Why Subaru is Selling Its First Front-Drive Model in Decades
Out of all the manufacturers selling their wares in North America, few have a reputation so tied to all-wheel drive as Subaru.
Jeep? Sure, even if it’s sold rear-drive Grand Cherokees for years. Audi and quattro? Yep, though front-drive examples of its smaller models have also crept into the lineup. Subaru itself of course sells one rear-drive model—the BRZ sports coupe—yet (symmetrical) AWD is closely intertwined with the brand’s rough-and-ready reputation here in Canada and America. So eyebrows rose last week when Subaru pulled the sheets back on the Uncharted; not (just) because of the odd name, but because Subaru will sell this third EV with an available single-motor, front-drive setup.
Is nothing sacred? Next we’re going to be hearing that the WRX STI is dead… oh. Jokes aside, the Uncharted will be slotting into the Subaru lineup as the brand’s smallest all-electric offering, and framed within that context, the front-drive Uncharted makes sense.
It’s Not About Dilution, It’s About Consumer Choice
Subaru isn’t about to start selling front-drive variants of all its models, just the Uncharted. To hear Subaru Canada’s Anton Pawczuk, senior director of product management, tell it, the choice was made to give buyers well, more choice. While the similarly-sized Crosstrek might have a standard AWD advantage over some of its competitors, not everyone needs AWD. This is especially true in more southern parts of America, where snow is a rarity or non-existent. It’s something we’ve said for a while, too.
From our end, the move makes sense considering the Uncharted’s more road-biased setup. While we’re sure people will take it to the trails, a lower-riding EV isn’t the ideal candidate for that, so why not lean into its strengths—not to mention pick up extra range?
It Makes Model Sense
We’ve gone this long without bringing up the Uncharted’s sibling, the Toyota C-HR. In America, Toyota is positioning the C-HR as a performance model, keeping just one powertrain setup: the dual-motor, large-battery one. Since the Uncharted is the smallest of the three EVs, Subaru believes buyers will be more concerned with affordability than outright performance. The single-motor model will keep the price low: while Subaru hasn’t revealed pricing for the Uncharted or the ’26 Solterra, we expect the former to slot in under the existing Solterra’s $40,000 ($59,000 CAD) starting price. Canada is even going one step further by offering a smaller-capacity battery pack, which should chop even more off the list price.
At that price point, the Uncharted will compare favorably against the likes of the Hyundai Kona EV and Kia Niro EV, which are both smaller and offer less range. And, should folks want AWD well, only one of the three vehicles offers it.
It might look similar to its corporate cousin, but the 2026 Subaru Uncharted is arguably the more important model for the market, and especially for those looking for the fabled affordable EVs. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel.
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2026 Subaru Uncharted: All the Details
Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
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I found my first front wheel drive Mitsubishi in the 1970's to be a great improvement in the snow over my old rear wheel drive Chrysler product. Later, in 2013, I bought a Mercedes with AWD. While it's performance in snow was as expected, it's stability in the rain was outstanding. So much so, that I don't believe I'd purchase another vehicle without AWD.