The Subaru Solterra is the brand's first electric car, arriving in the form of a family SUV. Boasting four-wheel drive and cutting-edge tech as standard, is this one to look out for?...
On sale November| Price from £49,995
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Serena and Venus Williams, James Watson and Francis Crick. All of these partnerships have resulted in a world famous outcome, whether it’s in the world of tech, sport or science. When it comes to cars, Toyota and Subaru have partnered before, famously producing the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ sports cars that found a great following. This time, that partnership extends to something very different indeed: a five-seat electric SUV.
We’ve already tried one version – the Toyota bZ4X – and been impressed by how good it is to drive, along with its all-round value for money proposition. Given how closely the new Subaru Solterra is to the bZ4X, we’d expect more of the same here.
There are some key differences between the pair. Toyota offers the bZ4X with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, whereas the Solterra is all-wheel drive (AWD) only. It uses two electric motors, one for each axle, and features a 71.4kWh battery that’s good for an official range of 289 miles. That’s just shy of the all-wheel-drive bZ4X, as the Solterra’s AWD system is always on, rather than shutting off two wheels when not needed to boost efficiency.
There are subtle styling changes front and rear between the two cars, but overall they are identical in size and footprint. The Solterra has been given a slightly more sporty tune by its chassis engineers, as Subaru says its buyers are looking to have more fun.
What’s it like to drive?
The Solterra is a very easy – and very easygoing – car to drive. It’s quite powerful, but the delivery of that power never unsettles the car. It’s quick off the line, and has more than enough in reserve for overtaking manoeuvres. It’s quiet, too.
The ride is also very comfortable. absorbing bumps with ease. It isn’t the kind of car to make you smile and have fun when you drive it, but its handling is still very composed and predictable.
We had an indicated range of just below 250 miles on our test route, which puts it behind rivals including the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Kia EV6 in that regard, although this is not a figure we have yet verified in real-world testing. It can charge at speeds of up to 150kW.
The Solterra’s permanent all-wheel-drive system and other tech features lend it the ability to drive itself off-road at low speeds, leaving you to just do the steering. Party pieces also include a 500mm wade depth and some trick electronic tech that will allow it to get moving from a standing start on even the steepest-looking muddy hill.
What’s it like inside?
There’s loads of space inside. A particular boon is the amount of rear legroom for passengers in the back, which Subaru says is on a par with some luxury saloons.
In the front of the Solterra, you sit high and have good visibility, and feel a good sense of airiness. A rear-view camera and all-round parking sensors come as standard to further aid manoeuvrability.
The 12.3in infotainment touchscreen sits proud of the dashboard. As in the Toyota, it’s a little slow to use but the menus are easy enough to navigate around, and Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android Auto (wired) feature as standard. Entry-level models of the Toyota bZ4X have a smaller 8.0in screen, but that doesn’t feature on the Solterra.
Given the commonality between the bZ4X and Solterra, it’s no surprise to find our two main gripes with the former car present here too. The quality of some of the materials is a mixed bag, and the fact that the steering wheel can block your view of the driver’s instrument panel (depending on how high you have it) will make finding the perfect driving position a little more tricky.
Keyword: 2022 Subaru Solterra review