How Subaru's EVs Stay True to the Brand With Toyota as a Partner

• Subaru just revealed the Uncharted EV, which is a rebadged version of the Toyota C-HR.
• Subaru and Toyota have partnered on other EVs, including the bZ/Solterra and bZ Woodland/Trailseeker.
• We sat down with Subaru's product planners to discuss how the company's EVs stay true to the brand.

Developing a car is expensive, especially when it uses new technology like electric motors and a big battery pack. So it makes sense for automakers to team up on developing one or more vehicles. Subaru and Toyota are doing just that on a series of EVs that began with the Solterra and bZ4X duo, which arrived for the 2023 model year. 

In the coming months, the two brands are expanding their EV lineups to three vehicles each. Subaru announced an updated 2026 Solterra and a larger 2026 Trailseeker in April at the New York Auto Show, and Toyota revealed a revised 2026 bZ (dropping the 4X from the name), a smaller 2026 C-HR and a larger bZ Woodland in May. Just this past week, Subaru revealed the C-HR's sister vehicle, the new Uncharted compact crossover. 

Edmunds was on hand at the Uncharted reveal, and we asked Subaru product planners how the brand makes sure its electric vehicles have a Subaru character given the Toyota relationship.

bZ4X and Solterra: A friendly rivalry

"Financially and from a manpower standpoint, we decided to split [development] 50/50," said Garrick Goh, car line manager for the Solterra and Trailseeker. With that in mind, several Subaru engineers — as many as 150 — were embedded within Toyota when work began on the skateboard platform that is used for all six of these EVs. At Toyota, the platform is known as e-TNGA, and at Subaru, it's called ESGP.

Goh noted that Toyota worked on the motors, battery, styling and interior, while Subaru was in charge of developing the all-wheel-drive system, crash structure, ride and handling, and noise, vibration and harshness. While Subaru engineers were embedded at Toyota, Toyota engineers also came to the Subaru test track to do codevelopment, Goh said.

According to Goh, the teams worked well together when developing the bZ4X and Solterra. "It was like a friendly rivalry. That was the phrase the chief engineer used to describe it," Goh said. "For example, suspension tuning, Toyota would be like, 'OK, this is good, we're set.' And Subaru was like, 'No, this is not good enough. We can do better.' And vice versa for different parts of development. In doing so, we got the best of both worlds for both cars."

However, the best of both worlds wasn't good enough for the EV market when the duo arrived. With just 227 miles of range and uninspired ride and handling, the Solterra and bZ4X were panned by the automotive media. Edmunds gave both vehicles "average" ratings.

After three model years, the pair is getting a major upgrade. Due in November, the 2026 Solterra has only a slightly larger battery (74.7 kWh versus 72.8 kWh for the outgoing model), but its range improves from 227 miles to a yet-to-be-determined figure that will be more than 285 miles. Also new are the motors, suspension arms, bushings, steering rack, interior and sound deadening. Goh said the new Solterra aims for better performance in every way. "The targets were definitely elevated," he noted.

Uncharted, C-HR, Trailseeker and bZ Woodland: An expanded EV lineup

As Subaru and Toyota prepare to expand their EV lineups with the smaller Subaru Uncharted and Toyota C-HR and the larger Subaru Trailseeker and Toyota bZ Woodland, the codevelopment continues. 

"We have our engineers working on the all-wheel-drive portion of the Uncharted, and also on the handling and the suspension and the tuning of the car itself," Chris Charles, car line planning manager for Impreza, Crosstrek and Uncharted, said. 

Like the Solterra and bZ, the Uncharted, C-HR and bZ Woodland will get Subaru's Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system with X-Mode. The system has Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud settings that adjust the traction control and how power is apportioned front-to-rear and side-to-side to send it to the wheels with grip.

Goh noted that Subaru has targets for its all-wheel-drive system. All-wheel-drive vehicles have to be able to climb a specific grade in a specific amount of time without spending a lot of time sending traction around. The traction just has to get there quickly.

Charles described how Subaru's all-wheel-drive vehicles act: "We want our all-wheel-drive systems to be predictable. We want a customer to get into a Subaru whether it's an ICE or a hybrid or an EV to just understand how the system works and to trust it. There's not going to be a learning curve. There's just going to be a stable and predictable all-wheel-drive system."

As for the handling, Charles said that Subarus drive with a neutral character and without a lot of understeer or oversteer. He also said the Uncharted will be a very predictable and stable car.

The Uncharted looks like a car, but Subaru calls it a crossover. A standard ground clearance of 8.3 inches backs up that characterization, and with up to 338 horsepower on tap from its dual-motor powertrain, it could be a lot of fun on-road or off. 

The WRX and former WRX STI came from rally cars, so a high-performance Uncharted model tuned to go fast off the beaten path could be in the cards as well. "Subaru definitely has a rally heritage, and it's something we would definitely not rule out further down the line," said Charles.

At the other end of the spectrum are the Trailseeker and bZ Woodland. They share the Solterra's wheelbase, but they're about 6 inches longer and the extra length is all in the rear overhang. Goh said that this increases cargo space and leaves room for a full-size dog crate. These models will also offer more power, with up to 375 horsepower.

Subaru and Toyota EVs: How they're different

These EVs' motors, batteries, suspension tuning and body shapes are the same. Where they differ is in their front and rear fascias, headlights and taillights, some interior trim features and their feature sets. The C-HR will also come only with all-wheel drive, while the all-wheel-drive brand Subaru will offer the Uncharted with front- or all-wheel drive. 

Each brand has its own product planners who determine the trim lineup for each model and the equipment that will be included on specific trim levels. That means many features will be similar, but Subaru may choose to include an item like heated seats, for instance, while Toyota won't. The included features will also affect final prices, which aren't yet available. 

We'll be able to confirm if the Subaru and Toyota EVs feel the same from behind the wheel when we drive them late this year and early next year. In the meantime, it appears that both brands are improving their EVs, saving money while doing so, and expanding their lineups to suit more customers.