Subaru Trailseeker First Drive: An Electric Outback Alternative With More Boot and a Quirky Wheel

Subaru's new Trailseeker is, on paper, the electric answer to the Outback. It is 25mm shorter overall but has a wheelbase 105mm longer, and its boot holds 609 litres, 50 litres more than the petrol wagon's. Driven Car Guide has now had a first drive of the car in New Zealand.

The Trailseeker is also the newest product of the partnership between Subaru and Toyota that produced the Solterra and bZ4X SUVs, both launched in New Zealand in 2024. The Solterra has since left the market, while the bZ4X carries on in updated form. The Trailseeker and Toyota's bZ4X Touring are wagon versions of those SUVs, each 140mm longer overall. Both are built at Subaru's Yajima plant in Ota, Gunma, Japan. The panels are shared, but each brand has its own front styling and detail touches. The Trailseeker gets a quartic steering wheel, as the Solterra did, with controls near the thumbs. The Toyota keeps a round one.

There is more riding on it than one model. If the Trailseeker sells well, Subaru of NZ will bring in the closely related Uncharted compact SUV. If both do well, the Solterra could return. That car launched in early 2024, just after the Clean Car Discount was scrapped, and never built much sales momentum.

Two versions are on sale. The AWD costs $68,990 and the AWD Touring $72,490. Subaru of NZ had earlier said it would bring only the top model, but a last-minute change of plan lets it just undercut Toyota's single bZ4X Touring at $71,990.

The AWD comes with a 14-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch digital instrument display, a digital rear-view mirror and two wireless phone chargers. It also has a six-speaker audio system, multi-colour LED ambient lighting and dual-zone climate control with rear vents. It rides on 18-inch alloys and has dusk-sensing, self-levelling LED headlights, synthetic black leather trim, eight-way power heated front seats, heated rear outer seats and a heated steering wheel. Its WLTP range is 533km, and it charges at up to 150kW.

The extra $3500 for the Touring buys 20-inch alloys, which cut WLTP range to 488km. It also adds a panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade, leather-accented seats, ventilated front seats, memory for the driver's seat and mirrors, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon system with subwoofer, and Advanced Park Assist using four panoramic-view cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors. The Touring also has a 220-volt, 1500-watt Vehicle-to-Load outlet that lets the battery power external devices.

Subaru of NZ has arranged some local extras. A $1399 towbar arrives in January, and the car is rated to tow 1.5 tonnes. A spare wheel option at $1299 arrives at the same time, since no spare is fitted as standard. The space for a space-saver already exists under the boot floor, but the conversion needs welding for a bracket, a new cargo floor with extra sound deadening, and removal of the moulded tray that holds the repair kit. Warranty is 3 years/100,000km, with 5 years/100,000km on the EV driveline and 8 years/160,000km on the high-voltage battery. A $599 service plan, with 15,000km/12-month intervals, extends the warranty by three more years.

On the road, Subaru calls it its fastest-accelerating production car, with 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds. Output is 280kW in total, with 268Nm on each axle; Subaru does not quote a combined torque figure. The reviewers found it punchy but not extreme, with the throttle tuned to mimic a petrol car's progression. They said it feels like part of the Subaru family in its mix of ride compliance, responsive handling and clearly signalled body movement. It also has X-Mode for off-road driving and a grip control function, effectively an off-road cruise control. The bZ4X Touring gets those too.

Preorders lean toward the Touring, as is common with new models. The reviewers still prefer the entry AWD: same performance, and the darker 18-inch wheels look better to them than the 20s, though they admit the Touring's audio system tempts. Alternatives are the bZ4X Touring, which is close on specification but has synthetic upholstery rather than leather, and the petrol-only Outback Wilderness at $69,990 to $74,990.