The electric crossover and SUV segment has exploded recently, leading to tons of new electric cars entering the market (and more to come). Subaru has mostly remained idle on electrification, but the new Subaru EV, the Solterra, is on the way.
The Subaru Solterra is the second cross-brand collaboration Subaru has had with Toyota — the previous brought us the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ — and promises to deliver a great EV range, plenty of style, and loads of features at an affordable price.
Below, we deliver everything we know about the all-new Subaru EV, the Solterra.
Subaru Solterra: Exterior
The Subaru Solterra is a shared model with Toyota, so it’s no surprise it’s very similar to the Toyota bZ4X on the outside. Sit the two models next to one another and strip off their badges, and you’d have a tough time distinguishing them. While some may not appreciate the cost savings that go into this type of sharing, others see no issue with it.
Like its Toyota cousin, the Subaru Solterra has a unique design with hard angles, sharp body lines, and forward-leaning rear glass highlighted by black body cladding. This bold look may not be for everyone, but it stands out in the typical vanilla crossover class.
The Solterra checks in at 4,689 mm long, 2,012 mm wide, and 1,651 mm tall. It rides atop a 2,850-mm wheelbase, and its weight rings in at 1,980 to 2,043 kg, depending on the trim level. It also has 210.8 mm of minimum ground clearance for off-the-beaten-path driving.
Subaru Solterra: Interior
Inside, the Subaru Solterra is high-tech with its digital gauge cluster, massive infotainment screen, and many buttons on its centre console and steering wheel. But it’s not just high-tech: the Solterra is also very stylish and sleek with no crazy styling and mild contrasting colour schemes. Overall, this model’s sharp interior design will fit most people’s tastes.
Subaru Canada has yet to announce all the features the Solterra will come standard with, but it did announce it’ll include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and a digital 7-inch gauge cluster. Optional interior equipment will include a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, a panoramic glass roof, a 360-degree camera, ventilated front seats, and a wireless smartphone charger.
There’s a good chance the Canadian-spec Solterra will mimic the U.S. model’s standard features, including an 8-inch touchscreen, dual-zone voice-controlled climate control, sound-deadening glass, USB-A and USB-C ports, cloth upholstery, and more.
As for seating space, the Solterra’s front seats have 985 mm of headroom, 1,085 mm of legroom, 1,382 mm of hip room, and 1,468 mm of hip room. Its rear seats are a little tighter than most crossovers, offering 965 mm of headroom, 897 mm of legroom, 1,138 mm of hip room, and 1,422 mm of shoulder room.
The cargo room is decent at up to 820 litres with the rear seats upright.
Subaru Solterra: Powertrain
Powering the Subaru EV is the StarDrive® all-electric drivetrain with front and rear AC synchronous permanent-magnet electric motors. This delivers a total output of 215 horsepower (hp) and 249 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque. The Solterra comes standard with symmetrical all-wheel drive (AWD) for capable on- or off-road driving.
To help when driving off-road or in slippery road conditions, the Solterra will come standard with X-MODE, which includes a dirt and snow mode and deep snow and mud mode.
The Solterra has no optional powertrain in its debut year, but it may get higher-performing options.
Subaru Solterra: Driving Range and Charging
When buying an electric vehicle, some of the top concerns are its driving range and charging speeds. The Subaru Solterra, like many of the latest EVs, does well in both areas.
Its 72.8-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack can deliver up to 360 km of driving range. Charging this electric SUV takes 77 hours on a 120-volt outlet at 8 amps and 50 hours at 12 amps. A 240-volt 8-amp power source will charge in 35 hours. Moving up to a 32-amp level 2 charger drops the charging time to nine hours. You can also plug the Solterra into a DC fast charge station and charge it from 10 to 80% in about 56 minutes.
This all adds up to fuel economy equivalent ratings of 2.1 L/100 km city, 2.5 L/100 km highway, and 2.3 L/100 km combined.
