2024 Subaru Solterra Test Drive: Adding a Credible EV to the Lineup

The new-for-2023 Subaru Solterra, the company’s only electric vehicle, practically had “first effort” written all over it. Essentially a kissing cousin to Toyota’s first electric, the bZ4X (arguably the worst-named import since the Merkur XR4Ti), the Solterra SUV gave Subaru an electric toe to dip into the water, and claim its share of those $7500 federal tax credits.

An aside: That tax credit is applicable for leases only. Since the Solterra is built in Japan (65 percent Japanese parts, 35 percent Chinese, says our window sticker), the $7500 can’t apply towards purchase. The main difference between the bZX4 and the Solterra, by the way, is that the Toyota is offered in front-wheel-drive, and the Subaru is exclusively all-wheel-drive.

For 2024, the Subaru Solterra has enough updates to make it feel like a plucky second effort. Mainly, it charges more quickly: For 2023, Subaru said that on a DC fast charger, the battery could reach 80 percent capacity “in about an hour,” which lagged the competition. For 2024, it’s down to about 35 minutes. It can also charge, Subaru says, “significantly faster” in cold climates than the 2023 model.

Range is the same as in 2023, an estimated 228 miles from a full charge for base models with 18-inch tires and wheels, or 222 miles for models with 20-inchers, which includes this test vehicle. Our test Solterra was delivered with a 94 percent charge, which, said the dashboard, equated to 198 miles’ worth of juice. By comparison, Kia says the 2024 EV6 Wind e-AWD has an estimated range of 282 miles, and a combined 320 horsepower, which is 105 more than the Solterra, at a comparable base price to our test vehicle.

Size-wise, the Solterra measures out to match most of the competition. Length is 184.6 inches, one inch shorter than a Ford Mustang Mach-E. Width is 74.1 inches, a tenth of an inch wider than a Kia EV-6. The Subaru has 23.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, 63.5 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded down.

Inside, it’s roomy for four, a little tight for five. The interior has an upscale look and feel; the exterior styling is pretty busy and angular, but in the cockpit, the design is mostly conventional, aside from the new oval steering wheel. I like flat-bottomed steering wheels like this one—they make sliding into the driver’s seat easier.

In the middle, there’s a wide console, leading up to the 12.3-inch multifunction touchscreen. Instruments and controls, while not exactly intuitive, are reasonably easy to figure out. The sound system, a 576-watt, 11-speaker Harmon Kardon was just fine, but most premium stereos are consistently good nowadays.

Specs: 2024 Subaru Solterra Touring

• Base price/as tested: $44,995/$54,558
• Powertrain: Dual electric motors, one at the front axle and one at the rear, with a 96-cell, 72.8 kWh lithium-ion battery
• Combined Output: 215 hp; 249 lb-ft of torque
• Layout: All-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger SUV
• Estimated range at full charge: 222 miles
• 0-60 mph: 6.7 seconds
• Competitors: Toyota bZ4X, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Kia EV6

Outside, the design doesn’t look particularly like a member of the Subaru family. I kind of like it, but opting for the “Elemental Red Pearl” paint also gets you “Galactic Black” trim (the colors cost an extra $890, the peculiar names are free), plus those big charcoal arches over the front and rear wheels that sort of blend in with colors like gray or blue, but contrast loudly with the red. Not everyone was in favor of it. The bZ4X has the same plastic cladding—neither company tried very hard to differentiate the exterior styling. Nor the driving style, for that matter.

Being a Subaru, the company’s marketing does what it can to paint the Solterra as an off-roader, but that’s a stretch. Yes, it has 8.3 inches of ground clearance, but that’s barely more that the Toyota bZ4X’s 8.1 inches, and Toyota press materials make only a passing reference to “off-pavement exploration.” Both companies offer Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud settings, and Grip Control and Downhill Assist Control, both using the same name for all those self-explanatory settings, sort of unusual for two separate brands.

Another aside: In case you were wondering (I wasn’t, but maybe you are), the name Solterra “was created using the Latin words for ‘Sun’ and ‘Earth’ to represent Subaru’s commitment to deliver traditional SUV capabilities in an environmentally responsible package,” the company says. That’s likely one reason the comfortable seats were trimmed in polyurethane “StarTex,” which definitely isn’t leather. Base models use “cloth.” Helpfully, Subaru explains that polyurethane is “synthetic plastic,” presumably in comparison to plastic that grows wild in nature.

On the road, the Solterra, despite having just 215 total horsepower, has more punch than you’d expect, and our 0-60 mph time of 6.7 seconds isn’t bad. During quite a bit of local and highway driving, I never wanted for more power. That said, the base AWD Ford Mach-E comes with 266 horsepower, and Ford says the 0-60 mph time is 5.2 seconds. Not that owners are likely to drag-race either vehicle.

The Solterra handles nicely in town, but its long suit is its highway performance. The rather basic independent suspension—MacPherson struts and coil springs up front, double wishbones in the rear—offers a smooth ride on all but the most uneven pavement. The steering has a precise feel on-center, and doesn’t require continual adjustment to keep the Solterra going in a straight line.

I didn’t have the opportunity to comprehensively test out the Solterra’s off-road capability; the cow-trailing we did could have been mastered by a Ford Crown Victoria. I don’t doubt that the Subaru could handle some moderate obstacles, and it certainly has enough electronic assistants to help navigate a variety of surfaces. Before I tackled anything challenging, though, I’d want a more aggressive tire tread than what’s available on the Solterra.

The Solterra is offered in Premium, Limited and Touring trim, with Touring being the top of the line. Our Solterra was a Touring model, with a starting price of $51,995, a significant step up from the Premium’s $44,995. With freight ($1345) and a handful of small options, our test car listed for $54,558.

For that, you get about everything you’d want, from a panoramic moonroof to a 360-degree camera to the handsome alloy wheels, plus a long list of electronic safety features. Like the Subaru-Toyota marriage that birthed the successful Subaru BRZ and its near-twin, the Toyota GR86, this Solterra/bZ4X collaboration works very well.

2024 Subaru Solterra Touring

Price: $54,558

Highs: Upscale interior; excellent ride, especially on the highway; comfortable seats front and rear, best-in-class ground clearance.

Lows: Middling range and charging time, polarizing styling, pricey unless you just want an electric Subaru.

Takeaway: If you can live with the range and mediocre power, pretty much a viceless electric SUV with some moderate off-road chops.

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