CASEY WILLIAMS | Auto Reviewer
AutoCasey@AOL.com
Here’s your trivia question for today: What is the quickest Subaru of all time? A WRX?
Nope; it’s the 2026 Trailseeker, an electric Outback that humbles rally cars and endures the long hikes you expect from that jacked wagon. And as a fan of EVs and somebody who’s owned two Outbacks, I couldn’t wait to drive the Trailseeker.
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2026 Subaru Trailseeker Limited
Five-passenger, AWD Crossover
Powertrain: Li-ion batteries/motor
Output: 375 hp/396 lb.-ft.
Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind
Wheels f/r: 20-inch/20-inch” alloy
Brakes f/r: regen disc/disc
Driving range: 274 miles
0-60 mph: 4.0s
Fast charge (10-80 percent): 28m
Assembly: Gunma, Japan
Base/As-tested price: $39,995/$48,305
Likes
- Outback style
- All-road performance
- Value-packed price
Dislikes - No Wilderness
- Tepid range
- Hands-on cruising
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It’s what the current controversially boxy Outback should have been: a futuristic all-road wagon with a swept nose, strings of LED headlamps, black hood patch and stylish black plastic showcasing the wheels and lower bodies.
There’s elegance, too, in the curves and creases that form fenders. A tall 8.5 inches of ground clearance, 20-inch wheels and roof rack convey its ancestry, as do Sapphire Blue Pearl paint and matte onyx logos.
Moving in, it feels more Prius than Outback, with a flatscreen gauge cluster placed high for a head-up effect, 14-inch widescreen for infotainment and dual charging pads on the console. The heated squircle steering wheel allows clearer views of gauges and provides more gripping positions.
Our Touring edition came with the delicious blue interior package flaunting leather seats — optionally heated and ventilated up front.
Storage abounds with the flybridge console, door cubbies and roomy luggage compartment. The longer wheelbase adds space for rear legroom and cargo. Our car added Harman Kardon audio, panoramic sunroof, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a power hatch.
You can even get it with leg warmers!
While the glass roof has power shades, it does not open. Bummer.
Despite its luxuries, the Trailseeker is about traveling sans fossils. Expect a 274 miles range, fast charging 10-80 percent in 28 minutes or in about 10 hours on a 240v home charger.
Those numbers are all competitive, though something over 300 miles range would be better. Subaru could eke out more range by lowering the vehicle, but then it wouldn’t be capable of doing Subaru things.
And it does those Subaru things well, as dual electric motors shift torque around so effortlessly that you’ll believe you’re in the most capable Outback ever. X-Mode optimizes traction for snow and dirt while Dual-Mode X-Mode handles mud and deep snow.
Hill Descent Control manages braking on steep inclines. Long front and rear overhangs plus a battery pack shoved beneath limit serious shenanigans, but the Trailseeker is ready for adventure.
Did I mention it’s fast? The Trailseeker, with 375 horsepower, 396 lb.-ft. of torque and dual-motor all-wheel-drive, runs 0-60 mph in 4 seconds, undercutting the next-quickest WRX STi by over a half-second.
While my Outback challenges today’s WRX, this one would eat it for snack.
It’s pretty safe, too, with a full suite of crash avoidance features plus safe exit assist that prevents friends from stepping into traffic and a rear camera mirror that looks straight out the back no matter how much cargo sits there.
Where the Subaru Solterra and Uncharted seem like they were conceived as Toyotas, then made into Subarus, the Trailseeker feels like it was first created as an electric Outback. You know how I know Subaru got this one right? There are already sites and shops dedicated to lifting and fortifying the Trailseeker for overland excursions.
Imagine if Subaru offered a Wilderness version!
Subaru also priced the Trailseeker like an Outback. Base models start at just $39,995 and came to a value-packed $48,305 in Touring trim. That’s very close to a Touring XT with premium leather and turbocharged engine. If you’re not sold, also consider the Chevy Blazer EV, Hyundai IONIQ5 XRT, Jeep Wagoneer S and similar Toyota bZ Woodland.
Storm Forward!
Send comments to Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com; follow him on YouTube @AutoCasey.