Subaru Solterra XT Review

They say good things come to those who wait. But if the wait stretches out to a matter of not just a few months, but a few years, the payoff had better be good.

Subaru thinks it's got a good thing on its hands now, with its first ever fully-electric model receiving a proper rollout in Singapore at last. Dubbed the Solterra - marrying the Latin terms for the sun and the earth - it was briefly brought onto our shores as part of a bigger tech flex of Subaru's sophisticated safety systems two years ago in pre-facelifted form, and has thus technically tasted Singaporean soil before. But it also never occupied a spot on Subaru's showroom floors - not till recently at least, when it was launched with a newer face fronting a whole host of upgrades underneath. 

The updated Solterra arrives on Subaru Singapore's showroom floors nearly two years after the original car made a special appearance here

Forget first-mover advantage; Subaru isn't even the second, or third, or even among the first 10 names to bring an EV to Singapore.

Landing here now post-facelift, however, the Solterra's official arrival at last feels well-judged and well-timed. It offers a different-enough take on the electric SUV formula to cut through the homogeneity of electric motoring today, while delivering competently on all the pillars that hold up a compelling, modern EV. 

Different, rugged new skin

The not-so-hidden secret is that the Solterra is, in all honesty, a Toyota bZ4X beneath the skin - another instance where close collaboration between both Japanese firms has birthed a pair of Toyobaru twins. And like the bZ4X, the Solterra's fundamental silhouette feels special enough for an electric SUV.

There are those twin 'cat ear' roof spoilers and the integrated ducktail just beneath the tailgate glass, for instance - both aimed at improving airflow around the car. There's also the car's overall wedge-likeness, pouring out a nice antidote to the pandemic of blobbiness that has taken the electric car market by storm.

Elements such as the exaggerated, contrasting fenders and subtle ducktail spoiler add to the visual intrigue of the Solterra 

Then there are those exaggerated black fenders too, offering up a strong contrast to whichever of the six available factory colours you’ve specced your Solterra out in (this one feels more naturally Subaru than Toyota).

As mentioned, however, this is the facelifted car, and its face incorporates an all-new design language that is, at once, also quite easy to ascribe to the brand: New split head lights consisting of six-part DRLs on each side, giving the Solterra a robotic mien. Covering the Subaru moniker up, your other immediate tell that this is the Solterra and not the bZ4X are the C-shaped taillights - again a Subaru hallmark.

Despite the Solterra bringing the brand into unchartered electric territory, Subaru's visual identity remains strong here

Subaru's visual identity remains strong, though. Despite the lack of a grille here, it's not difficult to mark this out as a newer sibling to more famed members like the XV or WRX. The Solterra presents an admittedly offbeat amalgamation of features; an acquired taste by virtue of its newness. But that also means it's by no means anonymous, while also keeping in faithful step with Subaru's rugged roots. 

Not like the others

If you thought the Chinese had the sole monopoly over impressive onboard digitalisation, the Solterra will firstly prove you wrong, then proceed to wow you while retaining what is best described as a delightfully sensible Japanese flair.

First things first: That oval shaped steering wheel may be unique to the Solterra (and it's fantastic to hold in one's hands), but don't let the Subaru badge fool you. This is all Toyota switchgear and tech.

The Solterra gets an unique oval-shaped steering wheel that feels nice to grip; the rest of the switchgear here feels high-end Toyota (or even Lexus-like) - which is no bad thing really

Which is no bad thing, really. Physical controls haven't been thrown out entirely, for instance. Once you've gotten used to the atypical shape of the steering wheel, your thumbs will come round to appreciating how within reach the buttons are, and how various vital functions (volume, media source, instrument cluster configurations) are still housed separately. 

With this facelift, the Solterra has also gotten a large, vibrant and snappy 14-inch infotainment touchscreen with always-there illuminated dials for controlling the temperature onboard. Those driving Lexuses or higher-end Toyotas should find the screen graphics familiar - but again, that's a compliment. Handily, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on hand too.

Not to be outdone on the digital front, the Solterra's combination of a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 7.0-inch elevated instrument cluster feels special yet modern all at once

While the Solterra doesn't come with a heads-up display, it does offer a unique alternative that promises the same eyes-always-on-the road experience: An elevated 7.0-inch instrument cluster. 

The setup does restrict exactly how high your steering wheel can rise (push it past a certain height, and you risk obstructing the cluster). But Toyota/Subaru's engineers seem to have thought this one through, since finding a natural-feeling and comfortable driving position is still a cinch. In all, what the Solterra offers, then, is an interior experience that feels modern yet doesn't relinquish the driver-focus that the Subaru brand has become tied to.

Kit is generous too, with the front seats getting heating and ventilation (with an automatic adaptive function); a Harman Kardon sound system, panoramic sunroof, dual wireless charging trays, and ambient lighting are also present

Like the latest gen Forester, kit here is also generously spread out - more than enough for the Solterra to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Chinese on the feature front.

There are dual wireless fast-charging trays, gentle ambient lighting strips, and a large panoramic sunroof with a sunshade. The front seats aren't just ventilated and heated (with a handy Auto function); they’re also powered and have powered lumbar support too. The Solterra even comes with a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with its own subwoofer, mounted in the boot.

Three adults should easily fit abreast on the second row, with its flat roof, flat floor, and wide bench

The boot is well-sized at 441 litres, though the Solterra does lack a frunk

And because the Solterra rides on an EV dedicated platform, it optimises its overall size for generous space too.

