Ready for the rough road
It is lucky Subaru’s first battery car is built for the rough, because it is no longer a smooth road for electrics, reports Richard Bosselman.
WITH road user charges coming in from April, and a government intent to review the ‘‘other’’ emissions scheme and the cessation of electric car rebates, it has become a rougher ride for electric vehicles.
Still, at least the Subaru Solterra is here; a massive achievement in its own right — a car that has just landed now was once considered a dead cert arrival in April 2023.
Hence Subaru NZ managing director Wal Dumper calling it the hardest product his team has ever attempted to launch. “It has taken a lot longer to get here than we ever imagined.”
Even when it did land, there were more challenges. Subaru NZ wanted to secure 50 for December to access the Clean Car rebate. But just 11 got here — the others having missed the boat.
Supply is now sorted. Yet strategy for the fiveseater medium sports utility, whose name derives from the Latin words for sun and earth, is less bullish now than a year ago.
The electric car market demands circumspection, as there’s not yet a clear sense of how strong Kiwi enthusiasm will be postrebate.
“We just don’t know,” Dumper says in frank response to questions about volume expectation.
The plan is to accrue enough cars to meet demand, but not so many to create a stockpile.
Bulk ordering is not the brand’s style and it notes some other EV players are currently overstocked.
There’s no specific sales target. Customer demand, defined by dealership orders, is the play. It’s not an orderonly strategy, yet “we will not bring in hundreds of cars in hope we can sell them’’.
“We have vehicles available, but we are not ordering paddocks of them.
“We’re ordering based on the run rate. If they [customers] want 20 a month, we can get 20 a month. If they want 10, we can get 10.”
Will road user charges on EVs from April 1 hinder interest? Possibly, but Dumper’s bigger concern is the potential government review of the Clean Car Standard (CCS), set up under the previous administration.
CCS requires distributors to pay a penalty on high CO2 product at point of arrival and also provides credits for electrics; the idea is that the latter are used to offset the impact of the first, though the feeling is that as CO2 targets progressively lower over time the costs will pass on to customers.
Dumper says the industry understands why CCS is needed and says the scheme tailors to Subaru Japan’s commitment to 50% of its volume being electric by 2030. Solterra is the first of eight Subaru electrics out by 2028 and perhaps the only one that’s a codevelopment.
He is nervous about potential tampering. “What if they [the government] take it away?
What if they leave it? What if they increase it? There are so many imponderables. The standard is a very good subsidy for bringing in EVs.”
Don’t think all this caution diminishes Solterra’s status. A model designed from the beginning to be an electric car, rather than being an internal combustion conversion with electric motors shoehorned in, is a big deal, even though it does share many parts with another car.
No points for guessing. The Solterra and Toyota bZ4X were developed together, and then the Lexus RZ 450e that has been here from last year was developed from the latter.
The Subaru and Toyota are very alike in look, if not in every detail, and Toyota not only builds both cars, but drew the lines, with inevitable impact: While this is effectively an electric Forester, in profile it is more RAV4.
Each has a different face. If you see a hexagonal grille and Cshaped LED headlights, it’s a Subaru, which also is the one with Cshaped taillights.
Operabilitywide, Solterra cites greater range and a faster 0100kmh time. Market slogan, “taking electric to where only allwheel drive can”, also reinforces the pitch of Solterra presenting more strongly as an electric with assured offroad ability. The Subaru has more ground clearance (the 210mm ride height is only 10mm lower than Forester’s) and its offroad focused XMode is bespoke and more advanced, being the same as the proprietary system in the Forester and Outback.
How ironic, then, that on the media launch drive, there was no potential to try out the function that works for mud, snow or just wet grass.
Instead, we simply drove the state highway between Taupo and Napier, which was no particular challenge; the big potholes that were the subject of some national scorn last year all seem to have been sorted.
The run highlighted how the Touring’s 20 inch alloys look great, but afford a less comfortable ride quality than the base model’s 18s. As is common, the battery weight influences how it sits on the road and, of course, being allpaw is an advantage.