Subaru Solterra: Safety
The IIHS hasn’t tested the Solterra yet to determine its safety ratings, but Toyota and Subaru are both known for delivering high safety ratings.
We do know the Solterra will come standard with plenty of advanced EyeSight driver assist technology, including:
- Pre-collision braking
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Reverse automatic braking
You can also add an advanced parking system, a 360-degree camera system, and more.
Subaru Solterra: Pricing and Availability
Canadian prices are not yet available for the Subaru Solterra yet, but U.S. prices are. For reference, U.S. prices before federal and local incentives and tax credits are:
- Subaru Solterra Premium: $46,220
- Subaru Solterra Limited: $49,720
- Subaru Solterra Touring: $53,220
The Solterra is not yet available in Canada, so there is also no used inventory. And with the tight inventory issues the automotive industry is having, we don’t expect to see any soon. But stay tuned!
Subaru Solterra: Competition
The electric SUV and crossover segment has been growing rapidly, as seemingly every automaker is launching a new electric people hauler. Here are a few of the Subaru Solterra EV’s main competitors, minus the obvious Toyota bZ4X discussed above.
Ford Mustang Mach-e
The Ford Mustang Mach-e is an impressive electric SUV with style and performance to fit just about any buyer. Sure, Mustang fans aren’t too happy about the recycling of the legendary nameplate, but most EV buyers aren’t also Mustang buyers.
The Ford Mustang Mach-e comes in four trim levels: Select, Premium, California Route 1, and GT Performance Edition. The Select starts with a 266-hp electric motor that also delivers 317 lb-ft of torque. You can upgrade to dual-motor eAWD and bump the torque to 428 lb-ft. The Premium trim gives the extended range battery pack option, bumping the output to 290 hp in RWD models and 346 hp in AWD models. The California Route 1 comes standard with the extended range battery and delivers 290 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque with RWD and 346 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque with eAWD. Topping the range is the GT Performance Edition that comes standard with eAWD and the extended range battery that allows it to deliver 480 hp and 634 lb-ft of torque for blistering acceleration.
The driving range varies greatly depending on the trim and battery selected, but it starts from 360 km in the standard range AWD variants to 505 km in the California Route 1 model.
Tesla Model Y
Tesla revolutionized the electric vehicle class with its ever-expanding lineup and long driving ranges. The Solterra will have to contend with one of the automaker’s best sellers, the Model Y.
The Model Y comes standard with dual-motor AWD and has two trims: Long Range and Performance. The Long Range model delivers 512 km of range and a 5-second 0-100 km/h sprint time. The Performance variant’s range dips to 488 km, but its sprint time also falls to just 3.7 seconds.
The Model Y also has the added benefit of available Enhanced Autopilot and full self-driving capability. Plus, you can choose from a five- or seven-passenger interior.
Pick up a Quality Used Electric SUV at Clutch
While the Subaru EV is not yet available new or used, there are tons of used electric SUVs to choose from. At Clutch, Canada’s premier online automotive retailer, we have a range of high-quality used electric SUVs you can pick from. You never have to set foot in a dealership because we handle the entire used car buying process online and deliver the vehicle to your door.
Unsure about buying an electric crossover or SUV 100% online? You can rest assured that any vehicle you choose from Clutch will be of the highest quality, as they’ve all passed a 210-point inspection and reconditioning process. Clutch then adds a 90-Day Protection Plan and nationwide roadside assistance for additional peace of mind.
Need more protection? You can also opt for one of our Extended Warranties.
Best of all, you’re covered by Clutch’s 10-Day Money-Back Guarantee, which means that if you don’t love your new electric crossover or SUV, you can exchange it for a new one or return it for a no-questions-asked refund.
Check out our inventory of quality used electric vehicles today and choose a model suitable for you. You can even set up the financing and get your trade-in vehicle appraised entirely online. fNo need to set foot in a dealership.
