And The Last Shall Be First: The 2026 Subaru Uncharted GT

Mike Hagerty
May 13
3 min read

I have been among the harshest critics of the first generation of electric vehicles produced by the Toyota-Subaru alliance, the Subaru Solterra and the Toyota bZ4X (now just Toyota bZ). They arrived underpowered, overpriced, with inadequate range, uncompetitive charging times (especially when compared to the Hyundai IONIQ 5, which had come to market a few months before), and under the leadership of former Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, who admitted that he did not like EVs. As I said in my review of the 2023 bZ4x:

"This car feels like [Akio] Toyoda decided that the best way out of building EVs was to just build one that resisted being understood, much less loved, and then declare the failure of a noble experiment."

To its credit, Subaru set out immediately to improve the Solterra, and the 2024 model was a major step forward from the '23.

Last fall, my colleagues from Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ) and I were deeply impressed with our first drive of the new-generation 2026 Solterra---so much so that it won Best Vehicle Under $50,000 and was runner-up for Best Overall Vehicle in a group of 14 entrants.

And for 2026, the Solterra is not alone. There are two new Subaru EVs bracketing the Solterra---the larger Trailseeker (an EV similar in size and concept to the Outback) and the smaller Uncharted.

The dimensions of the Uncharted are very close to those of the Crosstrek---it is 1.4 inches longer, about two inches wider and 0.2 inches taller.

It is also really, really, really good.

The Uncharted comes in three trim levels---Premium FWD, Sport and GT. The Sport and GT models are all-wheel drive.

Premium FWD models get a 165kW battery with output of 221 horsepower. At this writing, the Environmental Protection Agency has not issued a range estimate, but Subaru is saying "more than 300 miles". Sport and GT models have 252kW batteries with 338 horsepower. Again, no EPA estimate as I write this, but Subaru's estimate is "more than 285 miles". And Subaru says you can hit 80% state of charge on a DC fast charger in 28 minutes. Not best-in-class, but not bad.

I drove the GT for a week, and holy cow, is it fun. Subaru doesn't provide a 0-60 estimate, but Car and Driver says it did it in 4.4 seconds. Better than that, the Uncharted feels buttoned down---responsive steering, a chassis willing to play and traction via Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive system with X-MODE dual-mode system, which has downhill assist control, grip control, snow/dirt and deep snow/mud modes.

The Uncharted loses an inch or so worth of ground clearance compared to the Crosstrek, but its 8.2 inches are still sufficient.

Despite only being 1.4 inches longer than the Crosstrek, its cargo capacity is better---23.0 cubic feet to the Crosstrek's 19.9.

Rear seat legroom is a little tight at 32.2 inches.

The base price of the 2026 Subaru Uncharted GT is $43,795---$45,245. That money buys a generous amount of standard feature content (see the window sticker at the end of the review).

The only extra-cost option on our test vehicle was Premium Metropolis Gray Metallic two-tone paint ($970), so the bottom line on the window sticker reads $46,215.

Subaru's customer base includes some of the most environmentally-aware people on the planet. Offering them not only an electric go-anywhere option---but a very good one---is likely to pay off.

Subaru may have stumbled a bit coming out of the gate with EVs (and the fault for that goes to Toyota, which did the development work), but it's not how you start, it's where you end up.

2026 Subaru Uncharted GT at a glance:

Price: $43,795 base/$46,215 as tested

Battery: 252 kwH

Horsepower: 338

Torque: N/A

Transmission: One-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 4,480 lbs

0-60 Acceleration (Car and Driver): 4.4 seconds

EPA Fuel Economy Estimate: N/A

Manufacturer Range Estimate: 285 miles

Charging time estimate (manufacturer): 28 minutes (10%-80% via DC fast charger)/7 hours (full charge with Level 2 charging)