It describes the new vehicle as "Fast. Family. Fun." And it's not the vehicle we had been expecting. Subaru is certainly full of surprises these days.
At this rate, more than half of Subaru's model lineup will be electric in the very new future. The Japanese automaker is planning to reveal another one at the New York International Auto Show on April Fools' Day. It describes the new vehicle as "Fast. Family. Fun." And it's not the vehicle we had been expecting. Subaru is certainly full of surprises these days.
Subaru's teaser image is a single vehicle in very deep shadow. It is driving on a windy coastal highway, which looks like one of the incredible driving roads you'll find in California. That should help give you an idea of the image that Subaru is trying to put together for the new all-electric SUV.
We had been expecting Subaru to debut its own version of the 2027 Toyota Highlander EV, and it looks like that could still happen. Subaru has teased one that looks like that model already for a reveal in New York. Toyota and Subaru are working very closely together on EVs, and whenever one launches, the other does shortly thereafter. Toyota now has the bZ, C-HR, and bZ Woodland models, with Subaru matching them with the Solterra, Uncharted, and Trailseeker.
This particular teaser appears to show an even more powerful version of the Trailseeker EV. The Trailseeker, a large two-row crossover, is already the most powerful vehicle that Subaru has ever sold. Its dual-motor AWD system makes 375 horsepower, about 30 more than the beefiest gas model the brand has ever built. That Trailseeker will do zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds, which makes it the quickest one too.
This new one will make 420 hp. It's a solid jump from the existing 375, but what does Subaru plan to call it? Is the market ready for Subaru to stick a WRX or even an STi badge on something with motors and not an engine?
Will This Be The Dawn Of A New Performance Brand?
In 2023, Subaru filed for a trademark for the name "STe" (and subsequently used it in one market to zero attention). That would make an interesting sub-brand for high-performance electric models from the company. Earlier this year, a Subaru official said that STI as a performance brand was "far from dead" with much going on behind the scenes.
Last fall, Subaru brought a new Performance-E STI concept to the Japan Mobility Show. It was a slammed crossover with an aggressive nose that the company said "represents the future of the Performance Scene, spearheading Subaru’s new generation."
The silhouette in the teaser looks nothing like the concept, but sometimes a concept is more of an idea. Another idea was the 2022 STI E-RA track car, which made 1,072 hp from a four-motor system with highly precise torque vectoring control.
If you've been aching for a new WRX or especially a WRX STI sedan, this isn't going to be what you wanted to hear. Those models are still possibilities, after Subaru ended Japanese WRX orders last week (and also had the gas Performance-B STI Concept in Tokyo). But if they're coming, that announcement is being held for a later date.
With three new models for the New York show, Subaru is helping to keep the event alive, at least as far as new vehicle reveals go. It will join Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis as the automakers with press conferences scheduled for the event.
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