Kia EV6 vs Subaru Trailseeker

On a public DC fast charger the EV6 wins clearly. Its 800-volt system peaks at 258kW and refills 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes on a 350kW charger, where the Trailseeker's 400-volt pack tops out at 150kW and needs around 30 minutes for the same top-up. The Subaru answers at home, where its 22kW three-phase AC charging is double the Kia's 10.5kW, so a household with three-phase supply tops up faster overnight. For anyone who leans on public fast chargers or takes long trips, the EV6's hardware is the stronger case; for home-only charging the gap narrows.

The rear-drive EV6 Air claims 582km WLTP, the longest figure here, and the EV6 range steps down through the GT-Line grades to 450km in the 478kW GT. The Subaru Trailseeker AWD claims 533km, dropping to 488km in the AWD Touring because its 20-inch wheels cost efficiency, so the cheaper Subaru is also the longer-range one. Base for base the EV6 holds a range advantage of roughly 49km, though real-world figures land lower for both, especially on the highway and in the cold. If maximum range leads your brief, the EV6 Air is the distance champion of this pair.

For most of the range the Subaru is the quicker car. Both Trailseeker grades make 280kW and 536Nm through all four wheels, where the rear-drive EV6 Air and GT-Line make 168kW and 350Nm and the dual-motor GT-Line AWD 239kW. So badge for badge the Trailseeker has the pace, and it is the quickest Subaru sold in Australia. The exception sits at the top: the EV6 GT makes 478kW and 770Nm for a 3.5-second sprint, far beyond anything Subaru offers, but it costs around $109,860 drive-away. For the money most buyers will spend, the Trailseeker is the brisker pick.

Both wear a five-star ANCAP rating, so neither is the unsafe choice. The EV6's rating comes from 2022 testing and the Trailseeker's from 2025, via the related e-Outback and Toyota bZ4X. The sub-scores split: the EV6 leads adult occupant protection at 90 per cent against 89 and safety assist at 88 against 82, while the Trailseeker leads vulnerable road user protection at 80 per cent against 64. Both ship the full active-safety suite as standard. One caveat on the Kia: ANCAP lists the high-performance GT as unrated, so the star rating covers the Air and GT-Line grades, not the flagship.

The Subaru is the more practical of the two. Its 609-litre boot is 119 litres larger than the EV6's 490, and the taller, longer wagon body gives more usable rear head room than the Kia's swept coupe roofline, which trims boot space and rear vision. Both seat five with a flat floor, run dual-zone climate and offer wireless smartphone mirroring. The EV6 counters with a longer 2,900mm wheelbase for strong rear legroom and, on rear-drive grades, a front boot for charging cables. For outright cargo room and head space, the Trailseeker is the family pick; for rear legroom, the EV6 holds its own.

This is the Subaru's whole reason to exist. The Trailseeker rides 211 millimetres off the ground against the EV6's 160, runs Subaru's Symmetrical all-wheel drive as standard, and adds dual-mode X-Mode with hill-descent control for dirt roads and campsite approaches. The entry EV6 is rear-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive only from the GT-Line AWD up, and it sits low on road-biased hardware. Neither is a rock-crawler, and both wear road tyres and carry only a puncture kit, but the Trailseeker is the only one of the two built to leave the tarmac with confidence.

The Trailseeker AWD opens near $69,620 drive-away, roughly $8,700 under the EV6 Air at about $78,280, and both are efficient, the Subaru at 154Wh/km against the Kia's 159. Both service every 12 months or 15,000km. Warranty splits the decision: the EV6 carries a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty against the Subaru's five, while the Trailseeker backs its battery for eight years and 160,000km against the Kia's seven and 150,000km. So the Subaru wins the up-front price and battery cover, the Kia the longer overall warranty. For the lowest buy-in, the Trailseeker is the cheaper way into a capable electric SUV.

Route it by what you rate most. The EV6 is the pick for the road-tripper and the charging-led buyer: its 800-volt system refills far quicker, the Air travels furthest at 582km, and the range runs to the 478kW GT, with a seven-year warranty and the more design-led cabin. The Trailseeker earns the money for the buyer who wants genuine ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, a bigger boot and the composed Australian-tuned ride, all for thousands less. Both are five-star safe and closely matched on size. Charge on the road and chase range, the Kia; want all-terrain breadth and value, the Subaru.