A wee while ago we attended the (long-awaited) local launch of Subaru’s all-electric Solterra. It’s impressive of course (or should that be imprezive because the new Impreza was there too), but we wanted to take a closer look. Subaru NZ were happy to oblige.
To recap, the Solterra is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that aims to exceed all customer expectations, particularly those customers with a more adventurous spirit as it includes X-Mode and AWD.
Subaru hasn’t just slapped an electric motor into any old vehicle and called it a day either, in a genius move, they teamed up with Toyota to develop Solterra, meaning that it’s new from the ground up. The EV specific e-Subaru Global Platform it sits on, offers superior dynamics, stability, and handling that will make you feel like a pro behind the wheel and although the vehicle’s overall weight is up, the 71.4kWh high-capacity battery (max AC charging rate of 150 kW/h) is located under the floor to keep that centre of gravity low, and with a class-leading ground clearance of 210mm, it’s out of reach of the terrain too.
Driving performance is where the SOLTERRA really shines. With two separate 160kW motors powering the front and rear wheels, Subaru is taking full advantage of their AWD expertise. They’ve mastered the art of controlling the four tires, giving the Solterra the agility and grip that will make you feel invincible. And for those adventurous souls who love tackling rough roads, fear not! The SOLTERRA comes with the X-MODE AWD control system, ensuring you’re covered when things get a little, well, wild. Plus, they’ve added a Grip Control function that stabilises the vehicle even on rough roads – this is a ‘go the extra mile’ EV. And on the subject of miles (well kms), Subaru claims that the Solterra will travel 485km between charges, but not if you drive it the way I did.
In fairness, driving the Solterra around town and not testing its 7ish seconds zero-100km/h time, the EV is pretty frugal with its energy, there is also a ‘one pedal drive’ button and paddles help repurpose the vehicle’s energy. However, when heading out onto the open road (ie SH1), the energy needle does drop quite rapidly.
The cabin itself is spacious and modern, but not too much of the latter to confuse. The infotainment screen is easy to navigate around without endless screeds of menus or apps to get lost in. The driver’s area is a real change for the good, with a hexagonal shaped wheel (that mimics the grille) and an instrument cluster that sits back towards the windscreen. It’s all very configurable (physically and electrically) and means that it’s easy to get comfortable and see what data you want.
In fact, visibility all round is good, with small glass quarter panels to minimise blind spots, the rear screen is reasonably large and the reverse camera even makes the Solterra invisible so you can see what’s below.
The seats have been designed for comfort and support, and they have been mounted to the chassis to limit head-wobble (nobody wants head wobble). And there’s plenty of room for those in the back too, with a flat floor and low slung seats, the large, panoramic split roof lets the light flood in too. There’s a fair amount of stowage areas for most of your family’s nick-nacks, but be aware that there is no glove box, it has been sacrificed for a more efficient heat pump (rather than AC).
Taking to the rougher, unsealed roads north of Auckland gave me the chance to get better acquainted with the new Solterra, and I have to say that it felt as confident in the gravel as on the tarmac. The suspension is firm (firmer than the Toyota model) but still compliant. There is a certain amount of road and wind noise, but it kind of fades into the background when your attention is more focused on actually driving.
On the matter of attention, the Solterra comes with a driver attention monitor that lets you know if you’re not watching the road ahead (it’s a little too sensitive for my liking but safe is safe). There are copious amounts of extra ADAS treats to keep you, your passengers and pedestrians out of harm’s way and should you actually crash, the structure transfers the load to multiple ‘body skeletons’, absorbing the impact like a champ, protecting its occupants and safeguarding the high-voltage equipment.
Subaru may be new to this whole electric game, but the Solterra has leap-frogged the conventional townie EV and become a vehicle that you can take to the mountains or to places that are a little more off the beaten track. It’s easy to drive and plenty of fun, but offers serious traction options for those adventurous types – it looks good on the driveway too.
