Subaru Solterra Review 2024

This is Subaru’s first electric car. And if you think you’ve seen it before, that’s because it’s almost identical to the Toyota bZ4X medium-sized SUV following a collaboration between the companies. With rivals including the Volkswagen ID.4, the award-winning Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Toyota itself, it needs to be instantly competitive. Read on for our Subaru Solterra review.

The electric SUV market is awash with contenders at all price points, such as the Nissan Ariya, the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s sister car the Kia EV6, and the desirable Tesla Model Y. Standing out is no easy task. 

The Subaru Solterra wears an almost identical crease-happy suit to the Toyota bZ4X. The only real visual differences are in the front non-grille design and a whiff of tailgate tweaking.

On board, the cabin styling and finish is so much better than anything we’ve yet seen from Subaru that you’d be forgiven for automatically assuming Toyota’s designers held sway in this department.

If they did, we’d like a quiet word with them about the driver’s instrument binnacle design, though.

Someone’s had a look at Peugeot’s irritating i-Cockpit and decided that it is actually a good idea to have your head in the clouds and the steering wheel in your lap when driving, merely in order to be able to see the speedometer.

The Subaru Solterra follows suit, and it makes for an awkward driving position. Rear-seat accommodation is good, however, and loadspace capacity adequate, although there is no ‘frunk’ under the bonnet.

There are just two trim levels to choose from: the entry-level Limited model priced from £52,495, and the Touring spec from £55,495.

Although billed as ‘entry’ level, the Subaru Solterra Limited model’s equipment specification is pleasingly comprehensive, leaving a fairly modest equipment upgrade list for the Subaru Solterra Touring model to offer.

That short list includes an alloy wheel size increase from 18 to 20 inches, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, wireless phone charging and a posher stereo.

Subaru helped develop the platform used by both Toyota bZ4X and the Subaru Solterra, and with the brand synonymous with four-wheel drive, it also worked on the specific off-road settings featured in the X-Mode system common to both cars. This controls the electric motors and brakes to maximise traction on tricky terrain.

The Subaru Solterra features permanent all-wheel drive courtesy of an electric motor at each axle, whereas it’s an option on the Toyota bZ4X.

The Subaru Solterra is offered with just one powertrain – a 71.4kWh battery used to power two electric motors.

Together, the two motors produce 218PS and a handsome 337Nm of torque, powering it smoothly from a standstill to 62mph in 6.9 seconds.

Range is quoted at 289 miles for cars on 18-inch wheels, falling to 257 miles for those shod in 20-inch rubber. 

Unfortunately, however, that range seems to suffer in cold weather, despite the presence of a heat pump to shunt some warmth the battery’s way.

With a 150kW fast charging capability, the battery can be charged up to 80% of its capacity in about half an hour.

Out on the road, you’ll find a pleasant balance between tidy handling and a settled ride. Motorway cruising is composed, and quiet enough, and when the going gets twisty, the Subaru Solterra acquits itself quite honourably with body roll kept to a minimum and a quietly enthusiastic approach to cornering.

The steering’s light enough to make urban manoeuvring a doddle, yet still well weighted enough to keep you involved on a challenging B-road.

A pretty good effort for Subaru’s first ever all-electric car, then: surprisingly engaging to drive, comfortable in the cruise, and with great on-board tech allied to good old-fashioned, easy-to-use controls and switchgear.

Though the Subaru Solterra lags behind key rivals a tad on practicality, range and starting prices, some may still be swayed by its remarkably able all-wheel-drive capabilities.

The Subaru Solterra is 4690mm long, with a 2850mm wheelbase length. This equates to decent cabin space, which has been divided up to benefit rear seat passengers slightly more than the loadspace.

The driving position may not be to everyone’s taste, thanks to the decision to mount the seven-inch digital instrument cluster on top of the dash and ask drivers to read it over the top of the steering wheel, in the same fashion as Peugeot’s i-Cockpit.

It means the seat must be raised to nosebleed heights to get a clear view of the whole screen, while the steering wheel ends up in your lap. Some may get used to this, but we didn’t.

Both front and rear seats are comfortable, with the former offering a good degree of lateral support.

Those in the back get loads of knee room and plenty of headroom, assisted by reclining seat backs. However, leg support is distinctly limited, because the high floor pushes one’s thighs off the seat base.

Loadspace measures 452 litres in Subaru Solterra Limited trim cars, mysteriously decreasing to 441 litres in Subaru Solterra Touring spec models, which is not particularly generous for a car of this type.

The 60:40 split rear seats do fold, but not completely flat. There is room under the floor for muddy boots or charging cables, but there’s no frunk up front.

The boot is somewhat featureless, mind, and not that well thought out; the folding bag hooks, for instance, are positioned on the trim surrounding the tailgate opening, so any bag hung there will promptly block the tailgate. 

