The Uncharted proved it should be quite capable of handling most cottage roads.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
If you want to know the technical details of Subaru’s all-new, all-electric small crossover, you can read our recent review of the new Toyota C-HR and just substitute the name “Uncharted” for “C-HR.” After all, the two vehicles are almost identical and they’re built alongside each other at the same Toyota assembly plant in Japan.
There are some small physical differences, however. The Subaru’s steering wheel is flat at the top and bottom while the Toyota’s wheel is round, and the Subaru daytime running lights are a half-dozen LED lamps on each side while the Toyota DRLs are thin strips. Some of the lights in the cabin are different colours, too. That’s about it.
The two automakers were both late to develop fully electric vehicles – Toyota kept its focus on hybrids and Subaru stuck mostly with conventionally powered gasoline engines – so they teamed up in recent years to create their current lineups of EVs. This saved both time and money and brought the Toyota bZ4X (now named just the bZ) to market at the same time as the almost identical Subaru Solterra.
For 2026, they’ve done it again with the smaller Subaru Uncharted and Toyota C-HR, and the larger Subaru Trailseeker (which we’ll review next week) and Toyota bZ Woodland.
One difference with the Toyota C-HR is the daytime running lights on the Subaru are a half-dozen LED lamps.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The Uncharted comes in four trims, which have between 165 and 338 horsepower.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
So if you want a small-ish electric car, why buy one over the other?
“If you look at the pricing of Toyota equivalent cars, you’ll get better value for money if you buy a Subaru,” says Aagam Shah, a Subaru Canada car line manager. “Our cars are meant to attract current Subaru EV owners who already drive a Solterra, but we also want to get new people into our brand and make them loyal customers.”
One way of doing that is to offer a more basic version of the Uncharted with a smaller battery and motor, producing less power and range than Toyota offers with its basic C-HR. There are two trim levels of the front-wheel-drive Uncharted, while the C-HR has only one. There are also two trims of both makers’ all-wheel-drive editions, which are basically identical except for the features provided as standard.
Unfortunately, only the top-of-the-line Subaru Uncharted was available here in California for me to drive. It produces 338 horsepower and was a pleasure on the tight canyon roads, but I would have preferred to test the most basic FWD edition, which produces just 165 horsepower. That’s less than half the power and may be overwhelmed by the weight of the 1,805-kilogram vehicle. The next trim up, the FWD LR, weighs a beefier 1,895 kilograms with its heavier battery – it produces 221 horsepower, which may be a better fit of power to weight.
The big difference from the interior of the Toyota C-HR is the steering wheel is flat on the top and bottom.Courtesy of manufacturer
The all-electric Uncharted crossover is generally a little larger than the Subaru Crosstrek. Back seat space is helped by having the flat floor.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
After all, there must have been a good reason for Toyota to choose not to sell its C-HR with the smaller, cheaper battery and motor. The most basic Uncharted FWD claims a zero-to-100 kilometres an-hour acceleration of 8.4 seconds (compared to 7.3 and 5.0 seconds for the larger motors), and perhaps Toyota felt that just wasn’t enough power for the North American market.
Another way of thinking of it is that the least-expensive Subaru Uncharted FWD starts at $45,827, after all fees but before taxes. It has a 57.7-kilowatt-hour battery with a claimed range of 399 kilometres. The second-least-expensive Uncharted FWD LR has a 77-kilowatt-hour battery that’s good for up to a claimed 496 kilometres, as well as a heated steering wheel and power lift tailgate, for $49,827. The least-expensive Toyota C-HR, which is front-wheel drive and only available with the 77-kilowatt-hour battery, starts at $48,300 before taxes.
(The Uncharted is just the second vehicle in Subaru’s lineup that is not exclusively all-wheel drive. The sporty, rear-wheel-drive Subaru BRZ, introduced in 2013, was also created in a partnership with Toyota, alongside the former Scion FRS that is now the GR86.)
The two all-wheel-drive trim levels of the Uncharted have a second motor on the rear axle. They use the larger battery and produce 338 horsepower, though their claimed range is reduced to 438 kilometres. I drove the GT edition on smooth and rough paved roads and also on an off-road course that proved it should be quite capable of making it to your cottage.
The all-electric Uncharted crossover is generally a little larger than the Subaru Crosstrek. It’s well thought out, with a large, 14-inch centre touchscreen and physical dials for setting the cabin temperature. Space is tight for passengers in the back seat but it’s helped by having a flat floor, because no driveshaft is needed to connect the rear axle to the powertrain. In the cargo area, there’s 651 litres of space behind the rear seats and a generous 1,685 litres when those seats are folded flat.
All but the GT trim level will qualify for the new federal rebate of $5,000, which requires a transactional value – the final price before taxes, but also before Freight and pre-delivery inspection – of $50,000 or less.
If you’re in the market for a small, practical electric car, best suited for urban driving but quite capable of taking on more challenging terrain, and you like the style of the Uncharted, you’ll be well advised to visit both your local Subaru and Toyota dealers. Know beforehand exactly what features you want and don’t want and then compare the features of the two cars’ trim levels to decide which suits you best. Don’t forget to compare interest rates if you want to lease or finance. And if you opt for the cheapest Uncharted, make sure you drive it first, to know if it has enough power for your taste.
There’s 651 litres of space behind the rear seats and 1,685 litres when those seats are folded flat.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Tech specs
2026 Subaru Uncharted
- Base price / as tested: $45,852 / $54,852, including freight and pre-delivery inspection, plus fees and tax
- Motor / battery: FWD: 124.4 kilowatt front / 57.7 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion; FWD LR: 167 kilowatt front / 77 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion; Sport and GT: 167 kilowatt front, 88 kilowatt rear / 77 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion
- Horsepower: 165 (FWD), 221 (FWD LR), 338 (Sport and GT)
- Drive: FWD and AWD
- Power consumption (NRCan ratings) / charging capacity: 1.7 – 2.1 Le/100 km (claimed), 16.7 kilowatt-hours / 100 kilometres (observed) / 150 kilowatts (NACS)
- Curb weight: 1,805 – 2,030 kilogramss
- Range (claimed in kilometres): 399 (FWD), 496 (FWD LR), 438 (Sport and GT)
- Alternatives: Toyota C-HR, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro EV
The Uncharted has a large, 14-inch centre touchscreen and physical dials for setting the cabin temperature.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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