Subaru may have saved a lot of money by partnering with Toyota to develop and launch its first 100% electric vehicle, the Solterra, but the latter is not that competitive and has several irritants. Low Canadian sales in 2023 confirm this, representing barely a third of models like the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
What, among other things, do we criticize about Solterra? Terribly slow recharges and a cockpit that is far from unanimous, to name just two examples. Good news: Subaru got the message.
For 2024, Solterra’s fast charging (direct current) capacity improves. It is now possible to go from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes instead of around an hour. Additionally, a better high-voltage battery preconditioning system allows for much faster recharges when temperatures are below freezing. Subaru speaks of a saving of up to 80 minutes in certain cases. So, even if the range is only 360 km (officially), we will be able to spend less time at the terminals.
Photo: Subaru
Additionally, the digital multifunction display now provides information such as battery charge in percentage and estimated time to recharge up to 80% or 100%. It will also be easier to take a look at it, because the Solterra changes the steering wheel to one with a more flattened shape (certainly not as much as the rectangular steering wheel available in Japan) which should no longer hide information for the majority of drivers. We can’t wait to try it.
Speaking of the steering wheel, Subaru added paddles – one with a “+” and the other with a “-” – allowing you to easily adjust the intensity of regenerative braking.
Photo: Subaru
What else? Well, roof rails allowing the installation of crossbars and racks are now included as standard on all trims. Then, in terms of safety, the EyeSight system gains features absent on other Subaru vehicles, such as the possibility of driving hands-free up to a speed of 40 km/h, even in traffic. The Solterra can also change lanes just by activating a turn signal and provide cross-traffic alerts in the front. There is also a driver attention monitoring system added.
Pricing and equipment details for the Canadian market will be announced soon and we will of course keep you informed here. What’s encouraging is that the 2024 Subaru Solterra is offered at the same base price as last year on the United States side, so let’s hope it’s the same north of the border.