2026 Subaru Uncharted Review
Our automotive expert shares opinions and new photos of the 2026 Uncharted.
Perry Stern
- Pros: Plenty of power, a large cargo area, and extensive standard safety systems.
- Cons: Heavy for its size, has a tight rear seat, and isn't as sporty as it looks.
- The Takeaway: The new Uncharted delivers performance, utility, and off-road capability — plus it's easy to drive every day.
The new 2026 Subaru Uncharted is the automaker's smallest electric crossover and offers impressive performance on and off the road, plus a stylish, comfortable cabin. Although electric vehicles seem to be falling out of favor with some car companies, Subaru is bucking the trend and rapidly expanding its electric-vehicle (EV) lineup. The well-equipped Uncharted should appeal to first-time EV buyers as well as die-hard Subaru fans.
What's New for the 2026 Subaru Uncharted
QuickTake: The 2026 Uncharted is an all-new model for Subaru, serving as the brand's entry point to a growing EV lineup.
The all-new Uncharted is the smallest and least expensive EV in the Subaru lineup, but it brings a lot to the table. Boasting a range of up to 308 miles and an available dual-motor drivetrain with 338 horsepower, the Uncharted stands out with sporty styling and a spacious, high-tech cabin. Similar in size to the Subaru Crosstrek, the Uncharted is loaded with advanced safety and convenience features, even on the base-level trim. It was developed in partnership with Toyota.Â
Perry Stern
About the 2026 Subaru Uncharted GT Review Vehicle
QuickTake: The GT is the top-level trim in the Uncharted lineup, but even the base model gets plenty of standard features.
The 2026 Subaru Uncharted comes in Premium FWD, Sport, and GT trim levels, with base prices ranging from about $36,000 to around $45,000, including the destination charge to ship the SUV from its assembly plant in Japan to a dealership.
For this Uncharted review, I test-drove the GT in Laguna Beach, California. Optional equipment included premium Habanero Orange Metallic two-tone paint, bringing the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) to $46,215, including the $1,450 destination charge. Subaru provided the vehicle for this Uncharted review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.
Perry Stern
Design, Quality, and Interior Layout
QuickTake: The new Uncharted gets sporty styling with a high-tech interior vibe.
All of Subaru's EV offerings have a similar front-end style, and the Uncharted is no exception. There are slim LED running lights and an illuminated logo in the center of the grille that give the EV a modern look, and the headlights integrate into the bodywork below, almost unnoticeable until turned on. The Uncharted's short overhangs, bold fenders, and large wheels give it a distinctly sporty look.
Inside, the view of the gauge cluster from the driver's seat is unusual: Rather than the typical placement just behind the steering wheel, the digital driver's display is set back almost to the windshield, so you see it over the wheel rather than through it. It takes some getting used to, but the steering wheel's flat top provides a clear view of the gauges.
Overall, the cabin has a clean design, with a 14.0-inch central infotainment display and a stylish two-tiered dashboard with slim horizontal vents. An orange accent bar is a nice premium touch and helps differentiate the Uncharted from its EV siblings. While some surfaces feature hard plastic, most touchpoints, such as the door panels and center armrest, are nicely padded. You can access most functions through the main display, including intuitive climate controls with physical dials for adjusting cabin temperature.
Perry Stern
Comfort, Convenience, and Cargo Space
QuickTake: Comfortable seating with a good use of space for a small SUV.
While the base-level Uncharted Premium gets cloth seat trim, my GT test vehicle featured StarTex, Subaru's synthetic-leather material. It was easy to find the proper driving position with the power-adjustable driver's seat, and with good bolstering and padding, I found the seats quite comfortable.
Two wireless phone chargers are standard, and while they are certainly convenient, they do limit the available storage space. However, the large cubby directly below can easily handle larger items, and there's ample space under the center armrest, which opens from either side.
Rear passengers are likely to find their seats comfortable, but legroom is somewhat tight for taller individuals — it's about 4 inches shy of what the Subaru Crosstrek provides. The flat floor does offer a bit more space, but the back of the center console juts out, making the middle seat a better choice for small children. The available heaters for the outboard positions, as well as the dual USB-C ports, do make the second row more appealing.
The cargo area in the Uncharted is surprisingly roomy, offering up to 25.4 cubic-feet behind the rear seat, which is more than enough for a few medium-size suitcases. If you need to haul larger cargo, folding the rear seats expands the space to 59.5 cu-ft. An additional storage space below the rear cargo floor works well for keeping smaller items secure or storing the charging cable. The Uncharted does not have a frunk, or front trunk.
Perry Stern
2026 Subaru Uncharted Infotainment System Review
QuickTake: Intuitive operation with Subaru's largest-ever infotainment display.
All trims of the 2026 Uncharted feature a 14.0-inch touchscreen display, the largest ever offered in a Subaru. Also standard is the 7.0-inch digital driver's display, which is high enough that I didn't miss having a head-up display.
The infotainment system comes standard with:
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
- Wi-Fi hot spot with a trial subscription
- Cloud-based navigation with a one-year trial subscription
- Intelligent Assistant natural voice interface with a one-year trial subscription
Moving to the top-level GT also gets you a Harman Kardon premium audio system with 11 speakers.
With its large, bright display, I found the infotainment system easy to use and navigate. Shortcuts on the left provide quick access to navigation, audio, communications, and vehicle settings. At the same time, a lower tab opens a screen with all available features, including a section of frequently used apps. Unfortunately, the system doesn't have a home screen that lets you show multiple features simultaneously — you can view the map or audio selection but not both.
