The next electric vehicles from Toyota and Subaru in Australia remain closely related, with the wagon-styled bZ4X Touring and Trailseeker due next month.
Electric Cars
Toyota and Subaru are set to launch their next electric vehicles in Australia by the middle of this year – and, matching their inaugural bZ4X and Solterra models, they remain closely related.
The first examples of the wagon-styled electric SUVs are expected to arrive in local Toyota and Subaru showrooms next month, sourced from the same factory in Japan.
Subaru's first electric vehicle in Australia, the Solterra, is closely related to the Toyota bZ4X, while the smaller Subaru Uncharted electric SUV due later this year is a twin to the Toyota C-HR BEV.
Those electric models are manufactured by Toyota in Japan, while the currently-not-for-Australia 2027 Subaru Getaway electric seven-seater is built by Toyota in the US as a twin of the Toyota Highlander EV.
However, the design and engineering of the Trailseeker and the bZ4X Touring were led by Subaru, and the vehicles are manufactured in Subaru's Gunma Yajima Plant in Japan.
The Toyota GR86 sports car is also built in a Subaru factory in Japan, alongside the Subaru BRZ.
In Europe, the Subaru Trailseeker is sold as the e-Outback, as the new-generation petrol-engined Outback will not be sold there – while, in the US, the bZ4X Touring is marketed as the bZ Woodland.
Compared with their smaller siblings, the Toyota and Subaru are 140 millimetres longer behind the rear axle for more cargo space and have a flatter roofline for more second-row headroom.
Other differences over the bZ4X and Solterra include matte black wheel arches and bonnet insert, a rear windscreen wiper, chunkier roof rails, and front and rear skid plates.
Here is how the pricing, specifications, warranty coverage and servicing costs differ between the Toyota bZ4X Touring and Subaru Trailseeker in Australia.
2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring vs 2026 Subaru Trailseeker pricing
In Australia, the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker is offered in two grades – AWD and AWD Touring – while the 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring is limited to a single high-specification AWD grade positioned within the wider Toyota bZ4X line-up.
Priced from $67,990 before on-road costs, the Subaru Trailseeker AWD is $4000 dearer than an equivalent Solterra. The Trailseeker AWD Touring retails for $73,990.
While the bZ4X Touring AWD is similar in standard equipment to the Trailseeker AWD Touring, it is more affordable than the Subaru at $69,990 – $3000 more than a standard-length bZ4X AWD.
Toyota Australia also charges less for optional premium paint on the bZ4X Touring at $575, compared to $660 for the Trailseeker.
Subaru offers two-tone metallic paint on the Trailseeker AWD Touring at an extra $1200, while the Toyota is currently limited to single-tone finishes.
| 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring prices | 2026 Subaru Trailseeker prices |
| – | Trailseeker AWD – $67,990 |
| bZ4X Touring AWD – $69,990 | Trailseeker AWD Touring – $73,990 |
| Metallic paint – $575 | Metallic paint – $660 Two-tone metallic paint – $1200 |
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring versus Subaru Trailseeker specifications
The bZ4X Touring and Trailseeker both feature a 74.7kWh CATL-supplied lithium-ion battery, shared with their smaller siblings.
Both vehicles have a 280kW combined system output from their front and rear electric motors – making them the most powerful SUVs currently offered by each brand in Australia.
A 0-100km/h acceleration time of 4.4 seconds is claimed for the bZ4X Touring and Trailseeker.
Braked towing capacity is rated at 1500 kilograms for the Trailseeker, which is expected to be mirrored by the bZ4X Touring.
Standard features in the Subaru Trailseeker AWD entry-grade include 18-inch alloy wheels, a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen, satellite navigation, a six-speaker audio system, and dual wireless smartphone chargers.
It also features a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, black synthetic leather upholstery, LED exterior lighting, heated front and rear seats, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, USB-C charging ports, and front and rear parking sensors.
In addition to the features above, the Toyota bZ4X Touring AWD and Subaru Trailseeker AWD Touring gain 20-inch alloy wheels, ventilated front seats, vehicle-to-load (V2L) support, a panoramic sunroof, assisted parking, driver's seat memory, and auto-tilting side mirrors with memory.
The entry-level Trailseeker AWD with 18-inch wheels carries a WLTP-rated 533-kilometre driving range, while the bZ4X Touring AWD and Trailseeker AWD Touring with their larger 20-inch wheels fall to 488 kilometres.
