Test drove the new Subaru Trailseeker AWD Touring today!
The new Trailseeker EV is doing a national tour through the Subaru dealerships currently. Was only in town for 2 days to test out. Dealer says the first shipment is expected to arrive in January, a few have already been sold. They are unsure when demo models will arrive across the dealership network.
First impressions: It really is very nice. Externally it's giving more traditional Subaru vibes rather than the futuristic EV vibes that are common with other brands. Definitely won't turn heads the same way other EVs do, feels more stealth and like you blend in with other cars on the road.
The interior is very comfortable with all the features you would expect from a modern car. It is very much like the bz4x around the driver controls and infotainment as can be expected with the Toyota partnership. Feels very solid and well built from the drivers perspective. The extra ground clearance and higher seating position is nice to have.
The 10 speaker sound system with subwoofer is great in the Touring model, not sure what the base model will sound like with only 6 speakers.
The V2L 3-pin plug in the boot is a really cool feature of the Touring model that isn't available in the base model.
When in 'power' mode the car really goes. I didn't do a 0-100, more like a 20-110, and it feels amazing. The car handles really smoothly with the power and feels responsive and does what you ask of it.
There really wasn't anything I disliked from the test drive. The models are very similar with a $3.5k difference between them. For the base model, you get ~45km extra range at the cost of smaller wheels, less impressive sound system and no V2L + a few other things you don't have like driver seat and door mirror memory, glass roof and 'advanced park assist'. If V2L is important for you then the extra cost may be worth it.
Final thoughts: it really does fill a unique spot in the market with the ground clearance, range and speed. Definitely more practical for a lot of kiwis who want an EV they can take up the mountains and on road trips etc.
I'm not completely sold and rushing out to place my order, but so far the Trailseeker is a stronger contender for me than what else is out there currently.