Front 3/4 view of an orange 2026 Subaru Uncharted drivingA couple weeks ago when I got to drive the second-generation Toyota C-HR, a new electric crossover that's like a coupe version of the bZ, I found it to be actually pretty great — and cool, even. It may not be the most compelling or competitive EV on the market, but it's definitely an appealing one, especially with a starting price of under $40,000.Mere days after driving the C-HR, I got to drive the 2026 Subaru Uncharted, its version of the 'lil crossover. I'm happy to report that it's also pretty great, with all the same appeal as the Toyota plus a few key attributes that could make the Subaru the better buy. It rained the entire day I was driving the Uncharted, so I didn't get to exploit its quick powertrain, but Subaru did let us loose on a muddy off-road course to prove that it can handle what Subaru owners actually might throw at it even on 20-inch wheels with regular tires. (That's more than we can say for Jeep, which canceled the off-road portion of the Cherokee first drive because of the same rainstorm.)Full disclosure: Subaru invited me to drive down to Laguna Beach and spend a day with the new Uncharted and Trailseeker. They fed us great pizza and we got to do some painting at the Villa con Cuore art estate. It looks better than the C-HRRear 3/4 view of an orange 2026 Subaru UnchartedExterior design differences are limited to the headlights, front bumper, wheels, taillights, tailgate and rear bumper. Both are attractive SUVs, but I prefer the Uncharted's more distinct and expressive front end. The bumper design gives it a smiling look and hides the actual headlights themselves, which are small units just below the cat-like six-eye running lights. I think the Uncharted's rear end is more interesting as well, doing away with the C-HR's trendy lightbar and putting separate turn signals at the top of the bumper. I love the GT trim's 20-inch rally-style wheels, and the 18s on the other two trims look alright. The Uncharted's Habanero Orange paint is even brighter than the C-HR's orange, it's just too bad the other four colors in the palette are grayscale.SubaruThere are even fewer differences on the inside. Subaru implemented some slightly different textures and patterns, like on the plush material covering most of the dashboard, and there's an orange accent across the dash on every trim. Sadly you can't get the Toyota's incredible suede-ish fabric upholstery, with the Uncharted instead having StarTex leatherette. The biggest change is the steering wheel, which is leather-wrapped and has a flat top and bottom instead of being fully round like the C-HR's. Otherwise it's all the same, which is fine — it's a good interior with a nice layout, certainly better than what Subaru was putting out even a few years ago. Every Uncharted has a 7-inch gauge cluster screen and a 14-inch touchscreen running Toyota's infotainment software, instead of the (still pretty similar) system used in the new Outback.SubaruThe Crosstrek is Subaru's closest analogue to the Uncharted in terms of size and proportions. While the Uncharted is only 1.4 inches longer overall, its wheelbase is more than three inches longer, but that didn't translate to any additional passenger room. In fact, aside from hip room the Uncharted is a bit more cramped inside, though the available panoramic sunroof makes it feel pretty airy, and my 5-foot-9 self can easily fit behind my own driving position in the rear bench. The Uncharted's 23 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up is 3 cubic feet more than what you get in a Crosstrek, and folding the second-row down opens that up to 59.5 cubic feet, almost 5 more than the Crosstrek. A configurable load floor opens up a bit of extra space, but there's no frunk under the hood. Subaru's first front-wheel-drive car in decadesDashboard of a 2026 Subaru UnchartedThere's really not much to say about how the Uncharted drives that I didn't already say about the C-HR, either. I drove a top GT trim, which shares its dual-motor powertrain with the mid-range Sport trim. As in the C-HR and their bZ/Solterra siblings, the all-wheel-drive Uncharted makes a total of 338 horsepower, enough to send it from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. It feels quite brisk, but not overly powerful and instantly torquey like some other EVs. The ride is smooth and comfortable with the 20-inch wheels, it's quiet inside, and the steering is direct if lacking in feel. I suspect that when pushed on a fun road when it's not raining, the Uncharted will be just as enjoyable as the C-HR was, and I prefer how the Subaru's steering is noticeably heavier. The Uncharted's zippiest drive mode is called Power, which is much better than just calling it Sport.I didn't get to experience the front-wheel-drive base model (the automaker's first FWD car in decades), the Uncharted Premium, which there's no Toyota equivalent for. It has just one motor at the front axle