Even with the evaporation of federal tax credits, plenty of automakers have big plans for electric cars in the United States. In particular, Toyota and Subaru are both planning to stack their dealerships with more two-row crossover EVs. While this is a questionable tactic for most, I think there are two reasons why the brands could be successful. The fact that Subaru went way into left field to find a name for its new EV is going to play into this a bit.
First, let’s face it. The current generation of electric cars produced by Toyota and Subaru is not great. You’d think that two strong companies like Toyota and Subaru sharing the development of a platform would result in greatness, but that’s not what happened. The bZ4X and Solterra were the most also-ran of also-ran electric cars, offering no advancements in charging speed, efficiency, performance, or design. They were to electric cars what Screaming Trees were to grunge music.
That’s changing quickly. The 2025 Toyota bZ seems like a massive improvement, especially with regard to range. The bZ Woodland is an interesting take on the rugged-but-not-too-rugged crossover. Subaru gets its own versions with the revised Solterra and Subaru Trailseeker. For Toyota, a smaller EV two-row crossover is coming in the form of the electric CH-R. That vehicle, too, has a competitive spec sheet, with a range up to 290 miles.
It seems simple, but having truly competitive products is the first reason why I think Toyota and Subaru could make a trio of two-row electric cars work for the brands. The other reason is that the brands are Toyota and Subaru. The Bees Forks was one of the few products that Toyota wasn’t in constant short supply of last year, due to its lack of competitiveness. One just has to look at the success of the Honda Prologue to witness how much pent-up demand there probably is for a good Toyota EV.
Here are the pairs of cars we have right now:
- Toyota bZ = Subaru Solterra
- Toyota bZ Woodland = Subaru Trailseeker
- Toyota CH-R = ?????
Subaru may be in better shape than Toyota because Subaru has its buyers entranced. You don’t buy a Subaru so much as you ascend into your final form as an outdoorsy Subaru owner when a ray of light beams down from the nearest REI, and all your clothes vanish from your body and are replaced by Patagonia.
While I expected the new CH-R-based Subaru to have basically identical stats, I was not ready for the name, which is: Uncharted. It’s the 2026 Subaru Uncharted.
This brings up a lot of questions: Is this the first Subaru to be named after a video game? Is it the first Subaru name that’s exclusively an adjective (Legacy is both a noun and an adjective, as is BRAT)? It’s a strange name, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. If Subaru is a brand of mostly well-marketed economy cars and crossovers, then Uncharted is exceptional branding for an average electric crossover.
The Uncharted will debut on July 17th.
Top graphic images: Naughty Dog; Subaru
What’s next, the Nissan Xterra Incognito?
Nice!
Subaru’s Boomer/Gen X buyers won’t get the reference.
Color me Unimpressed.
At least Subaru didn’t pull a Mitsubishi and try to name it something like the SVX Cross.
They will never be forgiven for Eclipse Cross. You hear me Mitsubishi?!?!?! We’ll never forget….
So largely underrated? Mark Lanegan was a fantastic vocalist and had a good, long career, including time with Queens of the Stone Age. I genuinely hope the band you were looking to reference was Candlebox.
Bush, maybe? Collective Soul?
Lanegan seems to have been well liked/respected in the industry and collaborated with a somewhat diverse range of performers (Massive Attack, for example.)
Either of those is a decent option. But I must ask, have you heard Candlebox…
I may be repressing that memory.
Count yourself as fortunate.
Meh. Whats “uncharted” about being an overpriced boring crossover electric appliance with mediocre range?
Dang. I think the Screaming Trees are a bit better than being grunge’s busyforkz.
UnCH-Rted?
+1, and I’d like to solve.
I would like to buy a vowel, please.
Unchorted!
The new Subie is gonna be OFF THE CHARTS!
It’s unusual for Subaru to do something so Drake-onian.
Customer: I’d like to see that new electric Subaru SUV.
Salesman: It’s Uncharted.
Customer: How can it be uncharted? It saw one out back.
