- The 2026 Subaru Uncharted is a subcompact all-electric SUV
- It has more than 300 miles of range and up to 338 horsepower
- It’s a twin to the upcoming Toyota C-HR
Subaru has gone from one to three electric vehicles (EVs) in a hurry. Late yesterday, the company unveiled its third, a subcompact SUV with an off-roader’s spirit and a Toyota twin. The 2026 Subaru Uncharted will go on sale in early 2026.
The company hasn’t announced pricing.
Product of a Growing Subaru/Toyota Partnership
- It’s now one of four Subarus with Toyota bones
The Uncharted will be one of four vehicles in Subaru dealerships that have near-clones at Toyota. Toyota owns a minority stake in the company, and the two have co-developed several models. Each company makes design and tuning tweaks to craft them slightly different, but they’re built in the same factory and use almost entirely common parts.
The gas-powered Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 have been twins since their debut for the 2012 model year.
Subaru’s first electric car, the Solterra, is largely identical to the Toyota bZ4X (to be renamed Toyota bZ for 2026).
The two companies recently revealed a larger vehicle on the same platform, to be sold as the Subaru Trailseeker and Toyota bZ Woodland.
The Uncharted shares most of its parts with the 2026 Toyota C-HR. We suspect even the name is an engineer’s joke about that (“we Un-C-HR’d it”).
In case you’re not confused yet, that one is a rebirth. Toyota sold a gas-powered C-HR from the 2018 to 2022 model years, and is resurrecting the name for an EV next year.
The Uncharted Gives You Choices the C-HR Doesn’t
- Subaru buyers will have a choice of front- or all-wheel drive (FWD or AWD)
- Toyota will sell only the AWD version
Toyota’s version comes in just one form — one that’s unusually powerful for a subcompact SUV. Subaru will offer buyers a choice of two, including a less-powerful version with longer range.
Both the C-HR and the Uncharted will be offered with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive (AWD) powertrain making 338 horsepower. It has an estimated range of 290 miles between charges, and Subaru says this model will make up the bulk of sales.
But Subaru will also offer a second powertrain choice. A single-motor, front-wheel-drive (FWD) version will deliver 221 hp (more than enough for a car this size) and a range of over 300 miles. Subaru promises “a lower price point,” but says this model “will be offered in limited numbers.”
So, if you want one, you may need to search for a dealership that has one to offer.
It will charge through a Tesla-style NACS port. Subaru promises, “In cold weather conditions, the Uncharted can recharge its battery from 10% to 80% in nearly 30 minutes thanks to an onboard battery preconditioning system.”
That speed is possible only with a DC fast charger — the refrigerator-sized units found at some highway rest stops. The Uncharted can accept up to 150 kW at a time, which is a respectable figure, but some DC fast chargers can put out energy faster than it can accept it.
Muscular Look for Such a Small Car; Big Screen in a Simple Cabin
- Subaru has gone boxier with its gas-powered cars, but sleek with EVs
The Uncharted doesn’t look exactly like its Toyota equivalent. Subaru designers have created unique front and rear fascias to set it slightly apart.
However, the C-HR’s trademark small rear doors with high-mounted handles are the giveaway.
It is, frankly, a good-looking little car. It looks like a tensed muscle, with a successful blend of curves and angles.
Recent Subaru gas-powered designs have been boxier and more suited to a Patagonia parking lot. The 2026 Subaru Outlook even abandoned its trademark wagon look for a more conventional SUV shape. But the Uncharted looks sportier.
Inside, Subaru’s familiar low-mounted, portrait-oriented touchscreen is nowhere to be found. Instead, a high-mounted 14-inch landscape-oriented screen dominates the space. It’s a big screen for a subcompact cabin. With little room for buttons or dials, the screen handles most cabin adjustments.
A squared-off steering wheel contributes to the sporty look. A copper accent down the horizontal center of the dash lends a touch of style.
Standard equipment includes dual wireless phone charging pads, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and dual USB-C chargers for rear seat passengers.
Subaru Now Has EV Twins for Its Best-Selling Gas Cars
- Three models make up the bulk of Subaru sales
- Each now has an electric equivalent
The arrival of the Uncharted gives Subaru an EV lineup that matches much of its gas-powered lineup.
Three models – the Outback, Forester, and Crosstrek – make up most of the company’s sales. Subaru has one of the most loyal fan bases of any automaker. There are a lot of people who buy or lease one Forester or Outback after another.
The company now has a way to offer those buyers an EV equivalent to any of its big three.
The Uncharted may be the most impressive of the three. More than 300 hp is unusual in the subcompact SUV class. Subaru promises a zero-to-60 mph time of less than five seconds and “impressive straight-line stability, handling, and grip on loose surfaces such as gravel, dirt, or snow through extensive chassis development.”
That’s far more performance than Crosstrek buyers are used to, and might even tempt some WRX fans to go electric.
