Subaru Trailseeker given costly convenience upgrade
As one of the many EVs sold without a spare wheel, the Subaru Trailseeker can now be optioned with a space-saver, but it’s not cheap.
Fewer new cars are being sold with a spare wheel, leaving drivers in a potential lurch if they have a failure and the increasingly common tyre repair kit can’t patch a puncture.
The Subaru Trailseeker – twinned with the Toyota bZ4X Touring, and a sibling to the smaller Solterra – is one of them, with EVs far less likely to be fitted with spare wheels due to packaging constraints.
However, Subaru appears to have listened to customers, with its Australian arm unveiling a locally developed integrated underfloor spare wheel kit for the Trailseeker, hiding the space saver in the cargo floor space in the boot.
It’s the first time Subaru has offered the Trailseeker with a spare wheel globally, and provides a point of difference compared to the related bZ4X Touring, but it doesn’t come cheap.
Priced at $1145, the spare wheel kit is almost as costly as a set of full-size tyres for the EV, though included in the price is a jack and the required tools to replace the wheel.
According to Subaru Australia, pre-orders for the spare wheel kit are open now, with fitting expected to start before the Christmas holidays. It can be optioned for not only new examples but also Trailseekers already on the road.
In addition to this, Subaru has launched a towbar for the Trailseeker, providing it with an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg, and a braked towing capacity of 1500kg.
Priced from $1189.59, it too can be pre-ordered now with fitting to take place before Christmas 2026.
Jordan Mulach
