An accidental line published on Subaru Australia’s website indicates its all-electric Solterra SUV could arrive as soon as 2023.
The Solterra is Subaru’s twin to the Toyota first electric vehicle, the bZ4X, and is based on a dedicated all-electric platform created in collaboration with Toyota. As such, there are a lot of similarities between the edgy electric SUV and the BZX4 which was unveiled in early November.
The stylish electric SUV comes in both all-wheel and front-wheel drive configurations, with a 71.4kWh battery providing an estimated 530km driving range for the former and 460km for the latter (based on Japanese WLTC lab ratings).
With the bZ4X – for which pricing was recently released for the US – due to arrive in Australia sometime in 2023, it appears now that the Solterra will not be far behind.
The line, which reads “The all electric Subaru Solterra hits Australian roads in 2023, bringing state-of-the-art safety technology to an environmentally responsible all-electric SUV,” was first reported by Drive.
However, the line has since been removed. Subaru has previously stated that the Solterra is under consideration for the local market.
In November, when the Solterra was debuted to media, GM for Subaru Australia Blair Read said: “Whilst Subaru Corporation are yet to confirm a timeline for the Solterra in Australia, we are working very closely and future electric projects form part of ongoing dialogue between Subaru Australia and the factory.”
Overseas specifications for the Solterra include the ability to charge at a maximum rate of 6.6kW on an AC charger and 50kW on a DC fast charger, according to foreign specifications.
The 4.69m vehicle has a 2.85m wheelbase, is 1.86m width and 1.65m high, has a turning circle of 5.7m and 210mm ground clearance, and uses Subaru’s X-Mode AWD system with Grip Control in its dual-motor configuration for rough-road handling.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.