Subaru Could Get Its Own Version Of The Next Toyota Highlander

Trademark filings have prompted speculation about a Lexus TZ. And it sounds like another Toyota-affiliated brand, Subaru, may be getting a version of the Highlander as well.

Subaru Confirmed It Will Launch A Three-Row Electric SUV In The Near Future

Subaru is fleshing out its EV lineup in a big way in 2026, with a revamped Solterra EV and new Uncharted and Trailseeker EVs. The brand does not plan to stop there. Subaru of America Chief Operating Officer Jeff Walters confirmed to Automotive News that the brand will bring a new three-row electric SUV to market. He noted that the brand plans to target buyers with two vehicles and access to a charger. "There are a lot of people like that out there," Walters said.

Subaru has not officially confirmed any details about the new EV yet. But Toyota is Subaru's biggest shareholder. All three Subaru EVs launched thus far have been Toyota rebadges built on the E-Subaru Global Platform, which is also the E-Toyota New Global Architecture platform. Subaru had announced plans to produce a fourth electric SUV with Toyota. It seems likely that Subaru's three-row electric SUV will be a rebadged Highlander EV.

Is There A Market For An Electric Three-Row Subaru SUV?

Despite the stereotype of a relatively liberal, coast-centric, and environmentally conscious buyer base, Subaru has been behind the pack on all types of electrification. The only Subaru EV, until 2026, was the outmoded Solterra, a rebadged version of the Toyota bZ4X. Subaru does not offer hybrid versions of its Outback and Ascent crossovers. The Subaru Forester is only just getting a hybrid model to market, while its main rival, the Toyota RAV4, is going entirely hybrid.

Subaru's major EV push looks to rectify that disparity. But the sales climate looks far worse for EVs after the Trump administration eliminated the federal tax credit and effectively ended emissions fines. Now, it's not clear if there's enough of a market to support one Subaru electric SUV, let alone four.

Three-Row Electric SUVs Have Not Sold Particularly Well So Far

The three-row midsize SUV segment is massive in the combustion space. And three-row combustion minivans are also selling very well. But we haven't seen that with EVs so far. Kia won the 2024 World Car of the Year award with the three-row EV9 crossover. But it has not been a Telluride-level hit on the sales front.

The Korean brand sold just 15,051 EV9s in America in 2025, a 31.6% year-over-year decline from 2024. Hyundai sold 5,189 Ioniq 9 three-row SUVs in its first year on sale in 2025, compared to more than 47,000 Ioniq 5s. Toyota and Subaru would be entering the fray to fight for a slice of what looks to be a not very big pie.

Toyota and Subaru could tap into latent demand by offering a stronger value proposition than the Korean three-row EVs. A well-equipped EV9 or Ioniq 9 is still a $60,000-plus vehicle. But a Subaru exec already hedging that the car is for families with a second car and a home charger may not be an optimistic sign for the brand's battery tech.