Subaru drums up excitement for EV
Subaru’s version of the Solterra EV has landed here. Damien O’Carroll takes a closer look.
Subaru New Zealand has beaten its EV development partner, Toyota, to the punch in New Zealand by landing the first example of the Solterra EV.
Subaru and Toyota codeveloped the car (called the Solterra when wearing a Subaru badge, the bZ4X when wearing a Toyota badge and the RZ 450e in Lexus guise).
Toyota provides the EV knowhow and Subaru provides its AWD expertise. In terms of sizing, the Solterra sits between the Forester and the Outback in Subaru’s local range, boasting a useful 210mm of ground clearance and Subaru’s X-Mode ‘‘all-weather, all-terrain’’ traction system.
The single example Subaru NZ has landed here is a left-handdrive European model. Apparently it is the closest in spec to what we will be seeing here.
The company brought it here now to drum up excitement around its first all-electric model.
As it was LHD and unregistered, no driving was allowed at the recent reveal event held on Waiheke Island, but seeing the Solterra up close was revealing.
The first thing you notice is that it is both lower and higher than it appears in photographs. Lower, as in the roofline is way lower and sleeker than it appears in photos and higher in the sense that it has impressive ground clearance, and looks to be potentially as capable off-road as other Subaru models.
It also looks wider and way sleeker than pictures convey, with a high belt line and subtly sculpted doors.
It is hard to disguise the obvious Toyota design cues though, but given that Subaru shares the whole ‘‘big black plastic wheel arch’’ look with its partner, it fits into the rest of the range well enough.
On the inside things are even more impressive. High-quality materials have been used throughout, and it also features a high level of fit and finish. Because of its all-electric underpinnings, the Solterra offers a huge amount of interior space, with generous rear legroom and plenty of storage options around the cabin.
The seats are nicely comfortable with excellent visibility out the front, although the raked roofline and thick C-pillars could well mean rear visibility is a tad limited. It does, of course, bristle with cameras to mitigate this.
The Solterra’s two 80kW AC synchronous electric motors (one on each axle) are powered by a 71.4kWh battery. It has a total power output of 160kW and around 460km of range, with 6.6kW AC and 150kW DC maximum charging.
Subaru NZ has yet to finalise pricing and specification for the Solterra, however the company is looking at bringing in two models, one of which aims to be under the key $80,000 mark to qualify for a Clean Car rebate.
Although a FWD model is available overseas that should easily get under the rebate cutoff, Subaru NZ is sticking with its ‘‘only AWD’’ ethos and will only bring in AWD models.
Subaru expects to have righthand-drive customer evaluation models here later this year, however registrations are open now. Pre-orders are expected early next year, and deliveries will begin in April.