- This model will rival the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9.
- Subaru will market the SUV towards two-car households.
- The three-row will become Subaru’s fourth electric SUV.
Subaru’s range will soon welcome a new member in the form of a three-row electric SUV. Just like the Solterra, it won’t be a model developed in-house and will instead be a rebadged version of Toyota’s new 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 the new three-row EV will land this year, noting that it will be marketed to households with two vehicles that have access to a home charger. It will be sold alongside the electric two-row Solterra, Uncharted, and Trailseeker that are already available in the United States.
2027 Toyota Highlander teaser
A Carbon Copy Or Not?
At this stage, we don’t yet know how similar the Subaru will be to Toyota’s new electric Highlander, but save for a few new badges, it will probably be almost identical. With that being said, it’s possible Subaru will look to make it a little more rugged, as it has done with the Toyota C-HR-based Uncharted.
Toyota’s new three-row electric SUV will look very similar to the bZ5x concept 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.
Subaru may not be alone in getting its own version of the new electric Toyota Highlander. According to reports from last year, Lexus will also launch a three-row electric SUV based on the Toyota, potentially dubbed the TZ and serving as an electric alternative to the gas-powered TX.
