Subaru Solterra review

The Subaru Solterra electric SUV is a great example of two brands joining forces to design and build a new model together. Teamwork is good for car manufacturers because they can share costs – and benefits car buyers because they get more choice.

Indeed, you might look at the Solterra and mistake it at first glance for its near-identical twin, the Toyota bZ4X, which has the same styling, underpinnings and battery tech. Toyota was able to draw on the extensive battery experience it has from all the hybrid cars it's built over the years, so what did Subaru bring to the table?

Well – as the rest of the Subaru car range makes clear – its speciality is four-wheel drive. Both cars are available with its X-mode system, but while the bZ4X is also available with front-wheel drive, all Solterras have 4x4, for a greater off-road focus.

Subaru Solterra video review

As well as competing with its own twin, the Solterra faces plenty of competition from all the other electric SUVs on the market. They range from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Nissan Ariya to the Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID 4.

So is the Subaru Solterra – which is available in two trim levels and one battery size – a shining example of two Japanese car makers working together to produce a great electric car? Read on to find out...

The Subaru Solterra is available in only one – fairly potent – form. It has two motors that combine to deliver a total output of 215bhp, for a fairly swift 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds. That’s not far off the Skoda Enyaq 85X but trails the four-wheel-drive versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

Those three rivals – plus the front-wheel-drive Toyota bZ4X – are all officially capable of travelling more than 300 miles on a charge, so they beat the Solterra for range too. The entry-level Solterra has an official range of 289 miles, dropping to 257 miles in Touring trim, which has bigger 20in wheels.

Its instant electric car power delivery means the Solterra will beat most petrol or diesel cars away from the lights, giving you the confidence to go for gaps in traffic and when joining the motorway.

You’ll find similar reassurance in the fact that the car doesn’t lean over too much in the bends, even in tighter corners. It has the edge over the softer Renault Scenic but the lower-riding EV6 is more entertaining to drive. Grip levels are respectable, and the naturally weighted steering is accurate.

The ride on the 20in wheels that come with top-spec Touring trim feels little different over bumps to the bZ4X's, despite Subaru making slight tweaks to the suspension. It's compliant at speed, but we suspect the smaller 18in wheels on entry-level Limited models will give a more supple ride over potholes. That said, even on the bigger wheels it's a softer ride than in the Tesla Model Y.

Road noise is reasonably low – on a par with the Nissan Ariya – but there's a bit of suspension noise and more wind noise than we'd like around the door mirrors.

The regenerative braking in the Solterra is well integrated and we have no complaints about the way the brakes feel. The progressive response from the pedal makes it easy to judge how much pressure to apply to slow down smoothly.

Subaru has stayed true to its roots by giving its first electric SUV some proper off-road capability, with an X-Mode terrain control system fitted as standard for extra traction on tough terrain.

You can select different drive modes to deal with deep snow, mud and other obstacles. It works well, with traction remaining strong over steep, loose surfaces. However, while the Solterra's ground clearance and wading depth (50cm) are better than in most electric SUVs, there are better off-roaders.

"It’s not exactly a high-riding off-roader but I was still impressed by the Solterra’s traction when driving on muddy tracks and loose gravel." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Inside the Subaru Solterra you’ll find an elevated SUV driving position that puts you above hatchback drivers. It's more akin to the height of the Nissan Ariya and VW ID 4 than the lower-riding Kia EV6.

As with the closely related Toyota bZ4X, there’s a good view out to the front and sides, but the chunky rear pillars restrict your rearwards view. It’s just as well you get a 360-degree camera system, and front and rear parking sensors as standard to help you slot the car into a multi-storey bay.

Every Solterra has electric driver’s seat adjustment (as does the Tesla Model Y) so finding a comfy driving position is easy. We did, though, find that the steering wheel partially blocked some drivers' view of the digital display.

You shouldn’t have any trouble seeing the 12.3in infotainment touchscreen. The screen is reasonably swift to respond when you prod it but its menu lay-out isn’t as easy to navigate as the EV6's.

You get Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring so you can use your own apps on the screen. Top-spec Touring also gets wireless phone-charging and an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system with eight speakers (rather than six).

The dashboard has some upmarket materials, including soft-touch plastic on the insides of the doors, fabric inserts on the dashboard and gloss black across large swathes of the centre console.

On the minus side, there are hard plastics on the lower half of the dash and low-rent door pulls. On balance, the Genesis GV60, Kia EV6 and Nissan Ariya feel more upmarket inside.

"It’s good to have buttons conveniently placed on the steering wheel, but they’re quite spread out in the Solterra. It took me a while to get used to the lay-out." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The Subaru Solterra is similar in size to a large SUV so there's plenty of room inside for the driver and up to four passengers. Two six-footers get ample space in the front, while the panoramic sunroof you get on Touring trim doesn’t eat into head room.

Storage areas include a large cubby under the centre armrest, a lidded tray for your phone behind the gear selector, an open tray below the centre console and door bins each capable of holding two large bottles of drink. Unusually, as with the Toyota bZ4X, there's no glovebox.

Two six-footers will find plenty of leg space in the back of the Solterra (the same can be said of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6). Head room isn't so great, and if you're taller than 6ft you might find that your head touches the roof.

Mind you, the flat floor and broad interior mean it's not too much of a squeeze for three adults sitting in the back. You can adjust the angle of the seatbacks – a handy feature that's also offered in the EV6 and Skoda Enyaq.

The Solterra has 452 litres of boot space – plenty for bulky pushchairs and a week's shopping – and the area is a useful square shape. If you need to lug around an even bigger load, you can fold down the 60/40 split rear seatbacks.

They don't lie completely flat, but sit at a gentle angle that shouldn't cause inconvenience. You get underfloor storage for the charging cables but not a storage area under the bonnet (which you do get in the Ioniq 5 and EV6).

"It doesn’t feel quite as airy as some rivals but I found there’s plenty of room in the Solterra for anyone nearing 6ft tall." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Pricing for the entry-level Limited trim Subaru Solterra is competitive with other four-wheel-drive electric SUVs, although the equivalent Hyundai Ioniq 5 costs less. Unlike with all the rivals, there's no cheaper two-wheel-drive version so there are plenty of less-expensive options.

The Solterra has strong predicted resale values, which should help make finance payments competitive, but Subaru is less likely to offer attractive incentives.

Entry-level Limited trim is well equipped, with dual-zone climate control, sat-nav, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a powered tailgate, keyless entry and an EV heat pump (to warm up the interior more efficiently).

Top-of-the-range Touring has 20in wheels, a panoramic roof, a full leather interior and memory settings for the driver’s seat and mirrors.

The Solterra’s maximum charging rate of 150kW is higher than for the Nissan Ariya but a lot slower than the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y. In ideal conditions using a fast enough charger, a 10-80% charge will take just over half an hour, matching the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID 4. A full 0-100% charge from a 7kW home EV charger will take just under 13 hours.

You get plenty of safety tech, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and blind-spot monitoring fitted across the range. The Solterra has the same five-star Euro NCAP safety rating as the Toyota bZ4X.

While Subaru did not feature in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, Toyota did very well, coming fifth out of 31 brands. That could bode well for the Solterra.

Every Subaru gets a three-year, 60,0000 mile manufacturer warranty and eight-year cover for the main battery. However, Hyundai offers five years, Kia gives you seven, and the bZ4X has up to 10 years of cover for the car and battery.

"I like the Subaru Solterra’s slightly blue Harbor Mist Grey exterior paint option, which is not available on the near-identical Toyota bZ4X. Silver paint, on the other hand, is only available on the bZ4X." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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