But the ‘‘sports’’ part of SUV is subjective; it doesn’t wallow, but isn’t always pinsharp, either. The steering feel is heavier than some. Performancewise, it is not a class leader, but is healthy enough, with decent acceleration and commendably smooth throttle response.
Paddle shifters behind the steering wheel alter regenerative braking feel and it has a onepedal system that seems reasonably decent.
One bonus for camping would be usefulness as a power source for external devices. Vehicle to load (V2L) functionality does provision in Japan market specification, but those cars are CHaDeMo [DC charging connector] which naturally configures for bidirectional power. In export, it’s CCS [Combined Charging System], which is trickier. Subaru NZ is seeking a factory solution. As is, the car comes with no charging cables. Even the usual home trickle charger is a cost extra.
Solterra provisions in base and Touring variants, both allwheeldrive to stay true to local market ethos, with one battery setup a 71.4kWh unit.
One positive from the delay is that we see enhancements that aim to reconcile range disappointment raised in early delivery markets. There are no revisions to the powertrain per se, but an updated software ups power by 10kW.
The base model will optimally lend 465km, a 5km advantage over the initial call, and the Touring delivers 414km, the price of it upgrading from the standard 18 inch rims to 20s. That’s more than is quoted for bZ4X, but Toyota measures more conservatively.
The 150kW rapid charging is the same as in some rivals. This means a 1080% topup in under half an hour on a hypercharger.
Maximum output from the dual electric motors is a lot less than you get in the Tesla Model Y that, while delivering no particular offseal competence, seems a natural competitor simply on strength of it being samesized and the country’s top selling new EV two years running.
Common to both Solterra variants are a 10way electric adjustable driver’s seat, front seat heaters and a power tailgate, dual zone air conditioning, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and satellite navigation.
The Touring swaps out cloth trim for leather and adds wireless phone charging, a panorama sunroof, a power front passenger seat, a 10speaker Harman Kardon sound system, achieves a heated steering wheel and has intelligent park assist. It can be ordered with a twotone paint, which adds $1000.
While the Touring is more affluentlykitted, the entry car feels just as upmarket inside, as it keeps the top choice’s fabric top to the dashboard. Glossblack plastic and a swag of padded trim also add to the ambience.
Driving is typical SUV; forward visibility is good, because of the low bonnet. The position of the digital dials above the steering wheel might lead to sighting issues, so Solterra here has the thickrimmed steering wheel with the top and bottom flattened off, rather than the optional fully round traditional type.
A 12.3inch screen in the centre of the dash offers wireless Apple CarPlay and facilitates wired Android Auto. Wireless phone charging implements. The menus are easy to use and the screen is bright and modernlooking.
Other technology includes Subaru’s latest Eyesight driver assistance kit, an attention monitor that will sound off for as much as a quick glance around, a panoramic view monitor that provides a visual guide to the vehicle’s immediate surroundings and a Safe Exit system that alerts occupants if they’re about to open doors into oncoming traffic.
Interior space isn’t as airy as some; the front seat area is affected by a wide centre console between the seats, with hidden smartphone tray and a large storage space underneath, in lieu of a glovebox.
Even with a tall person at the wheel, there’s plenty of legroom and headroom in the back. The high floor isn’t ideal if you’re especially long in the leg and in the back; knees are high. Rearseat passengers can make use of two USBC sockets for charging their smartphones.
Sub500 litre boot space spans both, Touring achieving a little less space than the base, and the back seats don’t fold completely flat. A low loading lip is handy.
Subaru ICE models are good tow cars. The Solterra goes lite, with a 750kg maximum towing capacity. Other choices with batteries have more.
ANCAP has yet to issue a crash test score, but on past record it’ll likely be the fivestar rating meted by sister Euro NCAP in 2022. It scored well for crash protection and was considered outstanding for safety equipment.
All in all, an interesting car, all the more so because it tailors genuine offroad ability, a Subaru 101 that has made this brand so popular here. I’m keen to get to know it better.