Other practicality question marks include a large storage space under the floating centre console, which has questionable access on the move, the absence of a glovebox, and, despite the acreage of glass involved, no rear windscreen wiper. 

So far above the quality of any previous Subaru is the interior that we’re convinced it comes piecemeal from Toyota.

This is a good looking and – our reservations about the placement of the seven-inch driver’s instrument panel aside – user-friendly, button-laden cabin.

Bucking the trend of relying on touch-sensitive panels and sliders, the Subaru Solterra sticks with buttons and physical controls for the most part, especially on the steering wheel.

The climate controls are a meld of physical and touch switches which works reasonably well. It’s certainly better than those systems that force you to wade through touchscreen menus to change even the basics.

The quality of the interior cannot really be faulted, with robust plastics, a fabric covering to the dashboard for an added whiff of premium and a grade-dependent choice of durable fabric or leather upholstery.

Overall, this is a pleasing interior that has been well built. The switchgear is wobble-free and solid in operation, the materials and finishes look and feel appropriate to a car costing over £50,000 and nothing creaks, rattles or groans.

We may not be thrilled about its placement, but the seven-inch driver’s instrument screen is sensibly laid out, with some useful sub-screens which you can scroll through via the steering wheel pads, such as energy use, driver assistance and entertainment.

But it’s a shame the graphics are a step behind those of the main infotainment screen.

The central 12.3-inch screen has better definition, with far nicer graphics than Subaru has ever managed before.

It boasts clearly thought-out menus, responds quickly to the touch and loads navigation routes admirably promptly.

All versions of the car come with wireless Apple CarPlay, but you’ll need a cable to use Android Auto, and only the posher, Touring-spec version offers a wireless phone charging pad.

Subaru’s Care App allows owners to control a range of car functions from their smartphone, such as remote pre-heating before a journey, setting charging schedules, viewing driving analytics data and checking the car is locked.

At the time of writing, opt for the £52,495 entry-level Limited version of the Subaru Solterra, and you’ll find it’s undercut by all-wheel-drive variants of a number of rivals.

These include the Toyota bZ4X (£47,810), the Skoda Enyaq (£48,605), the Nissan Ariya (£50,845), the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (£51,145), and the Kia EV6 (£51,775).

At the other end of the scale, matched against the top-of-the-range £55,495 Subaru Solterra Touring spec model, only the absurdly priced, £67,540 Ford Mustang Mach-E is more expensive (by a somewhat healthy margin).

Incontrast, the £52,990 Tesla Model Y and £54,205 Volkswagen ID.4  both cost less.

With a 71.4kWh battery powering two electric motors, a WLTP range of 289 miles on a charge is claimed for Subaru Solterra Limited models with 18-inch wheels, and a shorter 257-mile range for Touring grade versions with larger 20-inch wheels.

To put that in context, entry-level versions of the Tesla Model Y, Skoda Enyaq and Ford Mustang Mach-E also offer ranges of between 250 and 280 miles, but certain variants of all three can manage over 300 miles relatively easily. 

More importantly, perhaps, and despite the presence of a heat pump fitted as standard, the Subaru Solterra hates the cold.

Driven during a recent cold snap, the car could only manage a 2.5 miles per kilowatt hour efficiency figure, while Skoda’s Enyaq returned 3.0 miles/kWh. That equates to a range of only 178 miles for the Subaru Solterra, versus 231 for the Skoda Enyaq.

The Subaru Solterra’s 150kW rapid-charging capabilities aren’t class-leading, but are at least on a par with those of the Nissan Ariya, Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4.

Find an ultra-rapid charging point and a 10-80% top up will give you a coffee break of 28 minutes. A 7.4kW home wallbox, however, will leave you loitering for nearly 12 hours to fully charge the battery.

As with all pure-electric cars, the Subaru Solterra is currently road tax exempt. This will change in April 2025, however, when all EVs registered since April 2017 will be taxed at £165 per annum.

The Subaru Solterra is covered by a three year, 60,000 mile warranty, and its battery gets an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

That seems fair, until you consider that Toyota is bullishly warranting the same battery for one million kilometres (620,000 miles) at 70% capacity.

The Subaru Solterra’s low centre of gravity means the undercarriage is uncluttered by stiff anti-roll bars, so the car doesn’t rock you from side to side on a straight but bumpy road.

The ride isn’t by any means soft, but it is well controlled and shaves off sharp bumps in a traditionally Subaru fashion.

This ability to cushion passengers from road surface shocks – both in terms of noise and vibration – adds up to a pleasing composure. The cabin is well insulated from road noise too, making the car a fine motorway cruiser.

