2024 Subaru Solterra – a Subie EV!

It may have taken awhile for Subaru to get into the electric vehicle market, but with the help of Toyota, last year Subaru was able to deliver the Solterra – its first EV. Recently, I was in the Solterra to see what the first electric Subaru is all about.

Based off the Toyota bZ4X EV, the Solterra shares some visual styling from its Toyota twin, yet still has the look of a Subaru. It is about the size of a RAV4 and can seat four adults along with a good amount of cargo.

The Solterra is offered in three trim levels. The base Premium, the mid-level Limited and the top-of-the-line Touring. The Premium is nicely equipped with heated front seats, heated steering wheel and an 8-inch touchscreen. The Limited gets larger wheels (20s), a larger touchscreen (12.3 inches) and heated rear seats. The Touring adds a panoramic sunroof, vented front seats and ambient lighting. The starting price for the Soleterra is $46,220. The tester arrived as a Touring and has an estimated price of $53,340.

Inside, much of the interior is borrowed from Toyota, but blends nicely in the Solterra. There is a high-mounted digital gauge cluster, a big touchscreen for the infotainment system, and a raised center console that houses the rotary shift knob. The steep windshield and large side glass give the cabin an airy feel and with various storage areas and up to 30 cubic feet of cargo space, there is lots of room in the Solterra.

Of course, the hot-topic with the Solterra and all EVs is the powertrain and range. The Solterra uses a dual-motor powertrain that makes 215 horsepower and 249 lb.-feet of torque. And keeping with Subaru tradition, every Solterra is all-wheel drive, so that power goes to all wheels giving it the ability to tackle some light off-roading.

When it comes to range, the Solterra, in Premium trim, can go 227 miles on a full charge. The other trims have a slightly lower range (222 miles) due to their larger wheels. When it’s time to charge, a full slow charge at 6.6 kW takes about nine hours. A DC fast charge should take about 30 minutes to restore the battery pack to 80 percent state of charge at a maximum of 150 kW.

There isn’t a whole lot of excitement when it comes to driving the Solterra, but it is very capable. Acceleration is plenty quick for a crossover SUV, just don’t compare it to the power of a Tesla. The 215 horses get deployed differently depending on which of the four driving modes (Eco, Normal, Power, and X-mode) the Solterra is in. For example, X-mode, which is intended to help in slippery conditions or on uneven terrain will independently modulate the power distributed to each wheel. When taken off-road, the Solterra’s 8.3 inches of ground clearance is a helpful advantage.

As with other Subarus, the Solterra comes standard with a host of driver-assistance features including front collision mitigation, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, automatic reverse braking, and front cross-traffic alert.

There is no doubt that the field of electric hatchback-SUVs is getting crowded, and the Solterra is a little late to the game. Along with that, most others offer a longer range than the Solterra. But the Solterra is a Subaru, and with that comes its own advantages that others don’t have, like better ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive and decent off-road capabilities. Add in the loyalty that surrounds Subarus and it becomes clear that the Solterra seems like a nice fit in the brands line up.
– Christopher A. Randazzo

By The Numbers:

2024 Subaru Solterra Touring

Base Price: $51,995.00
Price as Tested: $54,558.00
Layout: front-engine / all-wheel drive
Engine: dual electric motors
Horsepower: 215 hp
Torque: 249 ft-lbs torque

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