Subaru Solterra Teased as the Brand’s First EV
Two years after Toyota and Subaru entered a partnership to develop a compact electric SUV for their respective brands, the latter has released an official teaser to confirm the model’s name.
As it turns out, it will be called Solterra and not Evoltis as many rumours led us to believe.
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The company went with a combination of the Latin words ‘Sol’ (Sun) and ‘Terra’ (Earth), supposedly “to appreciate mother nature and further advance the form of coexistence with it, together with our customers, and to represent our commitment to deliver traditional Subaru SUV’s go-anywhere capabilities in an all-electric vehicle.” So, even with a battery, we can expect a proper off-roader in typical Subaru fashion.
From what we can see in the teaser, styling will be quite modern and distinctive, though understandably much more conservative than last year’s radical concept. The LED headlights immediately catch the attention, but there also seems to be big creases in the front bumper and a slightly arched roofline. Meanwhile, generous ground clearance further hints at a capable all-terrain SUV.
Subaru did not share any technical details, but a dual-motor powertrain with all-wheel drive is already a sure thing. As for safety, Subaru’s next-generation EyeSight safety system will include additional driver assistance features.
Built on the same all-new EV platform as Toyota’s own electric SUV, previewed by the bZ4X concept shown at Auto Shanghai 2021, the Subaru Solterra will go on sale in several markets including Japan, the U.S., Canada, Europe and China by the middle of 2022.