When the Solterra goes on sale in mid-2022 in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe and China, Subaru says it will win buyers with the brand’s trademark X-Mode awd control system. Subaru also added a Grip Control function to improve stability on rough roads. The powertrain further adopts a new system that drives the front and rear wheels with separate motors, the Japanese carmaker said.
Subaru says its first serious EV rides on an e-Subaru Global Platform that delivers great driving dynamics and stability as well as a low center of gravity. It also offers outstanding structural rigidity for the safety of the human occupants as well as the lithium ion battery under the floorboards. In the bZ4X, Toyota calls the platform the e-Toyota New Global Architecture.
The Solterra’s overall dimensions are essentially the same as those of the bZ4X, which approximates the size of the Toyota RAV4 compact crossover. And like the bZ4X, the Solterra will come in two layouts: front-wheel drive and awd. In Japan at least, both variants get a 71.4-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery.
The fwd version gets a single 150-kilowatt motor on the front axle and has a range of 329 miles. The awd version has an 80-kilowatt motor on each of the front and back axles and delivers a range of 285 miles.
Subaru did not say what testing regime was used, but the Solterra’s range figures align closely with those announced for the bZ4X. Toyota’s figures are based on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle, considered more lenient than the U.S. standard set by the EPA.
