Milan, Italy. mobile.bg team from the event site.
When you hear the name Subaru, your mind probably immediately draws noisy boxer engines, the smell of gasoline and muddy rally tracks. However, the electric era is mercilessly rewriting the rules and the new all-electric Subaru Uncharted is living proof of this transformation. Created in close cooperation with Toyota and sharing genes with the Toyota C-HR+ model, this compact crossover is tasked with the difficult task of proving that it can be a true adventurer without a drop of fuel in the tank. We had the exclusive opportunity to test its capabilities both on the roads around Milan and in the brutal mud of an off-road test site near Milan, Italy. The result? This “green“ Japanese hides a surprising character that will quickly silence skeptics.
Exterior
In terms of its appearance, the Subaru Uncharted relies on an athletic and rather bold silhouette that successfully escapes the boring design of traditional family electric vehicles. The front is clean and technological, dominated by high-mounted, thin daytime running lights that visually expand the body.
The designers have also achieved an excellent drag coefficient of 0.269, without compromising road presence. With a length slightly shorter than that of the larger Solterra, the model resembles a lifted coupe ready for action. The muscular fenders and the solid ground clearance of 211 mm immediately suggest that the plastic protective eyebrows on the body are not just a decoration for the mall, but a real shield against stones and dust. The vision is different from the familiar Subaru models, but we definitely liked the concept of a coupe-shaped crossover.
Interior
Entering the body, you immediately feel the brand's typical pragmatism, combined with modern technologies. The centerpiece is a huge 14-inch touch display, which is the largest installed in a model of the brand to date. Although its graphics are a bit more stripped down, the system responds lightning-fast and supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. To the delight of traditionalists, the physical climate control buttons have been retained.
The steering wheel is compact and a bit cluttered with buttons, and is designed to fit under the digital dashboard. The materials are extremely sturdy and assembled with years of use in mind. In the back, legroom is perfectly decent for adults, but due to the sloping roofline, taller passengers may feel the ceiling too close.
The trunk with a volume of 404 liters is functional, but objectively remains smaller than that of direct competitors in the class. A huge plus in everyday life, however, is the Vehicle-to-Load function in the luggage compartment, providing 220V voltage and up to 1500W of power for powering outdoor devices in nature. In other words, the interior does not shine with luxury, but it is practical, and the materials are quite high quality.
Engine and driving characteristics
However, the real magic of the Subaru Uncharted lies in its drivetrain and road behavior. Three versions are available on the market, with the base one relying on a 58 kWh battery, front-wheel drive and 163 hp. The golden mean is the modification with a single motor, 218 hp and the large 77 kWh battery, promising a range of up to 592 km. The crown jewel, however, is the AWD version, which features two electric motors and a brutal system output of 343 hp.
On the straights, this car literally shoots the heavy body from 0 to 100 km/h in a stunning 5 seconds - a time that is two tenths faster than the iconic sports gasoline beast WRX STi Final Edition. Acceleration is instantaneous, but it is set up extremely maturely, without unnecessary pulling. The double wishbone rear suspension keeps the car glued to the asphalt and eliminates wobble in corners.
However, when we stepped into the mud around Malpensa, we saw the true advantages of the Uncharted. The intelligent X-MODE system and the Grip Control function, which acts as an off-road cruise control, work wonders. Thanks to the lightning-fast electronic distribution of traction between the axles, the car overcomes muddy ruts, side slopes of over 30 degrees and extremely steep slopes without even thinking twice, even when one of the wheels hangs in the air. And the Multi-Terrain Monitor system with cameras around the entire car helps with precise positioning on difficult terrain.
In terms of energy efficiency, the Subaru Uncharted shows quite balanced and predictable indicators for a modern crossover, which, however, vary significantly depending on the drive. The base version with front-wheel drive and a smaller battery is a real economizer, and during our test achieved an average consumption of about 15.9 kWh per 100 kilometers of mileage, becoming a great choice for urban and suburban economical travel.
The sharpened flagship with AWD dual-wheel drive and a power of 343 horsepower expects to require a little more “fuel“ for its temperament – its official consumption is around 19.2 kWh per 100 km, and in real conditions on the highway it reached 22.5 - 26.7 kWh at a constant high speed. In heavy off-roading, the consumption was 27 kWh per 100. In mild and warm weather, however, thanks to the good aerodynamics of the coupe, city driving of the AWD version lowered the consumption to an impressive 14.0 kWh per 100 km, which ensures that the promised mileage will not remain only on paper.
Conclusion and prices
As a balanced assessment, we can say that the Subaru Uncharted leaves an extremely positive impression. Among its undeniable advantages are the impressive and useful power of the AWD version, the phenomenal off-road capabilities that have no analogues in this electric vehicle segment, the solid build quality and the rich standard safety equipment Subaru Safety Sense.
The brake system combines recuperation and hydraulics extremely smoothly through the steering wheel paddles. On the downside, we should note the relatively modest trunk volume for long family trips, the slightly limited headroom in the back row, and the fact that the multimedia has a bit cluttered menus. In addition, the basic version with front-wheel drive offers much more "pedestrian" dynamics compared to its powerful sibling.
The new Subaru Uncharted is expected to enter the Bulgarian market with a base starting price of 39,900 euros for the smaller battery, while the tuned and most attractive version with 4x4 drive and a power of 343 horsepower costs 49,400 euros. It should be noted that for the first customers by the end of the summer, the importer in our country also provides a bonus of 5,000 euros, with the base price starting at a fairly decent 34,900 euros. These prices, as well as the dimensions of the car, position the model slightly below the larger Solterra, making it an extremely competitive proposition for people who want a modern electric crossover but refuse to compromise on the true spirit of adventure off the beaten path.