With Soltera, Subaru is negotiating a sharp turn

With the exception of Nissan, the transition to electricity is treated by Japanese brands as an externally imposed exercise that they must, willingly or unwillingly, follow. For Subaru, switching to battery cars was a near-total commitment. This small brand from the conglomerate that bears the name of the constellation Pleiades has built its reputation on the creation of muscular, all-wheel-drive, flat-cylinder engines with an incomparable sound. To love Subarus is to love engines that burn hydrocarbons and make funny noises.

King of rallies with Impreza and snow trips with Outback or Forester, this manufacturer is very popular in cold countries, in Canada or the United States, which takes two thirds of its production. In Europe, sales of Subaru, a specialist brand that produces more than a million cars a year, have been hampered by restrictions on supercharged petrol engines. In France, where the Outback station wagon was hit with a penalty of 16,810 euros in 2023, registrations, which were close to 1,000 units a year in 2012, reached only 37 last year. However, the aura has not been lost, and the mere mention of the builder continues to arouse the interest of aesthetes.

So we were excited to discover the Solterra, its first electric vehicle. An SUV closely based on the Toyota bZ4X, the world’s number one SUV has taken the star brand under its wing. It is quite compact (4.69 m) and not cheap at all (prices start at 59,990 euros, without the included bonus), this electric Subaru inherits – a little warm – the “origami” style, angular and somewhat influenced Toyotas.

A car that, in the language of Subaru, introduces “changes in continuity”, has, as it should, a four-wheel drive, a technical option intended to tackle winter roads rather than rough terrain. It also stands out for its strong suspension, but smooth steering.

Some kind of authenticity

In terms of performance, the Solterra offers reliable acceleration (6.9 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h), without being exceptional; its available 218 horsepower still has to move two tons. The lithium-ion battery of 71.4 hours (kWh) advertises the correct range (414 to 465 km, depending on the version), which seems reliable considering the average consumption contained. The charging capacity is very low (7 kW) in alternating current, but good (150 kW) in direct current at the fastest terminal.

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