Salesman: The Outback isn’t electric. I think you’re confused.
Customer: No, I just want that new electric SUV Mr., um…
Salesman: Forester.
Customer: I don’t want a Forester.
Salesman: That’s my name. Mr. Forester.
Customer: You know what, just give me a Prius.
EM Forester!
*ElectroMotive
I guess Subaru found it too meta to name if after the marketers in charge of naming it, else it would have been called the Unhinged. (Or they’re saving that one for a minivan with all sliding doors.)
The upcoming C-HR is an interesting package, given that the range is solid (though not amazing) and AWD is standard. The equipment specs look good, assuming the price comes in under the bZ’s, and it’s less than 15 feet long. Presumably all that will carry over to the Subaru, but we can’t be sure, since a small EV is Uncharted territory for them.
Can my new electric Subaru run the Crysis engine, or will I have to upgrade the video card?
My wife has had multiple Foresters, and neither of us has anything from Patagonia. Some old Woolwich,but……
I don’t think you are supposed to call them a wool witch anymore.
It does seem odd to use a negatizer- “Un”- in a car model name. Has there ever been another car named after something that’s… not?
Nova, but in Spanish?
Nova in Spanish means…..
Nova.
Stars n stuff.
They’ll fix it, just call it Doubleplusuncharted.
America has always been in a trade war with East Asia.
Let’s hope it’s not Unperceived
New car buyer: “I Uncharted myself!”
Unmapped or unmappable !?! Tuner torment!
I get the theme they got going on but “Trailseeker” and “Uncharted” just sounds a little too on-the-nose for my taste. And that all the other “Trail”-prefixed names were taken.
Uncharted would be a great moniker for Trump’s tariff agenda.
Uncharted would be a great moniker for Trump’s entire agenda. And a whole lot of other things related to Trump.
Nothing pithy to add, but I just read today that he openly complimented the English skills of the President of Liberia.
You know, an American-English-speaking country.
No outrage, just facepalm.
I only wish the Liberian president had returned the favor and added “especially for someone from Queens” or something like that.
“Especially for someone with dementia” is more like it.
But since Trump has terrible English skills, and the president of Liberia didn’t want to be dishonest.
“You know, an American-English-speaking country.”
An American-English speaking country founded by free people of color from the United States.
Which I guess makes the descendants of the founding generation “American-Africans”.
After the unveiling of the Subaru Forester Ultimate Customized Kit Special edition, I won’t be surprised by any Subaru name.
The electric CH-R should obviously be called the CH-RG. Rather than Uncharted Subaru should call their version Unplugged.
I think the Trailseeker is going to be the name with the most draw, but this one definitely falls into Subaru’s naming conventions pretty well. Solterra feels like the odd one out, but it’s still better than busy forks. And these could really do well. Subaru’s target demographic seems like a good place to be selling outdoorsy-adjacent EVs, and they’re finally offering something reasonably competitive.
I give Subaru credit for continuing to give their cars names instead of odd alphanumeric sequences!
If only they had them all end in “iq”!
Yeah, absolutely. People can remember the name of the Subaru they liked if they go drive a few. And the names are different enough there should be minimal confusion. Not like Lexus or something. “Oh, I liked the…something X? It was a crossover.”
Ah so if I get one, it’ll be forever stuck on a save file where I’ve got 2 rounds of ammo and a hit left on the health bar, with 20 goons approaching from all sides of the damn boat.
This reminds me of when I saved (and like an idiot, overwrote) my game of the original Half Life on a bridge of sorts that collapses into a pit of nuclear waste. That was disappointing to put it mildy, as I was about halfway through the game.
C-RRRHR: Coupe-Really Really Really High….Rider. Legal THC: It’s What Makes a Subaru a Hey What’s On Netflix?™
Unexpected, but I think I like it. That really brings to mind all sorts of Subaru-esque things. It’s a name that makes you think, and isn’t easily forgotten. Well done Subaru marketing team.