(Palm Springs, California) To make it a Solterra, Subaru didn’t just put its logo on a Toyota vehicle.
Clones? No, not quite. By exploiting its main assets appreciated by its customers, such as the full-time all-wheel drive and the raised ground clearance, the Subaru Solterra seeks to distance itself from its parent, the Toyota bZ4X.
Subaru refuses to see in the Solterra a bZ4X living under an assumed name. Moreover, at the time of the media presentation of this model, the firm with the constellation of stars carefully avoided any reference to Toyota. At least until question period…
It is obvious, the Solterra owes a lot to the bZ4X. But this cloning operation represents a boon for Subaru which, until now, had weakly developed the electrification of its range. Without the possibility of affixing its logo to this vehicle, Subaru would have found it hard to meet environmental standards. And to curb the exodus of its customers who are increasingly concerned about the quality of the air we breathe. The presence of the Solterra therefore allows Subaru to gain a foothold in the “watture” market and escape heavy fines in some territories. For its part, by “lending” the bZ4X, Toyota increases its sphere of influence on the Japanese automotive industry. Indeed, the world number one has similar agreements in its pocket with Suzuki and Mazda for technology transfers.
Of course, Solterra and bZ4X necessarily have a family resemblance. They have the same size, the same chassis, the same motors, the same battery.
Moreover, just like on the latter, the four-wheel drive is at the top of the standard features. Constantly calling on its two motors, this all-wheel drive allows more instantaneous distribution due to the absence of the transmission shaft.
To ensure that customers do not lose anything in this electric transition, the Solterra is equipped with the Mode device, to which we have integrated a grip control (Grip Control). A driving aid that will undoubtedly prove practical for getting out of a snowbank. On this subject, the Solterra also relies on its raised ground clearance (210 mm) to get out of trouble. These features further set this Subaru apart. This is not enough to make it a crossing machine, but allows you to move comfortably on slippery roads or (not too) muddy paths. These Subaru whims, however, have an impact on the fuel efficiency (read range) of this battery-powered model. These differentiation efforts partly mask the common origins of this Japanese duo.
If Toyota and Subaru have continued to collaborate during the gestation of the project, this is not the case for the sales teams, which determine their pricing policy and their strategy. In this area, it’s every man for himself. Moreover, unlike Toyota, which currently limits the availability of the bZ4X to consumers in Quebec and British Columbia, Subaru offers its Solterra to all Canadians.
Installed at the controls, we do not really feel the thrill of technological innovation. However, driving an electric car remains an exercise that escapes the banality. Even if it is slightly disturbed by the hissing of the tires, we appreciate here the silence of operation and the pleasure of this vehicle.
Its weight is rarely felt in the sequences of turns. The suspension elements, of a classic design (less expensive to repair), absorb the irregularities of the road with great extensibility. The Solterra encourages a smooth ride by taking advantage of the extreme elasticity of its thrusters producing 80 kW (about 215 hp). In practice, we hardly apply the brakes, moreover easy to modulate. The inertia of the motors is sufficient on the condition of anticipating the vagaries of traffic.
Be warned, the Solterra does not offer “one pedal” driving, which allows it to come to a complete stop. On the other hand, from time to time, it is not forbidden to allow yourself a little pleasure. Accelerating hard when the light turns green leaves a lot of people behind… With its constant torque, the power unit makes the Solterra jump instantly, but without blowing your hair. This is not the objective of this Subaru which allows its users to find certain automatic mechanisms of their old vehicle with internal combustion engines.
The buyer should be aware that the size of the tires – this applies to all electric vehicles – plays an important role. By opting for 18″ tires instead of 20″, we can hope to travel 10 km more. For the “anxious”, the Solterra has no device to extend its range. As for recharging, the Solterra does not win awards for its speed, and its manufacturer reminds that fast charges accelerate the deterioration of the battery. On this subject, Subaru estimates that his will retain 90% of its efficiency after 10 years.
Generous in terms of interior space – although rear-seat occupants will grumble because the bench seat is too low – the Solterra is a bit limited in boot space. Nor can it hide its Toyota genes when you consider the deceptively futuristic, austere dashboard, devoid of a glove box and equipped with a block of instrumentation that is difficult to read. The Solterra therefore imposes to accept some compromises.
The important thing is that this model is able to flatter this particular feeling that electric vehicle enthusiasts are looking for. That, reassuring, to drive a big car, well seated on the road.
From $54,295
Yes (provincial and federal)
NOW
19.1 kWh/100 km when tested with 20″ tires
True to brand attributes (all-wheel drive as standard) Safe, stable and predictable behavior Conservative approach, but efficient and proven
Less range than the competition Charging (and towing) capacity Spartan interior
A satisfactory copy while waiting for a 100% original Subaru
Like the Solterra, the BRZ sports coupe (our photo) is also the result of a collaboration between Subaru and Toyota. However, Subaru’s participation seemed more marked in this project. Indeed, the firm with the constellation of stars had been able to impose the flat engine, guarantee of a lower center of gravity and a reduced size. By favoring such a mechanical architecture, the platform also came from Subaru.
Subaru seemed more committed to the design of the GR86/BRZ duo than to the Solterra. Nevertheless, the firm with the constellation of stars has ensured that its customers find certain attributes in common with its other products. This is why the first electric vehicle from Subaru claims the ability to take the key to the fields. To do this, it relies on a raised ground clearance, a finely tuned all-wheel drive, a few additional electronic crutches. Everything is there, except the set of tires, cut for the asphalt, which deprives you of venturing too far.
We took delivery of our 2023 Subaru Solterra last December to replace our BMW 430 xDrive. Living in the Laurentians, in the mountains, all-wheel drive is a must. The traction of our Solterra is incredible: a real tractor in the snow. I think the weight of the vehicle with the batteries helps it bite into the snow and gives it stability on twisty roads. In terms of autonomy, we drive 140 km a day to go to work. We have never had to charge our vehicle outside the house. We have another gasoline vehicle that we use for long trips. In summary, a rating of 9 out of 10. Only downside: the complexity of hooking up the infotainment system.
I picked up my new Solterra at -30°C. Frightening ! He refused to warm up plugged in. It would stop after a minute and prompt me to save its energy for the battery. No information on board to help me. Range at -30°C dropped to less than 150 km. Luckily, it’s better for battery life at near 0°C. This is my seventh Subaru vehicle. I’ve only had it for 500 km. I put it on knobby tires and it drives like a champ in the snow going up and down our hill to the chalet. Ride and Comfort A1. I miss the rear wiper, like on the Crosstrek. Why no glove box? The open space in the center? Not sure!
La Presse will soon publish the test of the following vehicles: Ford Mustang, GMC Canyon, Maserati Grecale, Nissan Ariya and Toyota GR Corolla. If you own one of these vehicles or are expecting delivery, we’d love to hear from you.
