Subaru is about to get a lot more serious about electric family hauling. After dipping its toe into the EV world with the compact Solterra, the brand is preparing to add something much bigger, bolder, and more suburban-friendly: a three-row electric SUV aimed squarely at the heart of today’s electric crossover boom.
And no, Subaru isn’t developing it from scratch.
Just like the Solterra is essentially a Toyota bZ4X in hiking boots, Subaru’s upcoming three-row EV will be a rebadged version of Toyota’s new all-electric Highlander-sized SUV. Toyota and Subaru first confirmed the shared project back in 2023, promising production would begin in 2025. That timeline has slipped, but Subaru of America COO Jeff Walters recently reassured Automotive News that the project is very much alive—and due to hit showrooms later this year.
Subaru is positioning the new EV as a second car for households that already have a garage and a charger. In other words, this isn’t meant to replace your Outback just yet—it’s meant to park next to it. It will slot above the Solterra and alongside Subaru’s other Toyota-derived EVs, the Uncharted and Trailseeker, forming the backbone of Subaru’s still-nascent U.S. electric lineup.
A Highlander in Subaru Clothing
If you’re expecting Subaru to dramatically rework Toyota’s design, don’t. History suggests we’ll see the usual playbook: a unique front and rear fascia, Subaru-specific trim pieces, and some brand-appropriate badges, but otherwise the same vehicle underneath. That’s been the story with the Solterra and Toyota bZ4X, and it’s how the Uncharted borrows heavily from the Toyota C-HR.
That said, Subaru could give this new three-row EV a slightly tougher look. The company has made a habit of leaning into its outdoorsy image when given the chance, and the Uncharted already wears more rugged styling than its Toyota counterpart. Expect plastic cladding, roof rails, and just enough visual muscle to convince buyers this thing might actually see a gravel road.
Underneath, though, it will be Toyota’s SUV through and through.
Toyota Finally Enters the Big-EV Fight
Toyota’s new three-row electric SUV is expected to closely follow the bZ Large concept it previewed a few years ago. If that show car was any indication, the production version will look like a stretched and slightly bulked-up version of the current Toyota bZ, with a clean, futuristic design and the proportions needed to challenge the big dogs of the segment.
And it needs to. The electric three-row SUV market is no longer empty. The Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 have already planted their flags, offering real space, real range, and real family-friendly features. Toyota’s entry—along with Subaru’s clone—finally gives the Japanese brands something to fight back with.
A Lexus Version Is Probably Coming Too
Toyota won’t be the only one spinning this platform into something new. Reports suggest Lexus is also preparing a premium version of the same electric three-row SUV, likely called the TZ. It would serve as the electric counterpart to the gas-powered Lexus TX, further spreading Toyota’s EV architecture across multiple brands.
So from one electric SUV platform, Toyota will get a mainstream family hauler, Subaru will get a ruggedized version, and Lexus will get a luxury one. That’s modern automotive efficiency at work.
For Subaru, this three-row EV could be a turning point. The Solterra has struggled to stand out, but a practical, family-sized electric SUV—especially one that doesn’t cost luxury-car money—could be exactly what the brand needs to finally gain traction in the EV space.
And if nothing else, it proves one thing: Subaru’s electric future will be built not alone, but side-by-side with Toyota.
Source: Subaru