My Subaru Solterra 1st Impression is…

An electric Scoob? What is all this lunacy, do I hear you ask? Is Solterra really a Subaru at all? On a slow news day, let’s have a quick meander through the bewildering minefield that is, car opinion.

Joint projects are not unusual in the motoring world and this SUV EV is no different. The Toyota / Subaru marriage famously spawned the sexy little BRZ/GR 86, arguably one of the most successful automotive collaborations in recent memory. The nippy little coupe became an instant classic and remains so today.

To make things just a little more piquant, Solterra is also a Lexus RZ and a Toyota bz4X, and all with similar specifications. We’ll go into that quagmire of minutia with our fully-baked review. Meanwhile what are the first impressions of the electric Scoob?

Solterra, like her sisters, comes as a dual motor AWD. The bz4X also offers 2WD, but Subaru continues its tradition of symmetrical AWD (meaning the drive shafts are the same length).

The only 2WD Scoob is the delicious BRZ.

Unlike those who use Tesla as the yardstick, I compare all EVs to Hyundai’s IONIQ 5. Hyundai got it right first time.

For a performance EV I look to Polestar’s “hamburger with the lot” Polestar 2 Performance costing $20,000 more than the Solterra. For a luxury EV, only Audi’s magnificent E-Tron GT RS will do.

ABOVE: Subaru Solterra Touring – Australia

Looks:

We’ve run smack into the elephant in the room; Solterra is not handsome, but it is impressive, one way or another.

It might be a little less confronting were the plastic panels to be painted in body colour, but as it is, there is too much going on. There are crazy angles all over the place, and as with the Toyota, is a touch too manic. It looks like a Lego model of a Transformer.

The back window is a gently sloping affair which limits the space inside, but gives Solterra a svelte look from the side.

There are fancy adaptive LED headlights in the Touring for those who appreciate an evening dinner and show.

In the wash-up, the looks are more Toyota than Subaru and while that works a treat in the tasty little BRZ/86, it gives buyers little reason to buy a Subaru over a Toyota based on appearances.

Cabin:

Solterra is cast as a large SUV but it doesn’t look or feel like it.

The range-topping Touring has a cosy comfy cabin. Unlike the light and airy IONIQ 5, Solterra’s interior design ethos is all dark and brooding. The wide centre console has a Qi charger and underneath is a big bin and some power/USB outlets.

Storage appears abundantly in the form of cubby holes, shelves and pockets, but even the top Solterra has plakky seats. Leather can be produced in a polar-bear-friendly ways (see similarly priced Polestar/Volvo), and I’d have liked that instead. There is recycled material in some of the resin parts and in the insulation, but I’d like to see far wider use of recycled items in fabric, carpets, and plastic parts.

The fixtures-n-fittings have a quality look and feel, but the infotainment system needs exploring as there are a lot of menus. Sound from the posh speakers is very good.

The driving position is akin to Peugeot’s odd i-cockpit where the driver looks over the top of the steering wheel to find the instruments. I don’t like looking over the top of the wheel even though it is intended to give the impression of a HUD. Just put in an HUD and be done with.

The Drive:

160kw AWD feels brisk, and the ride is properly posh. So far, the steering feels sharp, but heavier than I expected. 0-100kph comes up in around 7 seconds in a no-nonsense, assured, kind of way. S-Pedal is meant to be 1-pedal driving but most of the time feels completely absent.

This is a princely $83,000 jalopy “on the road”, and its 410km range is 100km less than IONIQ 5. The IONIQ can charge at 350kw Ultra-Rapid DC chargers, and has household-style outlets for appliances. Solterra’s max DC uptake is 150kw and there are no 3-point sockets.

The chassis feels wonderfully tight. Solterra is sportier than anticipated, and every now and then you get a faint echo of WRX. Developmental involvement is difficult to define because asking the different brand representatives gets different answers. One thing is clear, Toyota did the outside bit, and the fact that there is no “Eyesight” twin camera safety system indicates a swing towards Toyota electronics too.

There is an automated parking system that we have not yet played with. They make me very nervous.

Conclusion:

This is Subaru’s most expensive model. It was a smart move to co-develop with Toyota, but why are the Japanese car makers so slow to create an electric range. And, before you say “hybrid,” they do not count as EVs.

More will come as the week unfolds, but for now, Solterra remains an enigma.

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