MOTORS: Subaru’s first venture into all-electric arena
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So you fancy making the switch to electric but want the ability and practicality of an SUV?
The choices are pretty limited but the range is expanding and is likely to become fairly extensive over the next year or so.
Most of what’s available have four-wheel-drive as they have a motor on both the front and rear axles but you shouldn’t expect them to be able to tackle anything too demanding which a conventional 4x4 would take in its capable stride.
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One of the latest to join the growing throng is the very impressive EV9 from Kia but at not much short of £80,000 for the flagship model, it’s near the top of what is an expensive price range with the likes of the Audi Q4 e-tron, Ford’s Mustang Mach-e or the Skoda Enyaq all starting around the £50,000 mark.
One model which stands out because of the gritty heritage of the brand is the Solterra, Subaru’s first venture into the all-electric arena. They have an impressive record in four-wheel-drive and have brought that together with fellow-Japanese manufacturer Toyota and their expertise in battery technology.
It’s not the first time they’ve collaborated in such a venture – Subaru’s short-lived BRZ sports car was their version of Toyota’s GT86 – and Suzuki have done similar deals with Toyota to create their own-badged versions.
It makes sense, saving on development and design costs which would otherwise be spent on creating something which already exists. It should also benefit customers in the showroom price and increased choice.
It’s no surprise then that the Solterra looks familiar as it’s the cousin of Toyota’s clumsily-named bZ4X and under the surface, many of the components and technology are shared.
One of the few differences is that, reflecting the brand’s tough image, four-wheel-drive is standard on the Solterra while it’s only an option on the Toyota.
Subaru developed the platform on both cars and provide the common off-road gear using their impressive X-Mode system which controls the motors, transmission and brakes for maximum grip and traction on difficult surfaces like muddy, slippery tracks and snow or confident handling on the open road when it’s wet or icy. In my time with the Solterra, I didn’t get the chance to test it over especially demanding terrain but a typical Scottish winter provides enough challenges without having to venture far off the open road.
It’s a heavy car, with the Touring version test car weighing more than two tonnes but as with every EV, the electric power goes straight to the wheels with instant performance and it’s quick off the mark hitting 62mph in under seven seconds up to a potential 100mph.
Thanks to all four wheels sticking to the tarmac, it feels superbly secure with confident handling and brilliant balance through the bends. The ride is smooth with the suspension successfully absorbing all the bumps, ruts and potholes which are the feature of our roads and like every EV it’s deliciously quiet too as it goes about its job. Inside the expansive cockpit the higher driving position provides good all-round vision out front and to the sides but the rear is a bit restricted by the sizeable rear pillars and I was surprised that there’s no rear wiper, given the amount of rain and resulting road muck which we have to endure.
The interior layout is stylish with a large and pretty complex 12.3-inch multifunction colour touchscreen dominating the centre. The 7-inch digital instrument cluster sits high above the dash but depending on your seating position, some of the detail can be obscured by the steering wheel.
The top-of-the-range Touring version comes with a superb eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and a stack of comfort and safety features but some of them were intrusive as I was constantly nagged about lane departure, pre-collision warnings and traffic sign recognition.
Subaru Solterra Touring AWD SUV
PRICE: £55,495
POWERTRAIN: Dual 80kW Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
POWER: 218 PS
TORQUE: 336 Nm
TOP SPEED: 100mph
0-62mph: 6.9 secs
TOWING CAPACITY: 750 kgs (braked)
RANGE: 257 miles