Differences between the bZ4X Touring AWD and the Trailseeker AWD Touring include Toyota Connected Services, but no built-in telematics for the Subaru, along with a nine-speaker JBL audio system in the Toyota or a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system in the Subaru.
The bZ4X Touring AWD includes black synthetic leather upholstery, or optional khaki upholstery, while the Trailseeker AWD Touring adds black-and-blue part-leather upholstery.
Matching the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, the differences also include a traditional circular steering wheel on the Toyotas or a 'squircle' steering wheel on the Subarus.
The Trailseeker also adds Subaru Australia's DataDot security system, which includes "approximately 7000 microscopic dots laser-etched to the car, with the car’s unique Vehicle Identification Number".
Available colours for both vehicles include white, black, dark grey, dark blue, light blue and bronze.
Subaru Australia calls these Crystal White Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Magnetite Grey, Sapphire Blue, Daybreak Blue and Brilliant Bronze.
Despite their light off-road capabilities, with 211 millimetres of ground clearance and the X-Mode off-road drive mode, the bZ4X Touring and Trailseeker only include a tyre repair kit, rather than a space-saver or full-size spare wheel.
| 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring AWD | 2026 Subaru Trailseeker AWD Touring |
| Nine-speaker JBL audio system | 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system |
| Toyota Connected Services (12-month trial) | – |
| – | Optional two-tone exterior paint |
| Black synthetic leather-look upholstery, or optional khaki | Black-and-blue part-leather upholstery |
| – | DataDot theft deterrent |
| Circular steering wheel shape | 'Squircle' steering wheel shape |
2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring vs 2026 Subaru Trailseeker warranty
All Toyota and Subaru vehicles in Australia are covered by an equivalent five-year/unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty, applicable from the date of first registration.
Toyota bZ4X Touring vehicles used for commercial purposes, such as a taxi or rideshare, are restricted to five years or 160,000 kilometres, while the Subaru Trailseeker is covered for 150,000km.
The biggest differences between the bZ4X Touring and Trailseeker relate to high-voltage battery warranty coverage from Toyota and Subaru, as well as roadside assistance.
Toyota electric and hybrid vehicles are covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for their high-voltage batteries, which can extend to 10 years with an annual battery health check at a Toyota dealer.
Degradation of the bZ4X Touring's high-voltage electric-vehicle battery is covered separately, with an eight-year/160,000-kilometre warranty if it falls below 70 per cent of the original battery capacity.
Subaru Australia's high-voltage battery warranty for its EV models follows an industry-standard eight-year/160,000-kilometre coverage, including battery degradation.
New Toyota models do not include complimentary roadside assistance in Australia; the brand offers its Toyota Roadside Assist membership for $99 per year.
Subaru Australia vehicles are covered by a 12-month complimentary roadside assistance membership with a state motoring club, or three years with a bundled Service Plan at the time of purchase.
| Service interval | 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring | 2026 Subaru Trailseeker |
| Vehicle warranty | Five-year/unlimited-kilometre (160,000km for commercial use) | Five-year/unlimited-kilometre (150,000km for commercial use) |
| High-voltage battery warranty | Five-year/unlimited-kilometre (extends up to 10 years with annual battery health check) | Eight-year/160,000-kilometre |
| High-voltage battery degradation warranty | Eight-year/160,000-kilometre (if below 70 per cent of original capacity) | Eight-year/160,000-kilometre (if below 70 per cent of original capacity) |
| Roadside assistance | Membership required – from $99 per year | 12 months complimentary (extends to three years with bundled Service Plan) |
2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring vs 2026 Subaru Trailseeker servicing costs
Toyota and Subaru electric vehicles require servicing every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, whichever occurs first, equivalent to many of their petrol-powered vehicles.
The bZ4X Touring is capped at $180 each for its first five services, totalling $900, while the cost of each Trailseeker service differs.
Over five years, the Trailseeker will cost $984.18 to service at a Subaru dealer – $84.18 more than the bZ4X Touring.
There are approximately 280 Toyota dealerships across Australia, compared with approximately 127 Subaru dealerships.
| Service interval | 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring | 2026 Subaru Trailseeker |
| 12 months or 15,000 kilometres | $180 | $128.87 |
| 24 months or 30,000 kilometres | $180 | $290.55 |
| 36 months or 45,000 kilometres | $180 | $128.87 |
| 48 months or 60,000 kilometres | $180 | $300.85 |
| 60 months or 75,000 kilometres | $180 | $135.04 |
| Five-year total | $900 | $984.18 |
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
