The Case For A New Subaru EV Pickup And Why You Won't See One Anytime Soon

Will Subaru offer a compact pickup? See why Subaru needs to bring back the Baja in an electrified platform.

Mid-size trucks have been one of the hottest segments for automakers, and Subaru doesn’t have one for its customers. It’s our guess a new all-wheel-drive off-road-ready Ascent-size Subaru truck would sell well. Ford is unveiling its new Maverick compact truck tomorrow, and as Car and Driver reports, it’s another segment ripe for the picking.

Why doesn’t Subaru offer a new Baja compact pickup? Subaru had the Baja, the successor to the smaller Brat pickup, but discontinued it after the 2006 model year. The Baja has some flaws, and it never sold well.

It’s time for Subaru Corporation to launch an all-new Subaru Baja all-electric compact pickup. Subaru now has the perfect platform to do it.

Subaru developed the new e-Subaru Global Platform designed for the new 2023 Solterra all-electric SUV coming next year. Subaru created it to offer more models that can be front-wheel drive, rear-drive, and all-wheel-drive by combining multiple modules and components for the dedicated battery-electric platform.

photo credit: Subaru, KDesign AG (Kleber Silva)

Like Baja that used Subaru’s Outback wagon platform as the vehicle’s starting point, the Japanese automaker could use the new Solterra as the compact pickup’s launching platform.

The brand’s new Solterra EV compact SUV is the size of the Forester SUV and would be an ideal choice to build a pickup body style. The brand’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system would be a perfect fit for a compact pickup and would likely be a big hit with customers with active lifestyles who want to go off-road and get further away.

The Japanese automaker could give its customers the traditional Subaru go-anywhere capabilities and an all-electric compact Baja pickup vehicle. It could be manufactured right alongside the new 2023 Solterra in Gunma, Japan.

The all-new, all-electric Baja could feature the brand’s core values of safety, fun-to-drive, all-weather capable, off-pavement ready, and a low center-of-gravity. The new all-electric Baja pickup would be rugged and off-pavement ready.

The new Baja pickup would have the ability to get away from civilization and feature extra ground clearance. It could come with dual-function X-Mode with deep snow and mud settings, having a low center of gravity for improved performance while navigating steep trails.

Subaru should bring back the Baja in an electrified platform but don’t look for one anytime soon. Subaru has the next-generation WRX and STI and the 2023 Solterra as its priorities before producing a new compact pickup.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru, main image KDesign AG (Kleber Silva)