Subaru built a reputation as one of the quickest brands on the world rally stage, but when it comes to EVs, it has barely moved from the pits. The nearest Subaru has come to an EV is the Crosstrek PHEV. But now Subaru is getting ready to unveil its first ever electric car, and it’s given us a cheeky glimpse of the machine that’s due to hit showrooms in 2022 as a 2023MY in the States.
And if you think it seems awfully familiar, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. It looks almost identical to the Toyota bZ4X concept revealed earlier this year. The reason for that is the new five-seat Solterra SUV has been jointly developed with Toyota, much like the pair collaborated on the GR 86 and BRZ sports cars.
Built on a dedicated BEV architecture called the e-Subaru Global Platform, the Solterra combines Toyota’s EV knowhow with Subaru’s all-wheel drive expertise. Size-wise, it slots into the C-segment market, meaning it’s roughly the same size as a BMW X1 or Audi Q3. The styling has a much more pronounced sporting feel than most of Subaru’s cars, combining slim headlamps, pinched waist and shallow glasshouse. At the rear the aggressively sloping rear window makes it clear this SUV is more worried about looking cool than carrying loads. We don’t get a clear look at the front, but the nose appears to be blanked off in typical EV fashion. It’s the same story inside with the Solterra looking no different than the Toyota bZX4 below
Moving inside, the cabin, which is again lifted almost wholesale from the bZ4X concept, is dominated by a tall center console that floats above the flat floor area and flows into a large landscape-shaped infotainment screen. A second digital display handling gauge duties is located behind the steering wheel, but it’s interesting to note how far back it’s located. It almost appears to be working as a head-up display. The Toyota concept’s steering wheel had a cut-out section on the top allowing a clear view of the instruments, but the Solterra has a conventional wheel so it remains to be seen how that effects the view forward.
Subaru hasn’t revealed anything about the Solterra’s batteries or motors, but Toyota has previously confirmed its production version of the bZ4X would come with dual motors and all-wheel drive.
