What's the difference?
Many Japanese carmakers were criticised for their delayed rollout of electric vehicles (EVs), however Subaru is finally catching onto the trend.
The Trailseeker is the brand’s newest EV in Australia. Awkward name aside, it’s essentially a larger and boxier version of the Solterra that has a touch of Outback about its looks.
It also brings Subaru’s local EV line-up to three if you include the smaller Uncharted that’s launching in Australia soon.
This is the first time we’ve had the chance to drive the Trailseeker on local soil and there’s immense competition from a number of heavy-hitters, so read on to see how it stacks up.
Things that have had a name change AFTER they’ve become famous…
Okay… there’s Kanye West’s switch to Ye, Twitter’s rebranding to X and now this – the Audi Q8 e-tron.
As the brand’s first production EV, it used to be known simply as Audi e-tron. But that was confusing, because – Porsche Taycan-based GT and RS sports sedans aside – every electrified vehicle that the company has made before and since wears e-tron as a suffix.
Beyond new badging, the Q8 e-tron also brings a facelift and improvements underneath, to better challenge the BMW iX, Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes EQC and EQE large electric SUVs, among others.
How does the Ingolstadt EV fare? Let’s find out.
The Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X were arguably my most-improved cars in recent history and it therefore makes a lot of sense that the Trailseeker is also a lovely car to drive.
I’m particularly taken with the entry-level car which is supremely comfortable and offers a lot of value-for-money in terms of standard equipment and outright space.
A sticking point I come back to though is there isn’t much difference between this and the Solterra. Sure the Trailseeker has a touch more power and a bigger boot, but it has less range and is more expensive. However, I love this all-terrain wagon look and I’d pay that bit extra for it.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
The Audi Q8 e-tron ushers in welcome improvements to an already likeable and capable large luxury SUV.
But it is also feeling dated compared to newer and fresher rivals like the BMW iX, isn’t as good to drive as the best, offers disappointing range for the size of the new battery, and prices are creeping up for what is essentially a half-decade-old EV.
The name change isn’t enough. What the Q8 e-tron really needs is a massive leap in its Vorsprung durch Technik in a rapidly evolving electrified landscape.
Very good… but far from great.