Three adults can easily be chucked on the rear bench, where they'll get to enjoy a long and completely flat floor and USB-C ports. Give the Solterra a light kick beneath its rear bumper and its tailgate swings open to reveal a 441-litre boot too, which comes with an adjustable floor. Unlike many other EVs, though, there’s no frunk lying in wait when you pop the bonnet open.

As expected of a Subaru, the Solterra gets symmetrical all-wheel drive - albeit one updated for the pure electric era, which even boasts torque vectoring

A sparkling drive

Pure electrification aside, however, the other headlining act of the Solterra is that it ushers in the return of the 'XT' suffix to the Subaru clan. 

In Subaru's combustion powered universe, this used to represent turbocharging. In its electric powered universe, it represents the electric version of turbocharging: A dual-motor powertrain, putting out a total of 252kW (338bhp) and 437Nm of torque. (Fun fact: That's a fair bit more than what the original car could muster, thanks to more power on the updated front and rear electric motors.)

The Solterra marks the return of the XT badge to Singapore for Subaru, with its dual motors putting out 338bhp and enabling to crack the 100km/h mark from rest in just 5.1 seconds 

On the one hand, the numbers easily crown the Solterra as the most powerful SUV to be offered by Subaru here. It has a good 100bhp more than what the last XT-badged car, the Forester XT, had. On the other hand, however, they don't exactly present an eye-watering level of performance given the crowd of electric SUVs that have graced Singapore of late. 

While it may 'only' have 300-odd ponies to offer from its dual motors, though, what the Solterra does like few electric rivals is put all of that power down with addictive confidence. 5.1 seconds from zero to 100km/h is still fairly brisk with all objectivity. And because of how resolutely planted it remains as it gathers speed, it's tempting to pin your foot down and gun for the horizon every time the road opens up.

The brakes already feel well modulated, but handy paddle shifters also make shifting through the different levels of regen (indicated by the white downward arrows) a cinch 

The thrills continue even when the going gets windy. Though competent, EVs often feel distant and disconnected from the helm. Not so for the Solterra, which seems to want to involve the driver in most parts of the proceedings. 

There's both good weight and decent feedback to the Solterra's communicative steering, while the brake pedal feel is excellent: Progressive and natural. There are also much-appreciated paddle shifters on hand to help you flick through the five different levels of regen, while the default strength (set at Level 2) should set first-time EV drivers at ease.

Best of all is the damping for the car's suspension (apparently specially tuned and optimised by Subaru to set the Solterra apart), which tends more towards firmness, but still copes remarkably well with smaller and larger bumps, across a range of speeds.

The Solterra feels confident and effortless at all speeds, and comes with an intuitive-to-use suite of safety assistance features to boot 

Coupled with the low centre of gravity afforded by its floor-mounted battery, the Solterra XT more than earns its smoky black badging with its competent handling and sparkling drive. Ease it into more urban driving, or high-speed cruising, and it's a refined and smooth operator too. Our only gripe: It's not nearly as well-insulated as some electric rivals, though more than serene enough for relaxing commutes. 

Speaking of the battery, part of the mid-life facelift offered by the Solterra now is an upgraded battery, that's not only higher-capacity (with a usable 73.1kWh) but more efficient too. Subaru claims 436km on a full charge, but with our driving patterns, we would have managed somewhere closer to 450km - a wholly respectable, if not outstanding figure for a modern EV.

Thanks to its upgraded 73.1kWh battery, the Solterra can return well over 400km of range on a full charge - not bad for a dual-motor EV. Said battery also supports DC charging at up to 150kW

The same story can be told for charging, with the Solterra able to support DC outlets rated at up to 150kW for a 10-80% recharge in 30 minutes - again, a decent showing. (What's class leading, however, is that its onboard AC charger can take up to 22kW, which should see a full top-up done in about three hours.)

If you must take the Solterra off road, it still comes with Subaru's trademark X-Mode (with Grip control) to help it fight through mud or dirt

Well worth the wait

But you get the sense Subaru (alongside Toyota, if you insist) was gunning for balance here. A larger battery would have meant a heavier car; supercar-rivalling power (not atypical of electric SUVs, by the way) would have meant a car under-engineered for performance beyond its reach.

Instead, the Solterra XT feels right-sized in every sense of the term. It doesn't deal in EV-typical superlatives - no "longest range", "fastest" or "fastest charging". Except for one perhaps: It's arguably one of the sweetest-to-drive electric SUVs on the market today.

Gunning for balance rather than extremity, the Solterra stands apart confidently from the electric SUV crowd with its unique cabin and sparkling drive

Admittedly, the market has reached a point where the Chinese have come to command the upper hand in the arena of EVs.

But for those that have waited for an electric car that mixes dynamism with a stacked feature list and genuinely competitive pricing (in the sub-$220,000 range with COE, accurate at time of writing), the Solterra XT answers confidently with its own singular vision of what an EV should look like.

Not just one of a competent point A-to-B machine - which the Solterra is - but a thoroughly car-like one that can tempt you into taking the long way home on days that allow for it. In an emissions-free climate satiated with sensibility, but rather starved of fun, that could be a very good thing indeed. 

Here are a couple of other electric SUVs worth checking out!

The updated XPENG G6 has many new features to improve comfort and convenience, and it's now available in this Performance variant, too

The updated mid-range Model Y offers the same roominess and functionality as the Cat A model, plus a large dollop of performance