Subaru lands first Solterra EV in New Zealand
Wednesday, 20 July 2022
Subaru New Zealand has beaten its EV development partner, Toyota, to the punch in New Zealand by landing the first example of the Solterra EV.
Subaru and Toyota co-developed the car (that is called the Solterra when wearing a Subaru badge, the bZ4X when wearing a Toyota badge and the RZ 450e in Lexus guise), with Toyota providing the EV know-how and Subaru providing its AWD expertise.
In terms of sizing, the Solterra sits between the Forester and the Outback in Subaru’s local range, boasting a useful 210mm of ground clearance and Subaru's X-Mode “all-weather, all-terrain” traction system.
The single example Subaru New Zealand has landed here is a left-hand drive European model – apparently the closest in spec to what we will be seeing here – that the company has imported to drum up excitement around its first all-electric model here.
**READ MORE:
* Subaru confirms Solterra and Outback Turbo for NZ
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**
Being LHD and unregistered, no driving was allowed at the recent reveal event held on Waiheke, but seeing the Solterra up close and personal was revealing.
The first thing you notice is that it is both lower and higher than it appears in photographs – lower, as in the roofline is way lower and sleeker than it appears in pics and higher in the sense that it has impressive ground clearance, and looks to be potentially as capable off-road as other Subaru models.
It also looks wider and way sleeker than pictures convey, with a high belt line and subtly sculpted doors.
It is hard to disguise the obvious Toyota design cues though, but given that Subaru shares the whole ‘big black plastic wheel arch’ look with its partner, it fits into the rest of the range well enough.
On the inside things are even more impressive in the flesh, with high quality materials throughout, and a high level of fit and finish going on. Because of its all-electric underpinnings, the Solterra offers a huge amount of interior space, with generous rear legroom and plenty of storage options around the cabin.
The seats are nicely comfortable with excellent visibility out the front, although the raked roofline and thick C-pillars could well mean rear visibility is a tad limited. It does, of course, bristle with cameras to mitigate this.
The Solterra’s two 80kW AC synchronous electric motors (one on each axle) are powered by a 71.4 kWh battery, with a total power output of 160kW and around 460km of range, with 6.6kW AC and 150kW DC maximum charging.
Subaru New Zealand has yet to finalise pricing and specification for the Solterra yet, however the company is looking at bringing in two models, with one aiming to be under the key $80k mark to qualify for a Clean Car rebate.
While there is a FWD model available overseas that should easily get under the rebate cutoff, Subaru New Zealand is sticking with its “only AWD” ethos and will only bring in AWD models.
Subaru expects to have a right-hand drive customer evaluation models here later this year, however registrations are open now, with pre-orders expected early 2023, with deliveries beginning in April.