The Subaru Uncharted may sound like a rough-and-tumble model with go-anywhere abilities, but the reality may be far from it.
Teased by Subaru’s North American division, the Uncharted will become its “newest, all-electric compact crossover SUV”, though it may end up being yet another rebadged Toyota.
A single photo uploaded by the brand shows a full-width rear light bar, Subaru lettering and two extended sections of the roof, the latter of which makes it appear almost identical to the Toyota C-HR+.
While the C-HR+ is aimed at Europe, Subaru’s rebadged effort could be key to it hitting its EV sales targets in the US, where it has been looking to roll out more models, such as the Trailseeker and the existing Solterra.
Both of those EVs are twinned with Toyotas too – the bZ4X Touring and bZ4X, respectively – in a bid for both firms to cut development costs, a ploy the brands first used to jointly develop the 86 and BRZ sports coupes.
Subaru has previously said it plans to sell four EV SUVs by 2026 (with the Solterra, Trailseeker and Uncharted to be joined by a yet-to-be-revealed offering), with an additional four models due by 2030.
Toyota’s C-HR+ is larger than the hybrid C-HR sold in Australia, measuring 4520mm long, 1870mm wide and 1595mm tall on a 2750mm wheelbase. However, it’s 170mm shorter between the bumpers, has a 100mm shorter wheelbase and sits 55mm lower than the Solterra, even though it’s also 10mm wider.
Subaru’s EVs have traditionally mirrored their Toyota siblings for outputs, though the former brand has only offered all-wheel drive powertrains, rather than the more affordable front-wheel drive options available through the latter.
In the case of the C-HR+, its all-wheel drive flagship produces 252kW, can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds, and run for up to 600km thanks to its 77kWh battery pack.
A front-wheel drive version is also offered, producing 123kW and fed by a 57.7kWh battery pack for 455km of driving range.
While the Solterra is sold in Australia, Subaru is yet to confirm the Trailseeker for the local market. Likewise, the Uncharted may not make it here, as even its C-HR+ twin isn’t locked in for Australia.
Subaru will reveal the Uncharted on July 17, US time.
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