After a slow start, Subaru is going all-in on electric vehicles. The effort kicked off earlier this year with the unveiling of the facelifted Solterra and the all-new Trailseeker.

The journey continues on July 17 with the debut of the 2026 Uncharted. The company isn’t saying much at this point, but revealed the model is a compact crossover that promises to be “ready for your next adventure.”

More: Toyota’s C-HR Returns To America But It’s Nothing Like You Remember

Besides revealing the name, the automaker released a dusty teaser image. It shows a Solterra-esque rear end with a split upper spoiler and a lower mid-mounted spoiler. We can also see slender taillights, an angular rear window, and “SUBARU” lettering on the liftgate.

Additional details are hard to make out, but we can see a rounded roof that is painted in a contrasting black color. We also get a glimpse of an angular shoulder line and what appears to be a bulge near the third-quarter glass.

Little else is known about the model , but previous reports have suggested the crossover is another tie-up with Toyota. This makes a lot of sense as the Uncharted appears to have a lot in common with the Toyota C-HR.

If Subaru’s new EV is indeed a rebadged C-HR, we can expect a 77 kWh battery pack as well as a standard dual-motor all-wheel drive system developing 338 hp (252 kW / 343 PS). This should enable the crossover to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in around five seconds and have a range of roughly 290 miles (467 km).

In terms of size, the Uncharted should measure around 178 inches (4,520 mm) long with a wheelbase that spans 108.3 inches (2,750 mm). That would make the model 6.6 inches (168 mm) shorter than the Solterra, with 3.9 inches (99 mm) less between the wheels.

2026 Toyota C-HR

Subaru might be gearing up to bring back a familiar nameplate, and for fans of quirky utility vehicles, this one’s worth paying attention to. We’re not talking about the possible return of the STI, but something even more unexpected: a modern take on the Brat or Brumby, depending on which side of the planet you’re on.

This small pickup truck was a fixture in North America from 1978 to 1987, remembered as much for its utility as its unmistakably odd charm. If it’s coming back, though, expect some big changes.

Toyota May Be the Key to Subaru’s Pickup Revival

A new report out of Australia claims that Subaru is actively exploring a revival of the Brat, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it could be brought to life with the help of Toyota. The world’s largest automaker is reportedly developing a small truck of its own, and Subaru could piggyback off that effort by sharing the same underpinnings. The two brands have a long history of collaboration, from the BRZ and GR86 twins to recent efforts like the bZ Woodlands and Trailseeker EVs.

Whether this joint project leads to an all-electric pickup remains unclear. While Toyota originally floated the idea of a fully electric compact truck, current market conditions suggest a combustion-powered or hybrid option is also on the table. Either way, affordability appears to be the common goal.

More: Forget The Slate, Toyota Wants To Make A Cheap Small Truck For America

It’s a mystery what the new-age Brat could look like. Heck, we don’t even have a good idea of how Toyota’s pickup will look like. Toyota did preview an electric concept called the EPU back in 2023, but whether that design translates into a production model remains to be seen.

Obviously, it’s all very speculative at this point. And if this project is real, it might end up channeling more four-door Subaru Baja than two-door Brat when all is said and done.

Regardless of how Subaru goes about styling the new model, it seems inevitable that it will be much larger than the original. That’s a shame, but beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose. Odds are, it’ll end up somewhere in the same size class as the Ford Maverick or Hyundai Santa Cruz, compact by today’s standards, but still a far cry from the tiny trucklet it once was.

Now, it’s important to note that Subaru has not confirmed a revival of the Brat, and CarsGuide has only received word of the project “through the grapevine.” As is so often the case, we recommend taking this report with a grain of salt, at least until Subaru makes some kind of announcement, or perhaps follows the lead of Toyota and drops a mysterious teaser image of the new model.

Read: Subaru Is Having Second Thoughts On EVs

If the Brat does make a comeback, expect it to feature all-wheel drive, as you’d imagine from Subaru. The Australian website speculates that it could be electric (though as we mentioned, we’re not so sure about that), powered by dual motors putting out a combined 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque.