The steering is nicely weighted, and it’s easy to hold position in a motorway lane or feed the car through rural bends at decent pace.

Body roll is kept to a minimum round corners, and respectable levels of grip combine with the overall precision of the steering to make the Subaru Solterra feel lighter than rivals and more entertaining to chuck about.

However, it is, of course, far heavier than petrol cars of the same size.

The brakes do a fine job, and the transition between regenerative braking through the electric motor and the physical brakes themselves is smooth enough to be barely perceptible.

You can adjust the level of brake regeneration on the move via steering wheel-mounted paddles, except for the strongest setting, which is accessed through a separate dashboard button.

That would suggest you’re entering the realms of one-pedal driving, but that’s not the case. This strongest setting still doesn’t bring the car to a complete standstill and you have to use the brake pedal, which is a shame.

Those who choose the Subaru Solterra for its off-road abilities won’t be disappointed.

A total of 210mm ground clearance may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s combined with short front and rear overhangs, excellent traction control systems and subtly effective electric torque control to offer surprisingly enthusiastic off-road functionality.

Both hill descent control and constant speed systems work well too, and the car will also wade up to a depth of 500mm.

The Subaru Solterra is offered with just one powertrain: a 71.4kWh battery powering front and rear 108PS electric motors for all-wheel drive.

Although the motors produce identical power and torque, they’re not the same physically – the engineers made the front one narrow and fat to give the car the best turning possible circle, while the rear motor is wider but thinner to keep the loadspace floor low.

In combination, the two electric motors produce 218PS and 337Nm of torque.

This may not be much in comparison with the dual-motor Nissan Ariya’s 306PS or the whopping 390PS of the Tesla Model Y Long Range, but it’s sufficient to propel the Subaru to 62mph from a standstill in 6.9 seconds.

As with so many EVs, the thrust drops away as speeds rise, and by 80mph it doesn’t feel as if there’s much left in the tank.

However, because the motor delivers torque the instant you hit the loud pedal, overtaking and cornering at lesser speeds never leaves you feeling short of power.

On that point, a choice of three driving modes – Normal, Eco and Sport – leaves you wondering what Sport is for, since the electric motor is always going to give you maximum torque from zero rpm anyway.

The Subaru Solterra has a five-star Euro NCAP rating and impressive levels of safety kit.

Fitted as standard, Subaru Safety Sense packages together advanced driver assistance and collision avoidance technology including Lane Tracing Assist, Reverse Automatic Braking, Road Sign Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and Pre-Collision Braking.

For the first time in a Subaru, a 360-degree panoramic view monitor provides an overhead view of the vehicle for better all-around situational awareness.

Also new for the brand, the Subaru Solterra is equipped with standard Safe Exit Assist. This new safety feature notifies occupants, before exiting the vehicle, of approaching vehicles with an audible and visual warning.

The Subaru Solterra is the first vehicle to use the new e-Subaru Global Platform that has been engineered to bring together the company’s all-wheel-drive capability, superior driving dynamics and world-leading passive safety.

The e-Subaru Global Platform is the most rigid vehicle platform the company has ever built, and provides a low centre of gravity thanks to the battery being placed strategically across the floor of the vehicle.

The Subaru Solterra has a 750kg maximum towing capacity, which, for an all-wheel-drive machine, is below average.

All-wheel-drive versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Nissan Ariya manage 1600kg and 1500kg respectively.

There are just two trim levels and a handful of exterior colours to choose from; the entry-level Subaru Solterra Limited model priced from £52,495, and the Subaru Solterra Touring from £55,495.

The only downside to the Touring spec upgrade is the reduction in vehicle range due to adoption of larger, 20-inch wheels.

The Subaru Solterra Limited includes 18-inch alloy wheels, auto on/off headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, LED daytime running lights, adaptive high beam system, privacy glass, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, heated rear seats, fabric seat trim, electric driver’s seat with lumbar support, 60/40 split folding rear seats with recline function and keyless entry with push button start.

There’s also a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, power tailgate, dual-zone air-conditioning, windscreen wiper de-icer, heated door mirrors, Subaru infotainment and six-speaker audio system, 12.3-inch multifunction touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB radio, satellite navigation, Bluetooth and four USB-C charging ports.

To that you can add the Subaru Safety Sense package, driver monitoring system, E-Call, digital rear-view mirror, reversing camera, a 360-degree panoramic view monitor, front, side, central, and curtain airbag system and a tyre pressure monitor system.

The Subaru Solterra Touring specification adds 20-inch alloy wheels, fixed panoramic roof with electric sunblind, leather seat trim, electric driver’s seat with memory function, electric passenger seat, Follow-Me-Home lighting, wireless phone charging, memory function door mirrors, Subaru infotainment system and and an eight-peaker audio system with subwoofer.