Subaru’s first foray into the emerging Electric Vehicle segment and all-electric drivetrain borrows lessons learned from past production and promotion successes.
As with a majority of Subaru’s line up, the all-electric Solterra builds from a popular crossover platform. Also, Solterra includes symmetrical all-wheel drive standard by sporting not one, but two alternating current electric motors in all trims, one motivating the front axle and the other the rear. With the exception of the two-door BRZ roadster, all Subaru’s boast a form of symmetrical all-wheel drive depending largely upon the transmission offered.
The compact, five-seat Solterra EV, debuting in the 2023 model year, constructs its name by wistfully combining together ‘earth’ and ‘sun,’ which in Latin speak spells out ‘Sol’ and ‘terra.’
Subaru co-developed Solterra with Toyota, but Japan’s largest automaker chose less memorable product identifiers, the Toyota bZ4x and Lexus RZ 450e. All build from Toyota’s e-TNGA platform, which Subaru remarkets as the ‘e-Subaru global platform’. A key takeaway between the two manufacturers; Toyota and Lexus offer both a front-wheel drive version (with an electric motor powering front wheels) and an all-wheel drive option while Subaru employs the all-wheel format exclusively.
The teaming of two Japanese automakers (Toyota currently owns a 20 percent stake in Subaru) helps both establish a foothold in the segment as most other large-scale legacy automakers began debuting this emerging technology in earnest during the late teens. Expect more Electric Vehicle (sometimes known/referred to as battery electric vehicles or BEVs) collaboration between these two down the road.
Solterra’s all-wheel drive teams with multiple drive modes (including dual function X-MODE with grip control, suitable during wintery slippery surface travel) making a strong case for upper Midwest buyers eyeing EVs. However, overall electric range when fully charged lags behind many similar-sized rivals.
Three trim levels arrive on the docket for 2024: Premium, Limited and Touring with starting pricing unchanged from 2023. In the upcoming 2025 model year, an all-new Onyx Edition with 20-inch aluminum alloy gloss black wheels and unique trim accents also goes on sale.
Touring and Limited trims with larger 20-inch tires deliver 222 travel miles with a fully-charged DC battery pack. Smaller 18-inch tires teamed with the Premium trim increase estimates slightly to 227 miles.
Solterra’s generous 8.6-inch ground clearance (a class-leading hike) builds upon four-wheel independent raised suspension promoting accessible entry/exit into both rows and bests Kia’s slightly larger mid-size all-electric EV9’s 7.8 inches of ground clearance. Solterra enjoys smooth, quiet on-road riding driving experience.
Starting price for a 2024 Premium checks in at $44,995 with mid-level Limited at $48,495 and our Touring tester at $51,995. All arrive decently equipped with very few factory add-ons with extra content standard as one escalates up the trim level ladder.
Our Limited trim added such unique features a power sunroof, footwell lighting, 360-degree in-vehicle view monitor and gloss black hood accent bumping up near the windshield and forming a half-moon curve below, With a $1,345 destination charge, a $890 Harbor Mist premium exterior color ding, $187 floor liners and $141 cargo tray, the bottom line listed at $54,558.
Solterra’s marketed throughout all 50 states. A decade ago, EV sales were limited primarily to warm weather or coastal states leaving sturdy Midwest buyers pondering the viability of this emerging technology.
As with all EVs, PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) and self-charging gas-electric hybrids (also known as hybrid electric vehicles), Solterra benefits greatly from highly effective Regenerative Braking. This energy recouping slight-of-hand captures friction created during the mechanical braking process and delivers the newly created kinetic energy back into the DC battery pack for later reuse as electricity. Solterra includes two steering wheel finger paddles (one + one -) increasing/decreasing force levels allowing drivers to dial in their preferred resistance setting. Restarting the car defaults to the lightest resistant level.
The rear power hatch lifts high enough to provide plentiful head clearance for those six-foot three inches and shorter. The cargo area includes a waterproof floor mat easily removable for convenient spray cleaning with garden hose usage. What’s not convenient; the MIA rear wiper. Thought maybe one was hidden under the window’s sporty top spoiler, but no such luck. Keep that garden hose handy for outside rear window spray downs.
Subaru places the plug port on the driver’s side front fender behind a swing-out door resembling a traditional one hiding a gas-tank lead save for the duo-letter three-dimensional ‘EV’ identifier. A second EV logo appears on the passenger side fender. Otherwise, Solterra mimics the general look of the multitudes of five-door compact crossovers crisscrossing the roads today with the notable exception of zero tailpipes contributing to zero tailpipe emission.
