2026 Subaru Trailseeker EV Reveal, the poor mans Rivian?

[narmstrong79]

I always call my R1S, our Fancy Subaru, My wife has an outback (sorry ladies, she is straight)

Subaru just introduced the follow-up to their (really Toyota's) flop of an EV, the Solterra. This could be direct competitor to the R2. It;s more of a wagon / outback sized, but noted that it's based on the Solterra, so likely will have poor range and slow charging.

Link: 2026 Subaru Trailseeker

New Solterra also reveled: 2026 Subaru Solterra Revealed

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[TexasBob]

Yet another swing and miss by Toyoburu. It is 260 miles of range a 150kw max charge rate with a 35 minute charge time to add 180 miles. This would have been very interesting in 2019. Subarus are especially popular in cold-weather regions for obvious reasons. As a cold weather hauler, this thing is ridiculously under-specced.

Good new for Rivian, R2 can OWN this market if the range and charging specs are close to the rumored-now-debunked data from last week. I hope Rivian does not bobble the ball.

 

[R1TandMe]

If only Rivian could be as reliable as a Subaru. We’ll see how the R2 does.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I'm not the target market for this car, but the specs are underwhelming. Not enough range, not enough charging to use it as a road trip vehicle. It's certainly not a sports car, so it doesn't fit there either.

 

[narmstrong79]

I'm not the target market for this car, but the specs are underwhelming. Not enough range, not enough charging to use it as a road trip vehicle. It's certainly not a sports car, so it doesn't fit there either.

To be fair the target demo for Subaru owners is not speed or road trips and regardless of what the TV ads show not off roading..... its a safety, reliability, and AWD for typical families. I do think seeing under 300miles of range will scare people away, although it shouldn't

Personally, i wish EVs would get-a-way from all the 0-60 times, that matters to a very small % of car buyers.

 

[COdogman]

I don't get this at all. The Solterra has been mostly a failure compared to other EV hatchbacks like the Ioniq 5, EV6. So they figure, hey, maybe people will buy a Solterra that is 6 inches longer while also still selling the Solterra?

 

[narmstrong79]

Good new for Rivian, R2 can OWN this market if the range and charging specs are close to the rumored-now-debunked data from last week. I hope Rivian does not bobble the ball.

The issue is the R2 release date and potentially price, If the R2 dropped last year, it would "own this market segment" easily. But, the new model Y is priced very well, there's a lot of great EVs in this mid-size EV range now many which will have traditional feature people come to expect (Android Auto) and brand they are more familiar with that have dealerships people are comfortable with for the fear of the "what if something breaks"

I hope every reservation for an R2 turns into an order, but the reality is they wont and there's a lot of competition.

 

[narmstrong79]

I don't get this at all. The Solterra has been mostly a failure compared to other EV hatchbacks like the Ioniq 5, EV6. So they figure, hey, maybe people will buy a Solterra that is 6 inches longer while also still selling the Solterra?

Subaru people seem to be very brand loyal, so I think this is only targeted towards those who love the brand and may want to go EV at some point. Mostly this is Toyota needing to push product to feed a factory.

 

[VandalSibs]

I don't get this at all. The Solterra has been mostly a failure compared to other EV hatchbacks like the Ioniq 5, EV6. So they figure, hey, maybe people will buy a Solterra that is 6 inches longer while also still selling the Solterra?

I see the Solterra and the Toyota original all over the place here in Eastern Washington - but this is also prime Subaru territory, so that might be a factor.

 

[emoore]

Yeah this thing is a non starter. Not when other companies will have much better options especially in the next few years.

 

[KBabione]

We seriously looked at leasing a Solterra as a gap between now and when the R2 is available, but my wife couldn't get past how "plasticky" the vehicle felt (both inside and outside). She said it felt like a low-end rental car. It looks like the Trailseeker retains that plastic around the front. Bummer. I asked for a Solterra loaner when our Outback (which is off to Penn State in the fall) so I drove one for a day. I would have been okay with it, but it was not meant to be.

 

[narmstrong79]

We seriously looked at leasing a Solterra as a gap between now and when the R2 is available, but my wife couldn't get past how "plasticky" the vehicle felt (both inside and outside). She said it felt like a low-end rental car. It looks like the Trailseeker retains that plastic around the front. Bummer. I asked for a Solterra loaner when our Outback (which is off to Penn State in the fall) so I drove one for a day. I would have been okay with it, but it was not meant to be.

Honestly - Get a Ford Mustang Mach-E or Hyundai Ioniq 5 or better yet a used Rivian R1. R2 is at least 2 years away. I suspect the R2 will be more expensive than its competitors.

 

[CANCERDOC]

It is interesting that the extra length is behind the rear axle, which means interior space for passengers will be the same as the BZ4X/Solterra. I was hoping this would be the preview for the upcoming electric Highlander, but I doubt this is it.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Another ho hum soft-roader with cosmetic trims to look more rugged and capable than it actually is. The truth? It's yet another half-hearted compliance product and excuse for the laggards to say "the market doesn't want EVs, look at poor sales".

 

[CANCERDOC]

Honestly if it will capture the Outback crowd, this will be a success. They aren't aiming for hard core off roaders - people who drive Outbacks will find this to be a rocket ship and as long as it does well in the snow, people will buy it due to brand reputation (and its really a Toyota, so thats even better).

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