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The iconic WRX STI isn’t the fastest Subaru anymore, as the now-revealed 2026 Subaru Trailseeker with its electric powertrain has dethroned the iconic rally-based performance car with a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds. That comes courtesy of the dual motors, which push out 370 horsepower, and it also makes it quicker than the Solterra EV with which it shares its architecture.
The new model, called the Trailseeker in the US, is essentially an EV version of the Subaru Outback with an off-road-based ethos that lends an interesting personality.
Like the new Outback, the Trailseeker comes peppered with various off-road-based design trinkets like having tough cladding all around, roof rails, chunky wheels and tyres, plus a raised stance. While being based loosely on the Solterra, which itself is a rebadged Toyota bZ4X, the Trailseeker has more signs of true Subaru DNA and has been developed by their engineers, which also hints at the fact that there won’t be a Toyota version of this car.
Compared to the Solterra, the Trailseeker is also a more attractive design with its obvious SUV-like styling details, which give it a much more appealing stance.
If we look at the dimensions, then the Trailseeker is 150mm longer and 25mm taller than the Solterra as well. Hence, there are no surprises with the fact that the battery pack of the Trailseeker is also shared with the first Subaru EV, being a 74.7 kWh unit along with a claimed range of around 420km.
Other highlights include a towing capacity of 1587kg, a healthy ground clearance of 210mm and a standard NACS charge port for compatibility with the Tesla supercharger network. Compared to the Solterra, the AWD system of the Trailseeker has also been tuned for a more spirited driving experience, while there are also the ‘X-Mode’ drive mode settings with snow/dirt and deep snow/mud options, along with grip control and hill descent control.
Inside, the Trailseeker has a functional but ergonomic dashboard design, while the equipment list is generous with a 14-inch touchscreen, a Harman Kardon audio system, a 360-degree camera, dual wireless phone chargers and a panoramic sunroof plus more.
Safety features include the Subaru EyeSight suite of driver assistance features, including pre-collision braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning and more.
While not being confirmed for Australia, the Trailseeker is an obvious choice for our market, with the name having also been trademarked here, which further cements its launch prospects here. With global RHD models due for launch in mid-2026 for the UK market, we can expect an Australian debut by late next year.
