek to optimize grip on those surfaces.
New Detailing on an ‘Iconic Silhouette’
Along with the 2026 Solterra, the Trailseeker debuts a new lighting signature for Subaru EVs, with an illuminated logo and distinctive six-element headlights. Out back, there’s a 3D Subaru wordmark on the liftgate. We don’t know the exact dimensions of the Trailseeker yet, but Subaru notes it is more than 6 inches longer and nearly an inch taller than the Solterra, with a larger cargo hold. Both EVs have the same 8.3 inches of ground clearance.
The cabin of the 2026 Trailseeker is standard fare, although the automaker boasts that the new EV’s 14-inch touchscreen is the largest it has ever fitted in a production vehicle. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as two pads for wireless device charging, will be standard.
Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite will also be included on the Trailseeker. Among other technologies, the company promises standard forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking, front cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitors, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, lane change assist and a 360-degree camera system.
What Is the 2026 Trailseeker’s Release Date and Pricing?
More details, including pricing, will be revealed closer to the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker’s launch. It will arrive in dealerships in early 2026.
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