It has taken an almost record amount of time for the Subaru Solterra to finally land here following Subaru New Zealand’s initial announcementand presentation of a sole pre-production display model WAY back in July 2022, but it is finally here.
It is no secret that the Solterra is a collaboration between Subaru and its stakeholder Toyota (which has also produced a version for its Lexus luxury offshoot) and the Solterra makes no secret of its Toyota DNA because, well, it can’t.
Literally all that is visually different between the two are the wheels, badging and the nose section. While both brands share a love of chunky black wheel arches, meaning that the profile styling could go either way, the distinctly Toyota-style tail lights give the game away at the rear.
While all of that Toyota DNA is ultimately very good, it does rob the Solterra of a distinctly Subaru personality, which is something of a shame, particularly for fans of the brand.
In terms of interior and equipment the similarities are equally striking, with the Subaru largely mirroring the equipment levels of the bZ4X, but with a few additions of its own.
The $79,990 Solterra comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, front seat heaters, a powered rear tailgate, dual zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 12.3-inch central infotainment touchscreen.
The $84,990 Touring model adds 20-inch alloys, wireless phone charging, synthetic leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, Harman Kardon audio, a heated steering wheel and rear seats and intelligent park assist. The Touring can also be had with a black roof for an extra $1000.
This largely matches the standard equipment of the two Toyota bZ4X’s available in New Zealand - the $72,990 Pure and the $82,990 Motion - which may make the entry level Toyota seem like much better value for money, but the Subaru has a trick up its sleeve.
Like Toyota, Subaru claims an NEDC-calculated range of around 485km from its 71.4kWh battery for the AWD (465km WLTP), but unlike Toyota, this is actually achievable.
Where the FWD bZ4X Pure uses a 150kW/266Nm electric motor on the front axle, the entry Solterra uses the same dual motor set up as the up-spec bZ4X Motion and Solterra Touring - two 80kW/168Nm motors front and rear (for 160kW total output) - for a AWD set up, an arrangement not available on the entry level Toyota.
Another difference is the availability of a ‘one-pedal’ drive mode, with the levels of braking adjusted by the paddles behind the steering wheel, something not offered on the Toyota.
And that steering wheel is also different, with the Subaru having a flat top and bottom, which does allow for better visibility of the instrument display, something that is an issue for shorter drivers in the Toyota. It also looks cooler.
Like Toyota, Subaru claims an NEDC-calculated range of around 485km from its 71.4kWh battery for the AWD (465km WLTP), but unlike Toyota, this is actually achievable. Um, yeah, we were confused too.
We have never seen much more than around 300km range showing on our fully-charged bZ4X long-term tester with the fan switched on, so jumping into a Solterra to be greeted with 432km with the AC blasting was… unexpected to say the least.
Satisfying is an extremely appropriate word to describe the Solterra, as it just does everything right.
The 432km from the Subaru is closer to what the more realistic WLTP range figure is, while the fact that our car was reading 270km after a “spirited” drive from Taupo to Napier (around 140km) suggests that it is pretty accurate.
Toyota claims to have left a very generous reserve in play when it comes to the bZ4X’s range estimations, while turning the fan on (not just the air con…) will automatically lop a further 80km or so off the fully-charged range.
Turning the AC off in the Solterra saw the range estimation jump around 5 or 6 kilometres, indicating that Subaru is being far less conservative (and far more realistic) than Toyota. Toyota has addressed this with a firmware update, which Toyota New Zealand assured us was pushed to our test car, but the massive range discrepancy between to essentially mechanically identical cars would strongly suggest this isn’t the case. Or that Toyota is still being WAY too conservative.
Range claims aside the Solterra is unsurprisingly similar to the Toyota on the road, with the same confident and polished handling and a slightly firm ride.
The steering is sharp and accurate, with nicely judged weighting, and while the power difference between the dual motor Solterra (160kW) is minimal over our FWD single motor bZ4X (150kW), the torque difference (337Nm versus the Toyota’s 266Nm) makes for a noticeably more satisfying mid-range punch.
While all of that Toyota DNA is ultimately very good, it does rob the Solterra of a distinctly Subaru personality, which is something of a shame, particularly for fans of the brand.
Satisfying is an extremely appropriate word to describe the Solterra, as - like its Toyota sibling - it just does everything right. The seating position just feels right, the layout of the cabin just feels right, the handling just feels right for the sort of vehicle it is. In fact, like the Toyota, the only thing that doesn’t feel quite right is that slightly firm ride quality, but that is far from being a deal-breaker.
BATTERY: 71.2kWh battery with dual electric motors POWER: 160kW/337Nm GEARBOX: Single-speed automatic, AWD 0-100KM/H: 6.9sec RANGE: 465km (WLTP), maximum charge rate 150kW PRICE: $79,990 to $85,990
