Subaru Trailseeker 2026 Review

Having been permanently discounted before even arriving Down Under, the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker actually presents as a fairly good value legacy brand EV given the level of performance, equipment and practicality on offer.

The entry-level AWD variant starts from $63,990 plus on-road costs, which sounds steep, but it actually undercuts the Kia EV5 Earth AWD Long Range which offers less power, performance and range – and broadly similar equipment levels.

Headline gear on the base model includes 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front and rear outboard seats, a 14-inch infotainment system, a 7.0-inch driver’s display, dual wireless phone charging pads, ambient interior lighting, powered front seats, a heated steering wheel and 360-degree view camera system.

The dearer Touring AWD ($69,990) adds larger 20-inch alloys, a panoramic glass roof, advanced park assist, blue and black genuine leather, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, driver memory function, ventilated front seats and 1500W vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability.

Both variants pack a dual-motor battery-electric powertrain good for 280kW – Subaru doesn’t provide an official torque figure – and 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.5 seconds.

The motors draw current from a 74.7kWh CATL battery pack that provides the AWD with a claimed cruising range of up to 533km (WLTP), and 488km for the Touring AWD. DC charging capacities are capped at 150kW, supposedly providing a 10-80 per cent top-up in about 30 minutes.

The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker isn’t a vehicle that shouts or advertises its strengths. Its design is relatively subdued for a modern EV – though you can still immediately tell it’s electric – and there’s next to no indication this is the quickest and most powerful factory Subaru to date.

That largely sets the tone for the rest of the package; there’s nothing that stands out for being breath-takingly brilliant or segment-leading, but when you stop to take stock of the major faults or flaws, they’re few and far between.

Starting with the obvious stuff: there’s heaps of room in the second row and a wide, usable 609-litre boot behind the rear seats – which expands to 1230L with the second row folded flat, and 1694L if you load it up to the roof.

There’s plenty of adjustment to the powered front seats in both variants and outward visibility is about as good as it gets in the segment.

While distastefully ugly and a PIA to navigate, the compact rectangular steering wheel is a decent pairing with the direct and linear steering which is in turn complemented by the comfortable, well-tuned suspension.

On 18-inch wheels, the Trailseeker walks an impressive line between compliance and agility, feeling far more like a well-sorted passenger car – think Subaru Liberty – than a high-riding (211mm), 2040kg SUV.

Mid-corner bumps in off-camber turns can briefly throw it off its game, but the chassis recovers quickly and securely with no nasty surprises awaiting the unweary; a lot like the straight-line performance for that matter. 

In Eco or even Normal mode, the Trailseeker is a calm and smooth operator offering Outback Wilderness levels of performance with none of the CVT fuss, but dial up Sport mode and it becomes a genuine STI-killer off the mark, out of corners and on the open road (overtaking).

Traditional expectations dictate a vehicle should get better the higher up the pecking order you go, but that’s absolutely not the case with the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker.

Despite costing $6000 more, the top-spec Touring AWD – with its 20-inch alloys, glass roof and blue leather upholstery – is an inferior drive compared to the base variant, and its cruising range is a sizeable 45km shorter.

The rolling stock is the biggest issue here as there’s less sidewall to iron out smaller bumps, surface regularities or take the edge off harder hits. We also found the Touring wanted to scrub its nose wide a bit more readily in corners when pushing on compared to the base AWD, a trait emphasised during four laps of Pheasant Wood Raceway.

It also generates a fair bit more road noise than the AWD’s 18-inch setup, especially over course chip bitumen – of which there’s a lot of in country ACT and NSW.

The Touring’s blue leather upholstery also cheapens an already botched interior. Even in the base model, the dashboard and door cards alone comprise more than half a dozen different textures, materials or finishes, with the blue leather adding yet another spice of variety and not feeling any better than the lower grade’s black faux leather.

There’s no glovebox in either version, nor is there a spare wheel which, while not uncommon for modern EVs, is unacceptable in a vehicle with an adventurous predisposition.

Other complaints (aimed at both variants) include the fiddly, numb temperature control dials which feel cheap in the hand and lag way too far behind your inputs; the square steering wheel which is fugly and convoluted in the extreme; and the 7.0-inch driver’s display which, while functional, looks like a generation-old afterthought.

If you can live with the crazy paving dash and God-awful steering wheel, yes, you should absolutely take a good look at the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker, especially the base AWD.

It’s practical, fun and refined to drive, deceptively fast, offers solid range and actually represents decent value. Yes, the 150kW DC fast-charging rate is down compared to a lot of alternatives, but its 10-80 per cent fill time isn’t unreasonable.

We can’t vouch for how well it goes off-road just yet, but we have zero doubt it’ll go quite a lot further down a rural fire trail than an EV5, Enyaq or Model Y (etc).

If only there was a glovebox and spare wheel…

2026 Subaru Trailseeker at a glance:
Price: From $63,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 280kW
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 74.7Wh lithium-ion
Range: 488-533km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15.4-16.8kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2025)

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