A high side beltline with room between the side door’s strap-like pull handles and lower side window brims slightly reduces side window height creating an aggressive stance. Round wheel wells highlight with an extensive black composite protectant material providing an edgy, squared framing. This black cladding provides a two-tone look also reaching lower portions of the side doors and extends under narrow eagle-eyed headlight housing providing a mascara-like tinge. Four-bejeweled, inline multi-beam LED lights surround with an elongated U-shaped assembly of frost-like daytime running lights summoning to a blinking amber hue operating the turn-signal stalk.
Like all EVs, the elimination of the vertical transmission hump traversing the floor of traditional ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles provides back seat riders with additional leg room. Same holds true up front as the real estate between front buckets includes large storage areas below a bridge-like center complex with side-by-side beverage holders. Headroom throughout rates as refreshing for a compact.
The circular electric start/stop button resides within the center dashboard’s lower left corner unobstructed by the rather funky, manually-adjusting steering wheel with a rather low, near-the-waist resting position even when set to the highest level. Actually, ‘wheel’ may not serve as a proper descriptor of the steering apparatus (newly designed for 2024) with straight bars across the bottom and top with bowed sides similar to Indy Car racers or lower-impact go-carts.
A round electronic transmission shifter dial resides between front buckets within the bridge-like center console. Push down the dial and twist to the left for reverse and right for drive. Park summons with a push of a ‘P’ square indicator ahead of the dial. The deeply racked front windshield and A-Pillar creates a long, airy region atop the entire dashboard.
Solterra includes two digital screens with a smallish seven-inch instrument gauge set back towards the windshield accented by plastic/composite side bars. It’s not built into the dash, but above and beyond. It’s completely separate and far, far from the prominent, portrait-style, 12.8-inch multi-function touch sensitive screen jetting up from the front edge of the lower center console. Premium trims arrive with a smaller eight-inch size. The screen’s relatively intuitive design didn’t take long to master. Many vehicles introduced within the past half-decade enjoy merging these two screens together, but Solterra’s separation eases eye strain a bit.
Three diminutive rectangular push buttons under the center screen illuminate with white backlighting monitoring on/off, up volume and down volume. No tactile dials save for the transmission twister dot the center console, a disappointment for those who enjoy spinning the wheels. A wireless, flat, Smartphone charging pad with stylish spring-loaded cover locates below the transmission circle comes standard in all trims sans the Premium. Solterra conveniently includes both USB Type A and C plug ports for old-school tethered charging in all trims.
Right of the center console resides an area normally associated with a glove box, but none exists within Solterra no matter how hard we tried to pry open a non-existent drop-down door as the real estate found better use as a designer passenger air bag dispenser.
Behind the second row expect a generous 24-cubic feet of cargo space. Fold down second row 60/40-split seat backs and room expands to 64-cubic feet, excellent results for a compact-sized offering.
A 72.8-kilowatt hour, 355-volt, direct current, high-voltage, lithium-ion battery pack helps power the two alternating current electric/traction motors (107 horsepower each) through a gentle 6.6-kilowatt onboard L2 charger. The liquid-cooled battery pack builds from thin, prismatic-style squarish pouches joined together in modules and then into packs. It’s a popular choice within the EV community although some early Tesla vehicles opt for a cylinder style mimicking large-scaled D flashlight batteries.
The 6.6-kilowatt on-board charger (OBC) converts a home’s alternating current (A/C) to direct current (D/C) for storage within the Direct Current lithium-ion battery pack.
When charging at home, EV owners get to choose between the slower, readily available Level 1 charge (a standard, 110-volt outlet) or installing a 240-volt Level 2 wall-mounted charger/devise, known officially as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). The 240-volt power source is used throughout homes to power higher-voltage appliances including HVAC units and washing machines.
After a night of at-home charged particle delivery, Our tester indicated ‘full’ while registering only 180 miles of estimated EV travel, much lower than the promised 222. Several factors contribute to a battery’s State of Charge (SoC) including ambient temperature and chemical makeup. Batteries, like humans, operate at top performance when temperatures dance between 60 and 80 degrees. When temps fall below zero, batteries revolt (pun intended) with lowered range estimates. Our tester arrived during a mild, late-March, warm temperature wave; optimal EV charging conditions but still registered sub-200 range readouts.
Most recently-tested EVs and PHEVs include a small light atop the dash usually hued in green that flashes during the charging phase, transforming to a solid color when complete. Solterra needs a similar, quick visual gauge/reminder useful during garage charge ups to gauge battery progress. Otherwise, one must revert to opening the driver’s door and consult the instrument panel.
A long Level 1 J1772 power cable arrives with all Solterra’s and stows under the cargo floor. Plug the three-prong section/end into the 110-volt (delivering between 12 and 16 amps) alternating current wall socket and the other pistol-grip end into Solterra’s front driver’s side fender plug port to start the flow of charged electrons. Level 1 amounts to a trickle since four-electric miles provided every hour translates to approximately 56 hours of continuous plug in time to power up the high-voltage DC pack from a near spent level.
