Volvo
EX40
From $69,990
Subaru
Trailseeker
Model Profile
ElectricSUV2026
From $69,620
Driveaway estimate · NSW · priced Sep 2026. Varies by state. Details →
The short version
Subaru has never sold anything as quick as the Trailseeker, and it is a wagon. The brand's third electric model reads like the Outback that Australia keeps asking for and Subaru keeps not building: a long, high-riding all-wheel-drive load-hauler, only now with two motors, 280kW and a 0 to 100km/h time that shades the old WRX STI. It lands from $69,620 drive-away into the busy mid-to-large electric SUV field, with up to 533km of WLTP range and 150kW DC fast-charging, and its case is less about winning the spec-sheet arms race than being the one that drives like a Subaru and clears a dirt road on the way to the campsite.
Launched
Q2 2026
Subaru's third electric model in Australia
ANCAP
5 stars
2025 rating, via the related bZ4X / E-Outback
Body
All-terrain wagon
eOutback in the UK and Europe
The numbers that matter
What matters to you?
488–533km
Range280kW
Power595–609L
Boot space8years
Battery warrantyRange shown across the Trailseeker line-up. Pick a priority to see the numbers that matter to you.
In the metal
Images are illustrative and digitally rendered. They may not reflect the exact variant, colour or trim. Details →
The full picture
Living with the Trailseeker.
The Trailseeker shares its bones with the Toyota bZ4X Touring and sits a size above Subaru's own Solterra, but the character is the point. Both grades run a 74.7kWh CATL battery and dual permanent-magnet motors for 280kW of combined output through Subaru's Symmetrical all-wheel drive, so traction is relentless and the 4.5-second sprint is real. Reviewers who drove it at the Australian launch kept landing on the same word: composed. Subaru retuned the suspension over the Toyota, and it shows on the sort of patchy country road where lighter, cheaper EVs get flustered.
It is properly built for more than the school run. Ground clearance is 211mm, well clear of a Tesla Model Y at around 167mm, and the dual-mode X-Mode traction system with hill-descent control means the all-terrain badge is not just a decal. Inside, a 14-inch touchscreen anchors a cabin lifted from the Lexus and Toyota parts bin, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 360-degree camera and the full active-safety suite standard on both grades.
There is one quirk (common with EVs) worth knowing before you sign: the cheaper car goes further. The base AWD is rated at 533km WLTP, the pricier AWD Touring at 488km, because the Touring's 20-inch wheels trade range for looks. So the spend-more-get-more logic breaks down here. The Touring adds a panoramic roof, ventilated front seats, leather-accented trim, a Harman Kardon stereo, vehicle-to-load power and advanced park assist, but it does not add a single kilometre of range.
The compromises are honest ones. There is no spare wheel, only a puncture kit; there are no over-the-air updates or connected services, which buyers of newer Chinese EVs now take for granted; and 150kW DC charging is merely average in 2026. Against a Model Y or a Zeekr 7X it costs more and does less on paper. What it offers instead is a Subaru dealer network that has been here for decades, a ride tuned for Australian roads, and a body shape almost nobody else in the class will sell you.
4.5s
0 to 100km/h
The dual-motor Trailseeker is the quickest and most powerful production Subaru ever sold in Australia, quicker off the line than the previous-generation WRX STI.
The range
Trailseeker Range Walk
Two grades, both dual-motor all-wheel drive on the same battery and 280kW output. The step up from AWD to Touring buys comfort and cabin kit, not more range or more power, so the choice comes down to how much equipment you actually want.
- 01
Trailseeker AWD
Most buyers, and anyone who prioritises rangeFrom $69,620
The 280kW dual-motor drivetrain, 533km of range, 18-inch wheels, dual-zone climate, heated front seats, a 14-inch screen, 360-degree camera and the full safety suite. The cheaper car, and the longer-range one.
- 02
Trailseeker AWD Touring
Buyers who want the luxury kit and can live with less rangeFrom $75,920
Adds a panoramic glass roof, leather-accented and ventilated front seats, 20-inch wheels, a Harman Kardon stereo, 1500W vehicle-to-load, advanced park assist and memory mirrors. Range drops to 488km on the bigger wheels.
Driveaway estimate · NSW · priced Sep 2026. Varies by state. Details →
Running costs
What the Trailseeker costs to own
Fuel or charging, insurance, servicing, tyres and rego, with repayments if you finance it. Estimates for a NSW private buyer, not a quote.
Running costs
Keep for
Drive
Where the money goesrunning costs + interest, over 5 years
Charging$4,492Insurance$15,095Servicing$984Tyres$800Rego + CTP$5,420Loan interest$12,674
Free · no obligation · estimate for a NSW private buyer, not a quote
Specifications
Under the skin.
Safety
How it protects.
ANCAP · Tested 2025
Adult Occupant89%
Child Occupant86%
Pedestrian80%
Safety Assist82%
This vehicle achieved the highest possible ANCAP safety rating, with strong results across occupant protection, pedestrian safety and safety-assist technology.
The verdict
We would pick the base Trailseeker AWD, because it is the longer-range, cheaper and better-value half of the range, and the Touring's extras are comfort, not capability. Buy it if you want a Subaru that drives like one, clears a dirt track and hauls the family in near-silence; look elsewhere if outright range, charging speed or cabin tech top your list, because the Trailseeker trades those for character and clearance.
Where it shines
- Fastest, most powerful Subaru sold in Australia, with all-wheel-drive traction to match
- Composed, Australian-tuned ride that outclasses cheaper EVs on rough roads
- Genuine all-terrain hardware: 211mm clearance, X-Mode, hill-descent control
- 533km range and a long, practical boot in the base AWD
- Established Subaru dealer and service network, with cheap capped-price servicing
Worth weighing up
- No spare wheel, only a puncture repair kit
- No over-the-air updates or connected services
- The dearer Touring loses range to its 20-inch wheels
- Priced above a Tesla Model Y and a petrol Outback, and out-gunned on paper by Chinese rivals
- V2L power is Touring-only, and DC charging is average at 150kW
The back story
Where the Trailseeker has been.
Past generations. Context, not the car on sale today.
The Trailseeker is a brand-new nameplate, but it carries a familiar idea. Subaru built its Australian reputation on the Outback, the high-riding all-wheel-drive wagon, and in markets where the petrol Outback is being retired this electric car takes its place as the eOutback. It arrived in 2026 as the third and largest member of Subaru's electric family, above the Uncharted and the Solterra.
Questions
Asked about the Trailseeker.
By Yuri Cartland, Editor
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