Subaru Solterra EV locked in for Oz launch

The all-electric Subaru Solterra will begin plugging into Aussie homes in the first half of 2023, kicking off the Japanese brand’s EV strategy Down Under.

Speaking at the launch of the new Subaru WRX this week, Subaru Australia’s managing director Blair Read said: “We’re pleased to announce today that Solterra will be available to Australian customers in the first half of 2023, marking Subaru Australia’s first step into the electric vehicle category.”

Pricing and specification details are still to be released, but Subaru’s battery-electric mid-size SUV – a twin sibling to the Toyota bZ4X – is expected to be one of the most expensive models in the brand’s line-up.

The Solterra will compete with similarly-sized electric cars like the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6.

It’s not yet clear whether Subaru Australia will stick with its preferred all-wheel drive mantra and goes it alone with a dual-motor AWD powertrain, or makes an exception to the rule and offers a more affordable single-motor version as well.

The latter should allow it to open the range from about $68,000 (plus on-road costs) – making the Solterra eligible for rebates in states such as Victoria and NSW – but an AWD-only policy may push the Subie EV into the $70K-plus bracket.

“Symmetrical all-wheel drive has been a foundation of the Subaru brand for so long and combining that layout with the electric platform and powertrains, where symmetrical AWD can go with the knowledge that Subaru have … and how they can apply electric technology to that is pretty exciting,” said Read.

Subaru’s global press material claims the Solterra has “class-leading” ground clearance of 210mm along with a Grip Control slow-speed crawl system and a unique off-road mode.

Expected to be fitted with a 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the dual-motor Subaru Solterra should offer a driving range of about 460km (WLTP).

The dual-motor powertrain generates 160kW of power and 336Nm of torque, and Subaru claims the 0-100km/h sprint can be completed in 6.9 seconds.

These are fairly modest numbers in the EV space when rivals such as the Kia EV6 can pump out as much as 430kW/740Nm, accelerating from 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.5sec.

Subaru’s new e-SGP electric vehicle platform shared with Toyota (aka e-TNGA) currently supports a maximum battery recharge rate of 150kW via a DC fast-charger.

Rivals such as Kia, Hyundai and Porsche have a more advanced 800-volt electrical architecture that allows ultra-fast charging rates of up to 350kW.

A left-hand-drive version of the Solterra has already touched down in Australia and will be used for dealer training and customer awareness campaigns.

Read wouldn’t be drawn on how many vehicles the company expects to sell – or be allocated in Australia – but told carsales the Solterra was just the tip of iceberg.

“Most of the work up until now has been around the first step, getting Solterra confirmed to the market and how we bring that to the Australian public,” he said.

“But there’s all sort of options moving forward with those types of [electric] powertrains, so we’ll take a good hard look at how we perform with Solterra and then where we can take that platform for the brand.”

A more affordable small electric SUV is expected to be the next EV from Subaru.

Read said a reborn Subaru Brumby ute based on its new scalable EV platform was not on the radar.

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au