Fifty-six hours of waiting time provides motivation for installation of a higher-speed Level 2 A/C EVSE wall unit reducing charging time down to a manageable 10 hours or so when opting for a 32-amp output (a popular EVSE Level 2 amp choice). Level 2 delivers a much high and wider spectrum of amps compared to Level 1’s 12-16.
A major and welcome update for Solterra’s sophomore season includes retweaking of the Battery Conditioning System, in effect cutting the time needed in half to bring the battery’s state of charge (SoC) from 10 percent to 80 percent when away from home and utilizing a Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC). These commercially available stations bypass the vehicle’s on-board charger/converter delivering DC (direct current) into the waiting DC battery pack.
During its first model year (2023) Solterra took approximately one hour to reach 80 percent from a 10-percent level. In 2024, that number cuts in half to approximately 35 minutes factoring Solterra’s 100-kilowatt maximum peak DC charging acceptance rate. However, DC fast charging estimates rarely equate with real world scenarios, requiring patience.
Many variables work together during DC Fast Charging, including the maximum kilowatt output of the svelte off-board station, each available/labeled with a variety of charging speeds ranging between 50 and 350 kilowatts. The higher the kilowatt number, the faster the charge. Another important consideration; the EV’s own peak charging rate.
Solterra’s 100-kilowatt peak DC charging rate best describes as skimpy when compared Kia, Ford, Telsa and Hyundai. What does this mean? Even if utilizing a DCFC plug station capable of delivering 350 kilowatts, Solterra’s limited to a 100-kilowatt peak. Utilizing a 350-kilowatt maximum charging speed won’t hurt Solterra, but its Battery Management System acts as a gate keeper, allowing a 100-kilowatt maximum.
Charging provided by Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) slow once the battery State of Charge reaches 80 percent, not dissimilar to hand-held Smartphones also utilizing lithium-ion batteries, although much smaller in size. The DC Fast Chargers cost more to recharge compared to at home Level 1 or 2 charging, sometimes doubling the amount. These machines don’t take cash, just credit cards or Smartphone apps teamed with a bank account. Most support franchises (EVGo, Charge Point, Electrify America) offer membership discounts once signed up and locked within their data base.
The Tesla brand of Electric Vehicles utilize their own unique network of fast chargers branded as ‘Supercharger’ with a different plug/port design. Several automakers have begun updating their onboard plug ports to accept the Supercharger design but as of 2025, Solterra operates within the Combined Charging System (CCS) network of plug ports.
The U.S. Treasury Department offers a tax incentive for qualifying EVs through the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. Suffice it to say, it’s complicated, convoluted and dependent upon income restrictions and where specific EVs and their DC battery packs were assembled/sourced. As of 2025, the Japan-assembled Solterra does not qualify for any portion of the $7,500 tax credit during purchase. Chances are, however, if leasing rather than buying, Solterra will qualify for the $7,500 tax credit in 2024 and beyond.
The State of Illinois offers an Electric Vehicle Rebate Program, but it too includes restrictions. Unlike the Federal program, Illinois’ $4,000 rebate is open to new EVs no matter where assembled as long as purchasing takes place at a dealer licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State. Leased vehicles don’t qualify for the Illinois rebate nor do Plug-In Electric Vehicles. The Illinois program operates within ‘Limited Application Cycles’ the most recent as of this writing is/was between January 21 and April 30, 2025 when applications are accepted. This narrow window jibs with the program’s $14 million funding. Applications and information is found at www.epa.illinois.gov
Solterra’s key rival just may be Solterra itself. In the upcoming 2025 model year, pricing reduces significantly, by as much as $7,000. This price decrease also encourages downward pressure upon 2024 bottom lines, giving consumers a bigger bargaining chip no matter the model year desired. Premium and Limited trims both drop pricing by $6,500 while Touring models shave even more with a $7,000 drop.
For the past 17 years, Subaru’s mighty philanthropic marketing arm has raised more than $31 million through its ‘Share the Love Charity’. Buy or lease any Subaru including Solterra and the corporation donates $250 to one of four local chapters of national reach including: Make-A-Wish, ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Meals on Wheels and the National Parks Foundation.
2024 Subaru Solterra
Price as tested: $54,558
AC Electric Motors (2): 107 horsepower each
Battery Pack: Liquid-cooled, Prismatic, Lithium-Ion cells
EV Range: 220 miles
EV Motors (2): 107 Horsepower each
Torque: 249 lb.-ft.
Wheelbase: 112.2 inches
Overall Length: 184.6 inches
Overall Width: 73.2 inches
Overall Height: 65.0 inches
Curb weight: 4,505 pounds
Electric Component Warranty: Eight year/100,000 miles
Assembly: Japan
