The 2026 Trailseeker Is The Car The Solterra Should've Always Been (But Subaru Still Has A Problem)

Subaru has a new EV in the form of the 2026 Trailseeker. Aesthetically, it looks kind of like an older body style Subaru Outback if it was designed for space travel. Specs-wise, it's powered by two electric motors that put out a pretty stout 375 horsepower, and it can tow 3,500 pounds, putting it right in line with the aforementioned Outback. The battery has a capacity of 74.7 kWh from which Subaru predicts a range of 260 miles. 

All of those specifications are well and good for the brand's second ever EV. The Trailseeker is also a huge upgrade over the previous Subaru Solterra (the 2026 Solterra also got an update to 285 miles of range, to be fair). It's also, of course, equipped with all-wheel drive, an 8.3-inch ground clearance, and all the cladding you would ever want from a Soobie.

The Solterra was, for all intents and purposes, a Toyota BZ4X with a Subaru badge on it. It wasn't definably Subaru in a way that an Outback or Forester is. It didn't have the same panache or the flair for outdoors that makes Subarus so popular. The homegrown Trailseeker is a step in the right direction, there to be sure. But, there are still a few problems. 

First and foremost, 2025 is really late for an EV that carries any sort of brand identity. You could also say the same thing about Toyota, but that's an argument for another time. Furthermore, 260 miles of maximum range isn't a lot for a lineup-topping EV. It would have been great in 2022, but times have changed, and 300 or more miles is becoming increasingly more common among automakers making EVs for normal people, like Hyundai and General Motors. Coming right out of the gate with the ability to use Tesla's Supercharger network through the use of an NACS plug is a plus, at least, when it comes to charging convenience.

If Subaru really wants to be competitive in the EV scene, though, it needs to make the Trailseeker really attractive to EV buyers and Subaru buyers, two extremely loyal (and opinionated) driver groups. With the current specs, the price needs to be right above all else, otherwise a Hyundai or Kia with more range is a much better option. As of now, the outgoing Solterra is the second most expensive new Subaru behind the Ascent, and the Trailseeker can't afford to follow that trend of being a pricier and yet worse option.

If Subaru had its way, it would probably keep making family-oriented adventure wagons and rally cars until the heat death of the universe. Subaru fans would probably be equally happy with that strategy, but that's just not the world it lives in. It's suddenly now scrambling to keep up with the rapidly changing and evolving EV segment, and quite frankly the Solterra didn't — and was probably never going to — set the world on fire. 

It doesn't look like the Trailseeker will be a Tesla Model Y or Hyundai Ioniq 5 killer, either, though it's at least an admirable effort with a more distinctive Subaru feel. That doesn't mitigate the real and present danger of being too little, too late, mind.

Subaru isn't going anywhere, and the Forester, Outback, the rest of the core lineup, and the hybrid variants will likely be around for decades more. Nonetheless, even if the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker is fantastic on (and off) the road, Subaru has plenty of work to do in the EV field. The competition is stiff, and other brands have multiple EVs — often cheaper and boasting better range — in their respective lineups, compared to Subaru's two (or, really, 1.5). That's not an enviable place for an automaker to be, in 2025.