- Subaru’s next electric SUV will feature three-row seating.
- It’s based on Toyota’s new all-electric Highlander platform.
- Production was delayed but Subaru says it’s coming in 2026.
Subaru is preparing to expand its EV lineup with something larger and more family-focused. Soon, the company’s range will welcome a three-row electric SUV designed to compete with newer offerings in the segment. Like the compact Solterra before it, this won’t be a ground-up Subaru product but a rebadged version of Toyota’s upcoming all-electric three-row Highlander.
We’ve known about Subaru’s plans to have its own version of the latest Toyota for several years now. In fact, Toyota and Subaru confirmed in 2023 that both brands would receive the new model, anticipating that production would start in 2025. While that date has come and gone, Subaru of Americas chief operating officer Jeff Walters recently confirmed it’s still happening.
Read: Subaru’s New $35K SUV Breaks Years Of AWD Tradition
Speaking with Auto News, Walters said that Subaru’s version of the three-row EV is scheduled to arrive later this year. He added that the model is being targeted at two-car households with home charging capabilities. It will join the electric Solterra, as well as the similarly Toyota-derived Uncharted and Trailseeker, in Subaru’s growing U.S. EV portfolio.
2027 Toyota Highlander teaser.
Will Subaru Add Its Own Edge?
What we haven’t seen yet is how closely Subaru’s new entry will mirror Toyota’s new electric Highlander. Given past collaborations, it’s reasonable to expect minimal differentiation beyond some badging and minor design tweaks on the front and rear ends, along with unique side trimmings. Still, there’s a chance Subaru could roughen things up a bit, as it did with the Uncharted, which shares its bones with Toyota’s C-HR
Toyota’s new three-row electric SUV will look virtually identical to the bZ Large prototype previewed a few years ago, closely resembling the smaller Toyota bZ. This new model has been a long time coming and will give Toyota a legitimate rival to the electric Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9.
A Lexus Too?
There’s also a possibility Subaru won’t be the only one getting a version of Toyota’s latest EV. According to previous reports, Lexus is working on a premium variant as well. This model could go by the name TZ and serve as an electric counterpart to the gas-powered TX, further spreading Toyota’s electric SUV platform across its portfolio
