SUBARU

Subaru Uncharted review

For a brand built on a four-wheel drive performance cars, off-roaders and estates, a battery-electric SUV that's also available with a front-wheel drive powertrain marks a radical step change for Subaru – and one which it hopes will resonate with six-star loyalists and mainstream buyers alike. 

Arriving as Subaru's second electric offering after the Solterra, the Uncharted is the technically related twin brother of the Toyota C-HR+. 

The strategic partnership between the two Japanese companies resulted in this pair of small electric crossovers being co-developed, but while their underpinnings are shared, Subaru insists that the Uncharted is a very different machine.

The Uncharted is proportionally similar to the C-HR+, but has an increased ride height of 211mm to aid off-road driving, plus its own bespoke suspension and steering tune for what Subaru says is a more sporting feel. 

It's based on the e-Subaru Global Platform (it's the same as the e-TNGA platform used by the Toyota) which can house either a 57.7kWh or 77kWh battery.

The entry-level Uncharted is fitted with the smaller battery and pairs this with a 165bhp motor for a 282-mile range, while the Long Range variant makes 221bhp and can do up to 372 miles, thanks to its 77kWh battery.

Both of these are front-wheel drive, which marks a significant change of tack for Subaru. Considering most of the line-up uses a single-motor powertrain, Subaru is clearly aiming to target mainstream customers. 

Top-spec versions get a 338bhp all-wheel drive powertrain, which is expected to offer a range of up 326 miles, although Subaru has yet to fully homologate the range figures. 

Visually, the Uncharted sports a rugged, off-road inspired design that sets it apart from rivals like the Jeep Avenger 4xe and Skoda Elroq VRS. Indeed, its raised ride height helps pull this off, as does its chunky black cladding and functional roof rails. 

Inspiration has also been taken from the facelifted Solterra and new E-Outback estate, as showcased by the Uncharted’s six-element LED headlights and blanked-off grille. 

While most of the Toyota's innards are draped in a grey material, you get black upholstery and trim inside the Uncharted, and after only spending a short time inside, it felt well built and generally comfortable. 

I wouldn't say its plush, but softer materials cover all the right bits of the doors and dash, and there's a rugged vibe to the interior that taps into the Uncharted's go-anywhere character. 

We didn't get to play around much with the digital on-board tech, but as standard you get a 7.0in driver display and a large 14in touch-operated infotainment screen. From our brief drive of the Uncharted, both appeared to crisp and clear. 

Pleasingly you do get plenty of physical switches and buttons, something which many modern compact crossovers forsake in favour of more digital addenda. 

Acceleration is best described as progressive rather than whip-crack, but the car by no means feels slow, with 338bhp and 323lb ft of torque at your disposal. 

The four-wheel drive system serves up plenty of traction, dispatching 0-62mph in less than 5.0sec – which makes it marginally slower than a Volkswagen Golf R hot hatchback. 

The brake pedal feels a little soft, but the adjustable regen slows the car nicely when you lift off the throttle. It has three different levels, too, which means you can tighten or slacken off the regen. 

While this early drive didn’t include any on-road mileage, we put the car through a series of tests at the Jerez race circuit in Spain, beginning with an off-road driving course. Here the 338bhp dual-motor AWD model proved to be competent and controlled on the steep terrain surrounding the track.

This range-topper gets the same X-Mode off-road system and Grip Control system (which acts like off-road cruise control) as the combustion-engined Forester SUV, meaning it does all the hard work for you.

This range-topper gets the same X-Mode off-road system and Grip Control system (which acts like off-road cruise control) as the combustion-engined Forester SUV, meaning it does all the hard work for you.

The Uncharted’s Multi-Terrain Monitor gives you a clear view of the surface below. This came in handy when I was navigating the tight course, helping me avoid the most severe rocks and crevices.

Thanks in part to its short overhangs, the Uncharted climbed and descended some seriously steep gradients with ease, its hill descent control automatically braking the wheels when going downhill.

Grip Control allows you to set your speed for off-roading, and it works impressively. I parked the Uncharted on a slab of rock on a steep bank, I set the Grip Control to its medium-speed setting and it pulled away just as it would from a simple set of traffic lights. 

Short stints on the circuit’s access roads hinted at a car that is composed, pliant and softer than you might expect. Aggressive imperfections could unsettle the ride, but we will need some time on UK roads for clarity. 

A few laps of a go-kart track and a slalom course revealed the Uncharted to be surprisingly agile. There’s some body roll in corners, and while the steering is light, it’s also precise, gaining some additional weight in Power mode.

A short go in a cheaper, single-motor, front-wheel-drive version (of which there are two) showed it to be broadly similar, although less nimble through the slalom, with less traction out of corners. 

From our brief exprience, the Uncharted has so far proven to be compentent off-road, while also delivering a level of electrifed performance we have't yet seen from this enduring brand.

The question is, will the new Uncharted not only capture the attention of the Subaru faithful, but also those who shop in the mainstream?

The Uncharted won't arrive in the UK until next year with an estimated price tag of around £45,000. 

Autonews