First Drive: 2026 Subaru Uncharted

Laguna Beach, CA — The next phase of the development partnership between Toyota and Subaru continues with the release of the all-new 2026 Subaru Uncharted. It shares a platform and many bits with the new Toyota C-HR (which stands for “Coupe High Rider”; not sure, exactly, why “Uncharted”), but a few choice changes make it the slightly more handsome looking of the two.

Chief among these is the Uncharted’s front facia, which gets a pair of six-bulb LED daytime running lights that are becoming a bit of a signature over at Subaru; both the redesigned Solterra and upcoming Trailseeker get them. Their styling is what I’d call “aggressively low profile”, and they fit well with their smooth surroundings.

The taillights get a similar treatment, but the real eye-catching touch here is the “Subaru” scripting placed broadly across the rump. Seen here is the contrast-colour roof option; a body colour roof is standard. As are 18-inch wheels as opposed to the 20s on my top-spec GT tester, which is one of four trims. Joining the GT ($54,852) is the base model simply called “FWD” ($42,995); the FWD Long Range ($46,995); and the Sport AWD ($49,995). That means that all but the top GT spec will be eligible for the recently announced Canadian EV rebates.

Inside, the GT gets Startex synthetic leather as standard, with the base two trims getting cloth seating surfaces. All Uncharted models get a seven-inch digital gauge cluster as well as a 14” central display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Which I preferred, because the standard infotainment interface is not the most robust in the biz. The graphics are a little dozy, there are just a few too many menus to sift through and the navigation system just isn’t detailed enough. It’s especially glaring considering the next newest vehicle in Subaru’s line-up – the redesigned ’26 Outback – gets a more intuitive system with a faster Snapdragon processor. What this is is a case of one of the perils of platform-sharing as the Uncharted’s system is shared with Toyota – where it’s also just slightly sub-par — and the Outback’s is not. I was happy to find that they have provided a volume knob as well as knobs to adjust the climate temp; not having to rely on the touch display for this is exactly how I want it.

Space-wise, the Uncharted offers plenty of room for front-seat passengers (rear seaters will feel a little cramped; keep the kids back there. Or the dog) as well as neat details such as a steering wheel shaped so the rim doesn’t obstruct your view forward, dual wireless charge pads that can be used at the same time, dual USB-C ports (they are a little tough to reach) and optional 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio, digital rear-view mirror and fixed glass roof for more interior airiness. It’s nice to have, but it’s a shame both it and the digimirror are available only on the GT trim.

Storage-wise, you’re going to want to make use of the adjustable-height cargo floor because the steep slope of the rear glass means you can’t load things too high back there. Having the digimirror helps because your gear won’t obstruct your view out the back but remember: that comes only on the top trim. Oh, in case you’re asking: no, there is no frunk. None of the Toybaru EVs get one because that’s where they’ve stored the AC system, EV motor and so on. Luckily, the rear seats fold nice and flat with a tug of a shoulder-mounted lever, providing 1,685 litres of cargo space.

Range-wise, the champion here is the FWD Long Range which gets up to 496 kilometres depending on the conditions. The two AWD models make a claimed 438 km while the entry level FWD model is good for 399 km.

The reason for that? Well, unlike the C-HR, the Uncharted get two battery choices: a 57.7 kWh version, and a 77 kWh version, while the C-HR only gets the larger 77 kWh battery pack. Both can be charged via an NACS port, going from 10 to 80 per cent charge in about 20 minutes and you can adjust battery regen to four levels by tugging on a pair of wheel-mounted paddles. What this does is sets up the Uncharted as a great value proposition, perfect for urban dwellers that need a stylish, efficient way to get from A to B.

They will, of course, take a bit of a power hit with power coming from only one 124.4 kW motor to the front wheels. FWD models are good for 221 horsepower, while AWD models get a 167 kW motor at the front and an 88 kW motor on the rear axle for a combined 338 hp total. There may be some extra punch, but while power can get distributed between the front and rear motors, the more powerful motor being up front means you’ll never quite get the more performance-oriented rear-wheel-drive feel you can get from some dual motor EVs.

That’s not to say the Uncharted GT feels slow, though – far from it, in fact.

As soon as you dip the throttle, the power gets sent to the wheels with no transmission intermediary to gum things up. It’s just instant power delivery which will not only have you squirting through traffic and entering the freeway with confidence, but will help in adverse conditions as well.

With its dual-mode X-Mode AWD system, the Uncharted GT gets two off-road modes, Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud, which will tailor the drive experience to the conditions and to what the car’s doing. If the front end is slipping, dabbing the throttle will send more power to the rear to help scrub off that understeer.

Then, when perhaps a steep, slippery climb needs to be completed, power can be distributed more evenly to achieve as much purchase as possible. How aggressively this all happens changes depending on which of the two X-Modes you’ve selected via a push of a button mounted right of the joystick-style gear selector.

To put their money where their tech is, Subaru had us tackle an off-road course that featured the kinds of loose surfaces, steep climbs and odd cambers that their cars are known for conquering. They had us in California to drive both the Uncharted and larger, burlier Trailseeker (watch this space for that story soon) and I was surprised to find that they had us attempt the course in both vehicles.

For its part, the Uncharted performed admirably. It clambered up hills that had to have at least 40 degrees of slope with just a smidge of wheelspin here and there. Otherwise, it was just deep-chested, confident progress. Activating X-Mode also automatically activates hill descent/crawl mode – as well as a forward-facing camera — so the driver can focus on the steering and let the car handle the throttle and brakes. There were a couple of spots at the beginning of steep descents where maybe the brakes took a little too long to step in for my liking, but the more I lapped the course, the more I came to expect that attitude and proceed to jive with it.

In all honesty, the Uncharted was pretty easy to jive with in all the situations we put it through – a joy, in fact. The power is generous, the cabin is well-equipped and comfortable and the ride goes far beyond what you might expect from a (mostly) sub-50K subcompact crossover. It falls just short of matching the passenger volume of the Hyundai Kona Electric or Nissan Leaf, but you don’t feel it so much thanks to the smart cabin design.

I think in the end what really gets me, though, is the value. You can get quite a bit of car – AWD, 338 hp, almost 440 km of range and tonnes of capability — for less than 50 grand, and that’s before incentives. Hard to argue with that, even if you don’t understand the model name.