All-new Subaru Uncharted SUV plots path to Europe for Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3 battle

Subaru’s ambitious growth plan is showing no signs of slowing down, with the imminent reveal of a third all-electric model. Due to be called the Subaru Uncharted, the mid-size SUV will strike right at the heart of the market, rivalling the likes of the popular Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq. 

At around 4.5 metres long, the Uncharted will be slightly longer than many of its key rivals, but will likely match them for range, price and market positioning. This will place it below the larger Solterra, which currently takes on larger family-sized electric SUVs such as the VW ID.4, Skoda Enyaq and the forthcoming Kia EV5. 

Yet Subaru’s rapid influx of new EVs hasn’t come out of nowhere, as the Uncharted will draw heavily from the upcoming Toyota CH-R+. Just as the bigger Solterra does with Toyota’s bZ4x, the Uncharted will share all its key technical, interior and exterior packaging with the CH-R+, overlaid with a range of subtle changes to elements such as the front and rear bumpers, lights, wheels and colours. 

The CH-R+ also gives us an insight into the Subaru’s potential technical make-up. Toyota offers the CH-R+ with two battery options and two motor layouts ranging from 165bhp all the way up to 385bhp in a top-spec dual-motor variant. The two battery options are rated at 58kWh and 77kWh, which is on par with rivals and should make it competitive in terms of electric range.

Subaru will almost certainly offer an all-wheel-drive model with a dual-motor set-up to go with its adventurous outdoorsy image, but it remains to be seen if a cheaper two-wheel-drive entry-level Uncharted will also be made available to give the range more variation and a lower price point. 

The car’s sloping roofline will likely affect overall practicality, giving it a smaller interior and more restricted luggage space above the parcel shelf than a Kia EV3 or Skoda Elroq, but overall capacity will still be competitive, with around 415 litres of space. 

We also suspect the cabin will retain the same dashboard architecture as the CH-R+, including its high-mounted driver’s display and small steering wheel, plus a 14-inch touchscreen running a version of Toyota’s user interface. 

We’ll have to wait until the Subaru’s official reveal on July 17 for a full rundown, but as the third brand new or heavily revised EV model to be unveiled so far in 2025, it’s clear the brand has ambitions to match the success it’s seen in North America. The difference is that now Subaru has access to models far more suited to European tastes, and crucially, which meet legislation.

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