2023 Subaru Solterra

2023 Subaru Solterra, All you want to know about a Great Car.

 

2023 Subaru Solterra First Look: A bZ4X by Any Other Name

Subaru’s long-awaited EV crossover SUV, co-developed with Toyota, debuts in Japan.

You’re looking at the freshly revealed 2023 Subaru Solterra, a long-awaited electric vehicle co-developed with Toyota (whose variant is the bZ4X, which we’ve already seen). After a long series of teasers, the first full glimpse of the Solterra is upon us. Revealed fully in Japanese-market spec, the EV SUV reveals some differences from its Toyota cousin.

The striking contrasting fenders of the bZ4X carry over to the Solterra basically unchanged, which is a bit of a surprise given how distinctive an element it is. But more significant differences emerge further forward, with the Subaru lighting the way via chunkier headlights with a distinctly Subaru attitude, and a hexagonal “grille” outlined in black and filled in body color. That grille, and the twin fog lights below, are quite distinct from the bZ4X’s sharp emphasis on unbroken spaces and sweeping horizontal elements.

The same can be said for the rear. While the bZ4X adopts a width-spanning light element, the Solterra gets more truckish C-shaped taillamps that float above an otherwise similar hatch and rear bumper.

It will be tough to pick out one over the other from a profile view, save for the Toyota’s blacked-out A-pillar. The shape of the fender cladding, and even the contrasting cut elements emerging from the taillights, seems identical at a glance. Strange as it may seem, some of the fender flare detailing more closely aligns with Subaru’s styling language than Toyota’s; we see a lot of the smaller Subie Crosstrek in them.

Either way, both appear to be handsome vehicles, with enough contrasting cladding to convey ruggedness but with a sleek shape that’s enhanced by spoiler-like features above the rear hatch and sprouting from the vestigial decklid.

In Japan, there will be a front-wheel-drive Solterra featuring a single 150-kW motor, but we know that all models sold here will feature Subaru’s iconic Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive. Both e-motors are rated at 80 kW, for a total system output of around 214 hp. In Japan, both FWD and RWD versions will use a 71.4-kWh battery. Range is claimed at 329 miles for the single-motor version, and 285 for the dual-motor—expect EPA mileage ratings to differ when the Solterra is evaluated here.

The interior layout is very similar to the bZ4X, as you’d imagine, but looks handsome and features a steering wheel—no word on whether the yoke option, available on the bZ4X only in China (for now), will make an appearance.

We will have more details on November 17, when the Solterra is shown at the L.A. Auto Show.

 

The 2023 Subaru Solterra Is Almost Here, Will Have AWD

The all-electric Subaru is being jointly developed with Toyota.

 

Subaru’s long-anticipated electric SUV, which is being co-developed with Toyota, is almost here. And now we have a name and a date to put to this new Subaru EV: the Solterra will debut on November 17, 2021 during the LA Auto Show.

The first contours of the new electric crossover have also just been laid out, including that it will come standard with some version of Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and have “ample back-seat and cargo room.” According to Subaru, the name is an amalgamation of the Latin words for “sun” and “Earth,” so you can bet that while the Solterra’s powertrain is a change of pace for Subaru, its wholesome, crunchy-granola, dog-loving vibe will surely be played up to commensurate levels.

 

Sneak Peeks

Subaru initially revealed the 2023 Solterra’s tailgate badge, another photo of the taillight, as well as a shadowy image of the entire SUV, unhelpfully backlit by Sol while it travels across some terra firma.

Another batch of photos released more recently essentially reveal the Subie’s entire profile, headlight design, and even its (again, dimly lit) interior at night. Just before the L.A. Auto Show, Subaru once again teased us with a new image of the wheel and headlight of the Solterra as well as the “EV” badge that is mounted to the fender, shown above.

From what we can make out, the Solterra appears to have a long wheelbase, with its wheels pushed to each corner, and a generally sleeker-than-Subie-typical shape. Aerodynamics surely played a role in the smooth profile—minimizing drag helps maximize driving range per charge. And there is a clear (and unsurprising) resemblance between the Solterra’s shape and that of a cutaway illustration of the shared Toyota-Subaru electric car platform (below) shown way back in 2019.

About that platform, which Subaru is calling it e-SUBARU, and you may recognize it as the same bones going beneath the new Toyota bZ4X EV SUV. Whatever you call it, the electric chassis is not shared with any of Subaru’s gas-fed models, and the dedicated setup will—of course—deliver “Subaru’s expertise in all-wheel drive technology” while incorporating “Toyota’s vehicle electrification technology.” Based on the exterior photos alone, we figure the Solterra shares more than a little bit of its basic styling with the Toyota, too.

When It All Gets Revealed

While the Solterra shares its platform with the bZ4X, we’ll have to see more of the styling and specifications to determine how close these platform-mates are. We expect the relationship to be much like the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR 86—closely related but with distinct personalities. The answer will come during the 2021 LA Auto Show and livestreamed on November 17, 2021 at 10:45 AM PT, just ahead of the Subaru Solterra’s 2022 on-sale date.

 

The 2023 Subaru Solterra On Youtube

 

2023 Subaru Solterra Revealed In Japan

 

2023 Subaru Solterra Electric Crossover – Subaru Unveils Its First Mass-Market EV

 

2023 Subaru Solterra – All-Electric SUV

The 2023 Subaru Solterra Pictures

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