Few automotive brands have more assiduously cultivated the image of vehicles designed to access the great outdoors than Subaru.
It’s hard to think of a television campaign or a print advertisement that doesn’t somewhere feature a Forester, Outback or Crosstrek splashing through puddles or navigating forest trails with canoes on the roof and mountain bikes on the tailgate.
So, when it came to creating the brand’s first-ever battery electric vehicle (BEV), the Solterra, it was a non-negotiable that this new model had to offer a similar level of all-terrain capability to its combustion-powered stablemates.
This explains how we found ourselves pointing the new EV's nose up a moderately rough bush track in the Scenic Rim, wondering nervously if we might damage the underfloor battery on a rock or wade through water that somehow fritzes the battery.
There were no such concerns from the Subaru engineers and other technical staff, who encouraged us onwards, up a track that meandered through thick lantana scrub over humps and bumps, straddling rocky outcrops and wheel ruts and on through shallow fords to a small summit.
The key to this confidence no doubt lay in the fact the Solterra, which was co-developed with Toyota and is a technical facsimile of that brand’s equally-new bZ4X EV, underwent off-road testing at the same facility used to develop the next-generation LandCruiser Prado.
That’s not to suggest that the Solterra has LandCruiser-like off-road ability, but with electric motors front and rear providing all-wheel-drive grip, an enhanced X-Mode traction control system, and a handy 212mm of ground clearance, it has been designed to go wherever its combustion-powered stablemates can.
Available in two grades, the entry-level Solterra AWD starts at $69,990 (MRLP) and rises to $76,990 for the Solterra AWD Touring.
This places the new EV well north of the next most expensive model in Subaru’s local line-up, the turbocharged Outback Touring XT ($55,990).
These price points were no doubt carefully chosen to pit the Solterra competitively against the Tesla Model Y, with the Long-Range AWD variant costing $78,400 (MRLP) and the more affordable Rear-Wheel Drive costing $65,400.
Comparisons with the best-selling Tesla are inevitable, despite the Solterra being classified as a small SUV and the Model Y as a medium SUV.
Where the Subaru packs a 71.4kWh battery and claimed 485km (NEDC) range, the Model Y Long-Range AWD sports a 75kWh battery and claimed 533km (WLTP) range.
Subaru says the Solterra was homologated as per Australian Design Rules for the more lenient NEDC standard and declined to provide a comparable WLTP figure, but Toyota quotes 411km (WLTP) for the same powertrain, so it’s safe to assume the Solterra will be in this vicinity.
The Solterra’s lithium-ion battery can be charged on AC and DC chargers, with a 0–80% charge on a 150kW DC charger taking about 30 minutes.
Charging to 100% on single-phase 7kW AC takes about nine-and-a-half hours or six-and-a-half hours for the same charge on an 11kW three-phase setup.
With its twin 80kW electric motors mounted front and rear delivering claimed outputs of 160kW/337Nm, the Solterra covers the benchmark 0–100km/h sprint in 6.9 seconds.
That’s comparable with the brand’s BRZ sports car but the Model Y takes just 5.0 seconds.
Key stats: Subary Solterra AWD Touring
Price: $76,990 (MRLP)
Warranty: Five years/unlimited km
Powertrain: 71.4kWh battery, dual electric motors, AWD (160kW/337Nm)
Range: 485km (NEDC)
ANCAP crash rating: 5 sars (2022)
Energy consumption: 14.1kWh/100km (NEDC)
For: Modest all-terrain ability, quiet and roomy cabin, brisk performance, quality finishes, well-equipped.
Against: No spare wheel, no glovebox, no over-the-air (OTA) updates, range and performance don’t match category leader.
Price: $76,990 (MRLP)
Warranty: Five years/unlimited km
Powertrain: 71.4kWh battery, dual electric motors, AWD (160kW/337Nm)
Range: 485km (NEDC)
ANCAP crash rating: 5 sars (2022)
Energy consumption: 14.1kWh/100km (NEDC)
For: Modest all-terrain ability, quiet and roomy cabin, brisk performance, quality finishes, well-equipped.
Against: No spare wheel, no glovebox, no over-the-air (OTA) updates, range and performance don’t match category leader.
Dynamically, the Solterra benefits from the surety of its AWD traction on sealed and unsealed roads and the lower centre of gravity afforded by having its battery and electric motors mounted low in the structure.
Subaru claims its new model has close to ideal front-to-rear weight distribution and that integrating the battery as part of the body structure increases rigidity, which benefits ride and handling.
We saw evidence of this throughout a drive program through the Gold Coast hinterland and Scenic Rim where the Solterra was a relaxed, comfortable and capable tourer over a mix of freeway, rural roads and unsealed sections.
The steering is lightly weighted and direct but pleasingly accurate once you get its measure.
The fully independent suspension does a good job of limiting body roll, so the car feels confident and sure-footed in bends.
Ride quality is also good, despite the Solterra AWD Touring riding on 20-inch wheels versus the more comfortable 18s of the base model.
The cabin is commendably quiet and the body feels suitably stiff, with a pleasing absence of rattles and squeaks.
The interior is nicely designed and well finished, with an unusual woven-fabric dash trim and central 12.3-inch high-definition touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus ‘native’ sat nav and digital radio.
A 7.0-inch digital instrument sits behind the low-set leather-trimmed steering wheel with its unusual flat top and bottom section, while behind the wheel are paddle shifts to control regenerative braking.
Standard features of both models include a powered tailgate, LED headlights and taillights, digital rearview mirror, heated front and rear outboard seats, and a heated leather steering wheel.
The Solterra AWD Touring adds a premium 10-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, wireless Qi phone charger, synthetic leather seat trim, driver and passenger-powered front seats and auto parking.
The Solterra comes loaded with airbags and advanced driver assistance systems, earning it a five-star ANCAP rating.
The ownership package includes a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, eight-year/160,000km battery warranty, five-year roadside assistance and five-year/75,000km capped price servicing.