Why Subaru ditched the Outback name for its big 2027 Subaru Trailseeker electric SUV in Australia

The Subaru Trailseeker is the Japanese carmaker’s newest electric vehicle (EV) in Australia, but in other markets it has a different, more familiar name.

In Europe and the United Kingdom this model is called the E-Outback, building off the all-terrain wagon legacy the nameplate has become known for.

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“The Outback nameplate stands for something, particularly in Australia, and those that have seen the new-generation Outback, it really has the presence of Outback,” said Lawrence.

“Trailseeker, the character of Trailseeker will lend itself to the name.

“We love the name Trailseeker and … the models live side by side, not compete, so we thought it was the best call to separate them and have their own lives within a model range.”

Despite being an SUV, there are clear indicators the Trailseeker has lifted all-terrain wagon design cues, which the Outback has historically been known for. These include the elongated and boxy roof line, as well as the pronounced roof rails.

The new-generation Outback is much more upright and SUV-like, despite having the aforementioned design cues.

The Trailseeker now brings Subaru’s local EV line-up to three in Australia. It shares the showroom floor with the Solterra and Uncharted EVs.

They are all based on the same e-SGP dedicated electric architecture, plus they were co-developed with Toyota, meaning there are Toyota-badged equivalents of every model.

The Trailseeker is powered by a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up with a total system output of 280kW. This is enough to send it from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds, making it Subaru’s fastest production car ever in Australia.

Locally there are two trim levels offered, the AWD and AWD Touring. Pricing was slashed last month ahead of its arrival by $4000, meaning the line-up now starts at $63,990 before on-road costs.

Despite being roughly the same size as the Kia Sorento, the Trailseeker is only offered with five seats. Subaru hasn’t offered a seven-seat vehicle in Australia since the Tribeca was axed in 2013.