Review: Subaru Uncharted Electric SUV

The badge on the nose might have the signature Pleides Cluster on display, but the design and interior of the new Subaru Uncharted feel very much like a Toyota product. That’s not a huge surprise considering the Uncharted is a lightly reskinned Toyota CH-R.

It’s also not a bad thing, either. Toyota may have dialed in the car’s general engineering, but after spending time behind the wheel, it’s clear Subaru had a hand in tuning the driving dynamics. The result is an entry-level high-riding electric crossover that’s surprisingly playful, and even usable off-road.

Subaru decided that sunny Southern California would be a perfect playground to explore the driving dynamics of the Uncharted. Unfortunately for them, it was pouring down rain. That’s good news for us, though, as we could make sure the Subaru badges actually mean something on this one.

Subaru serves up the Uncharted in three flavors: Premium, Sport, and GT. You’re only going to care about two of them, however, as the Premium is a front-wheel-drive model with just 221 horsepower. The Sport and GT models deliver the proper Subaru experience.   

Subaru refers to the Uncharted as its “Spicy Crosstrek.” I’m inclined to agree, as long as we’re talking about the middle and upper trims. The Sport and GT feature all-wheel drive and a powertrain doling out 338 horsepower. You’re going to lose a bit of range compared to the 221-hp Premium, but that’s a trade-off I suspect many Subaru buyers would take.

The automaker quotes a driving range of 308 miles on the front-drive model. Meanwhile, the Sport settles in at 287 miles while the Premium, with its larger, trim-specific 20-inch wheels, lands at 273 miles.

All versions are fitted with a NACS charge port. Subaru will supply an adapter so owners can charge at non-Tesla-style charge stations as well. With a DC Fast Charger, the Uncharted can go from 10 to 80 percent in about 28 minutes. Certainly not blistering, but also not surprising for a vehicle built around a 400-volt architecture. 

Settle into the cabin, and it’s clear that Toyota led most of the styling choices. All menus and displays on the standard 14.0-inch center screen come from that side of the partnership. Still, Subaru equips the Uncharted with a healthy dose of standard features.

The driver’s seat has 10-way power adjustability, dual-zone auto climate control is included, and the front seats are heated. You also get dual wireless phone chargers up front, which is rare for this class of vehicle.

Photo by: Subaru

Pros: Lighter, Cheaper, & More Efficient Than Mustang Mach-E

Those front seats are also the most comfortable Subaru seats I can remember in some time. Usually, you have either a sporty Recaro from the performance-minded side of the lineup or a fairly unremarkable seat in everything else. Here, in the Uncharted, the front seats stand out as a good anomaly for just how comfortable I felt during my time behind the wheel. 

Jump up to the higher spec models, and now you’ve also got Subaru’s X-Mode drive mode system. This is where things start to get fun. The Uncharted actually has 8.2 inches of ground clearance, while the curb weight sits under 4,500 pounds. That sounds like a lot of weight, but relatively speaking, for an EV, it’s downright impressive these days.

Subaru set up an off-road course for us to sample the Uncharted’s capability, and I left impressed. Whoops, climbs, off-camber bumps were all no match for the electric crossover. I’m not saying I’d attempt a run at Moab in an Uncharted, but this course provided far greater obstacles than 99 percent of owners will ever attempt to traverse. And the Uncharted never broke a sweat.

Photo by: Subaru

Cons: FWD Version Is Very ‘Un-Subaru,’ Styling Leans Toyota-Heavy

On pavement, the good news continues. Subaru engineers undoubtedly got their hands on the suspension and steering components to dial in a driving experience more in line with their own brand.

Chuck the Uncharted into a tight turn, and it will understeer a bit, but you can quickly modulate and play around with that feeling with a dash of lift-off oversteer. Then, once you’ve settled the car, lean into the accelerator pedal, and you can pull away from the corner more quickly than you might expect. It’s surprisingly good fun from what could easily be a simple commuter car.

Photos by: Subaru

Photos by: Subaru

For those seeking the max range model, though, there’s a problem. You need to get the lower-powered, front-drive-only Premium trim. While it’s the least expensive version, with a starting price of $36,445, nothing about it really screams Subaru. It’s nicely-equipped, especially this far under $40,000, but you could put any badge on it and slot it into any automaker’s lineup as an inoffensive, affordable compact electric offering.

The sweet spot is Uncharted Sport. The Sport starts at $41,245, delivers 285 miles of range, and won’t completely sap your soul when you drive it. If you need nicer things, the GT starts at $45,245 and gets an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system, ventilated front seats, and heated rear outboard seats. But don’t forget: the upgraded GT wheels knock the range down a bit. They do look pretty cool, though.

Verdict

Photo by: Subaru

The Toyota influence is heavy on the Uncharted. But Subaru dials in just enough of an entertaining driving experience to keep us smiling. I’m not sure the front-wheel-drive version will find many shoppers, and Subaru even describes it as the low-volume version in the model lineup. But the Uncharted Sport and GT offer solid driving ranges, playful driving dynamics, and nicely equipped features for well under $50,000.