The report also claims Subaru could reveal plans for its new truck as early as this year’s Tokyo Motor Show in November.

Illustrations Carscoops.com / Josh Byrnes

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Toyota and Subaru’s first major foray into the EV market. The Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra stand out for their unconventional styling, but unfortunately, not for reasons that win over buyers. Now, Toyota has been hit with a lawsuit in the US that claims the vehicles have 12-volt batteries prone to premature failure, and that the carmaker knew about the problem before it began selling the vehicles.

Filed in California, the class action lawsuit targets 2023 to 2025 model year Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra models. According to the complaint, the 12-volt batteries in these EVs are prone to draining quickly and dying altogether. Although the vehicles are still under warranty and dealers have reportedly been replacing the batteries, the lawsuit alleges that replacements are just as unreliable.

Read: Toyota Kills bZ4X To Welcome New bZ

As with over EVs, the 12-volt battery in question isn’t the one powering the car’s electric motors. It handles secondary systems like the windows, seats, HVAC fans, radio, lights, and wipers. It’s also believed to activate a relay that connects the main battery pack to the electric drivetrain. In other words, it may be small, but when it fails, the car is effectively dead in the water.

Just a single plaintiff has been named in the lawsuit: John Wade. He bought a 2023Toyota bZ4X in March 2023 and says he began experiencing issues within weeks. According to the filing, a series of warning lights lit up the dashboard before the vehicle completely shut down, requiring roadside assistance just to get moving again. Less than 2,000 miles later, the 12-volt battery failed a second time. This time, even a jumpstart couldn’t revive it.

Wade claims he was forced to tow his EV to a nearby Toyota dealership, which replaced the 12-volt battery. In December 2024, this replacement battery died. While attempting to diagnose the problem on his own, Wade paid $4,800 for a Level 2 home charger as he believed the issues may have stemmed from “not using a sufficient EV battery charger.”

Toyota now has until July 3 to officially respond to the lawsuit. For both Toyota and Subaru, the case raises questions about how well early EV issues are being addressed, particularly when they involve something as basic as the 12-volt battery system.

Subaru was slow out of the blocks when it came to adding EVs to its lineup, but now it’s wondering whether to even bother trying to catch up to rivals. The automaker revealed this week it was “re-evaluating” its electrification strategy amid a turbulent and uncertain time for the auto industry.

Also: Subaru Trailseeker Is Faster Than A WRX But No One Knows If It’s A Wagon Or SUV

Look at Subaru’s US website and you’ll find just one EV: the recently facelifted Solterra. A second, the Outback-sized Trailseeker that made its debut at last month’s New York Auto Show, is scheduled to be added to the range for 2026. But we’re unlikely to see many more EVs join it any time soon.

Tariffs and Tax Credits: The Great Unknowns

Aside from a general concern about a slowdown in the rate of EV takeup, Subaru, like every other automaker, is hamstrung by a lack of clarity from the US regarding its long term position on both import tariffs and EV tax credits. Nobody knows what the tariff situation will look like six or 12 months from now or whether tax credits will be scrapped or not.

Subaru estimates Trump’s tariffs could cost it $2.5 billion this year because, although the company does have a plant in Indiana, it only builds around half of the 700,000+ cars the brand sells in the US each year, Auto News reports. The remainder have to be imported, an d while Subaru could theoretically push the US plant’s current 345,000-unit annual capacity to 500,000, its supplier base can’t handle more than 370,000 units without a major upgrade.

Overseas Production and Shifting Plans

That means the Trailseeker will probably have to be built overseas, Auto News suggesting production will take place north of Tokyo. Subaru also had planned to create a new EV-only plant, but is rethinking that strategy, too. It now says it might have to add combustion vehicles into the mix at the new site.

Subaru execs made the admissions while announcing the company’s fiscal year financial results that revealed operating profit had dipped 13 percent to $2.7 billion. Global sales dropped 4.1 percent to 936,000 vehicles and North American deliveries slid 4.1 percent to 732,000 vehicles, though sales in Japan did climb 5.4 percent to 104,000.