While most interaction takes place on the screen, the Intelligent Assistant is a great alternative interface. Activated by saying "Hey, Subaru," the system can adjust the audio and climate controls, and when I asked to find the closest coffee shop, it presented a list of options in the navigation system. If you're bored, you can also ask it to tell you a joke. Just don't expect it to be very funny.
The native systems worked well, but I preferred the familiarity of Android Auto. Connecting my Samsung Galaxy S23+ took no time at all, and Android Auto loaded immediately. I like that it uses the entire display, but it also removes the static shortcuts, making it more cumbersome to return to the native system.
Perry Stern
Safety Features and Ratings
QuickTake: Every Uncharted gets a healthy suite of advanced safety tech.
Subaru equips the Uncharted with EyeSight, a collection of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) as standard equipment, including:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Automatic emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Front cross-traffic alert
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane-departure warning
- Lane-centering assist
In addition to those features, my test car added Subaru's Traffic Jam Assist.
I like that Subaru equips even the base-level trims of the Uncharted with advanced features such as adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert, but the forward cross-traffic alert was a pleasant surprise. While waiting to take a left onto a busy road, a visual and audio alert warned me that a car was approaching from the left and that it wasn't safe to proceed.
Driving inland from the California coast on Interstate 5, I set the adaptive cruise control to the 65-mph speed limit and activated the lane centering. The system worked flawlessly, smoothly accelerating and decelerating to keep pace with the vehicle ahead, while subtle steering input kept the Uncharted in its lane. On secondary roads with 55-mph speed limits and stop lights, the system was able to bring the Subaru to a complete stop behind the car ahead at a red light, then move off again when traffic started flowing.
Perry Stern
2026 Subaru Uncharted GT Specs, Efficiency, and Driving Range
QuickTake: The Uncharted gets a powerful and efficient electric setup.
Powering the 2026 Subaru Uncharted GT is a dual-motor electric drivetrain delivering 338 horsepower with full-time all-wheel drive (AWD). The Sport gets the same dual-motor system, while the Premium comes exclusively with a 221-hp single-motor setup driving the front wheels.
The Uncharted GT's EPA-estimated driving range is 273 miles, and the Sport's is 287 miles. Going with the Premium FWD extends the estimated range to 308 miles. With a 100% charge on the battery, the trip computer in my GT showed 270 miles, in line with the EPA estimate. While the EPA hadn't listed an MPGe figure for the GT at the time of publication, my drive resulted in 3.4 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh), or about 115 MPGe.
Subaru equips the Uncharted with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, which can charge at up to 150 kilowatts (kW) at a DC fast charger. At that rate, the Uncharted can reach 80% charge in less than 30 minutes. Using a Level 2 charger, the Uncharted can get to 100% in about seven hours.
Perry Stern
2026 Subaru Uncharted Test Drive
QuickTake: Strong performance on and off the road for Subaru's new Uncharted.
With 338 horsepower on tap in a crossover the size of a Crosstrek, it's no surprise the Subaru Uncharted is quick. My first punch of the throttle pushed me back in the seat with the smooth power delivery common to EVs. The AWD system provided excellent grip, with virtually no wheelslip even under hard acceleration in the rain. Subaru says the dual-motor Uncharted will reach 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, and my experience left me with no reason to doubt it.
Whether driving around town or cruising on the freeway, the Uncharted remains quiet with minimal road or wind noise. The ride is solid when the road gets rough, and the crossover felt stable and confident, even in the rain at highway speeds.
My drive took me inland from Laguna Beach, California, along winding two-lane roads, heading to Lake Elsinore. While the Uncharted is about the same size as the Crosstrek, it weighs roughly 1,100 pounds more, and that added weight became noticeable as I pushed the small crossover in the turns. It performed well overall, with good steering response, but it wasn't as agile as I expected given its looks and specs.
The reason for the visit to Lake Elsinore is that Subaru set up an off-road course for the Uncharted. Boasting 8.2 inches of ground clearance, the Uncharted Sport and GT come standard with dual-function X-Mode, which optimizes the drive system for Snow/Dirt or Deep Snow/Mud. With steep hills, uneven terrain, moguls, and loose dirt on the surface, the course was probably tougher than most owners would attempt, but the Uncharted proved perfectly capable of handling it.
Perry Stern
Alternatives to the 2026 Subaru Uncharted
QuickTake: The Uncharted stands out among the competition.
The Nissan Leaf and Kia Niro EV are similar in size to the new Subaru Uncharted, but both have less power, and neither offers AWD. The closest competition comes from the Uncharted's near-twin, the Toyota C-HR, but Toyota doesn't offer a lower-priced front-wheel-drive version of that EV. Also, the Subaru is slightly quicker, and it sits 0.2 inches higher off the ground than the C-HR. With its respectable driving range, great performance, extensive safety systems, and off-road capability, the Subaru Uncharted is hard to beat.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Perry SternAs a small child, Perry was constantly playing with toy cars and trucks, and that enthusiasm for anything motorized with wheels never faded. After college, he moved to Seattle and began his long automotive career working in an automotive consulting firm, helping customers choose the right vehicle for their needs. In the late 1990s, Perry joined Microsoft to work on CarPoint, part of the new Microsoft Network (MSN). He went on to become editor of the site, remaining on staff for 20 years before venturing out on his own. Today, in addition to his work on Capital One Auto Navigator, he still contributes to MSN, as well as J.D. Power, TrueCar.com, and U.S. News & World Report. Perry lives in the small town of Dexter, Michigan, with his wife and dog, and he still smiles when he sees his 2006 Mazda Miata in the garage.
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