putting out 221 hp; Subaru hasn't given a 0-to-60 estimate, but it probably will be around 8 seconds. At 4,145 pounds, the FWD Premium is 285 pounds lighter than an AWD Sport. The Uncharted Sport AWD equipped with 18-inch wheels gets an EPA-rated 287 miles of range while the GT's 20-inchers drop that down to 273 miles; both figures are identical to the C-HR's. But the FWD Uncharted has 308 miles of range, more than any of its competitors like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt. All Uncharteds have the same 74.7-kWh battery pack with a NACS port that can be DC fast-charged at up to 150 kW, taking it from 10% to 80% in as little as 28 minutes. It's good enough off-road for most peopleAn orange Subaru Uncharted cresting a muddy hillLike I said, despite the clouds absolutely dumping it down on us, Subaru still set us loose on an off-road course, albeit only for one lap in each car (or two laps, if you count swapping into the passenger seat so my drive partner could do it too). The Uncharteds were dual-motor Sport trims with 18-inch wheels wrapped in Toyo Open Country H/T all-season tires, and they handled the course with ease. Honestly, it'd probably be able to handle something quite a bit trickier if you put all-terrains on, and certainly the Uncharted will be able to accomplish the sort of off-road trail driving most Subaru owners will actually want to do. Every Uncharted has 8.2 inches of ground clearance, 0.2 inch more than the C-HR and more than any other competitor including the Volvo EX30 Cross Country, which only has 7.5 inches of clearance. (You do get half an inch more in a Crosstrek, though.)SubaruThere's one moment when I'm driving up a steep incline with bumps designed to get one wheel off the ground and flex the articulation where the Uncharted struggles for a moment to get traction, but otherwise it was totally stress-free. AWD Uncharteds get Subaru's X-Mode off-road drive modes, hill-descent control, and the Grip Control function that works like a low-speed cruise control to keep a steady pace when on more treacherous and slippery terrain. The throttle is easy to modulate when traversing the mud, the 360-degree camera system has some useful views, and the adjustable regenerative braking is well-tuned for off-roading. Subaru's buyers want a car with personalitySide view of an orange 2026 Subaru UnchartedThe Uncharted's base Premium FWD trim gives it a clear price advantage over the AWD-only C-HR, but it doesn't come with a big penalty in terms of standard features. For $36,445 including destination the Uncharted Premium has that 14-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two wireless chargers, a power trailgate, 10-way power adjustment for the driver's seat, customizable ambient lighting, four USB-C ports, automatic dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, full LED headlights and taillights with automatic high beams and headlight washers, heated power side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers with a de-icer, and Eco and Snow drive modes. Oh, and a nearly full suite of Subaru's EyeSight driver-assist features including adaptive cruise control with lane tracing, blind-spot monitoring, safe exit assist, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition and automated emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.SubaruAt $41,245 the Sport is $2,795 more than the $38,450 base C-HR SE, but you get some features from the $40,450 C-HR XSE. In addition to the dual-motor setup, the Sport adds roof rails, an illuminated front logo, the Power drive mode plus the X-Mode, StarTex upholstery instead of cloth, memory for the driver's seat, an 8-way power-adjustable passenger seat, the surround-view camera, and lane-change assist and traffic-jam assist. Moving up to the $45,245 Uncharted GT unlocks the ability to get a two-tone black roof and gets you the panoramic roof, 20-inch wheels, heated outboard rear seats, and three features not offered on the Toyota: a digital rear-view mirror, ventilated front seats and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system (the Toyota has a 9-speaker JBL stereo).Subaru showed us data from customer clinics it conducted surrounding the Uncharted and its competitive segment. 77% of people said their car should express their personality, 73% said they seek out variety in everyday life, and 97% said being true to themselves is very important — I feel bad for that other 3%. It may not be the most exciting or characterful EV out there, but I think the 2026 Subaru Uncharted is good enough to satisfy those people, and certainly the automaker's leagues of fans that actually want to get out in the world and do active-lifestyle things while also being environmentally conscious. After all, 100% of respondents said buying an EV is the right thing to do to protect the environment, and that they're willing to pay more to get something cleaner. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.
