2024 Subaru Solterra Reviews, Pricing & Specs

If the Subaru Solterra looks like a Toyota to you, that’s because it is a Toyota. Specifically, it is a Toyota bZ4X equipped with standard dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD), a slight increase in ground clearance, minor styling changes, a handful of Subaru-specific tweaks, and the automaker’s familiar starry sky badges.

Other than the gray cladding that extends up to the headlights and the gloss black trim drooping down from the taillights, the 2024 Solterra is appealing, especially in the test car’s Harbour Mist Grey Pearl paint colour. In addition, though the 20-inch wheels offered in packages are likely to reduce overall range—though Natural Resources Canada doesn’t state as much in its efficiency ratings—they look good enough to accept the trade-off.

The 2024 Solterra lineup in Canada is simple: you can opt for the Solterra as-is, or equip Luxury or Technology packages. The base price is $56,495, not including the $2,295 destination charge or other dealer fees, and the Luxury package adds $4,500 while the Technology package adds $7,000.

Open the driver’s door, and an unusual interior design greets you. From the squircle-shaped steering wheel and digital gauges tucked against the windshield to the fabric trim on the dashboard and the futuristic flyover bridge serving as the centre console, the Solterra offers a special driving environment. It's functional, too, with enough traditional switchgear to reduce confusion and irritation. Nevertheless, it apparently remains too much to ask to get a stereo volume knob and a radio tuning knob that a driver can find and use without looking away from the road.

Subaru equips every Solterra with a dual-motor electric drive system with standard AWD. However, output is modest at 215 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque. The range is limited, too, at an estimated 359 kilometres. A 72.8 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery stores the juice, and Subaru claims it has improved cold-weather charging and DC fast charging performance for the 2024 model year.

We took the Solterra to a 150-kilowatt DC fast charger. Since the charger mustered no better than a 65-kW charging speed, its display told us it would take two hours to fill the Subie’s battery. After 20 minutes plugged in on a sunny and temperate day, we disconnected with the battery recharged from 27 percent to 60 percent.

On the evaluation loop, the Solterra consumed electricity at a rate of 18.8 kWh per 100 kilometres. That’s more efficient than the NRCan rating of 20.5 kWh/100 km. However, during our week with the EV, it consumed 22.2 kWh/100 km, performing worse than the NRCan estimate. Average the two observed data points and the Solterra lands right where you expect.

We drove the Solterra in Normal mode. The other two choices are Eco and Power. In addition, to make use of the Solterra’s 21.1 centimetres of ground clearance, the EV includes Subaru’s Dual Function X-Mode traction system with Snow/Dirt, Deep Snow/Mud, Grip Control, and Downhill Assist Control.

Poor weather during testing week created plenty of opportunities to drive in mud, but considering the standard all-season tires, we elected to skip that exercise. In light off-roading situations over moderately uneven terrain and on a washboard gravel road, the Solterra drove like any other crossover SUV—but quieter. It also feels structurally sound, with no suspension clunking, thunking, or shuddering making its way to the cabin. At highway speeds, the Solterra is not as silent as expected, though. It has acoustic sound-reducing windshield glass, but plenty of road and wind noise still sneaks in from behind the driver.

Like any electric vehicle, the Solterra accelerates quickly from a stop, but the forward momentum fades as velocity increases. You’ll rarely wish for more power, but if the extent of your knowledge about EVs is they go really fast, this one might leave you wanting. Paddles on the steering wheel give you control over the regenerative braking system, but the Solterra doesn’t have a true one-pedal driving system that will bring it to a complete stop.

On mountain roads, the Solterra’s handling is secure, its cornering attitude is flat, and its brakes withstand repeated use without any trouble. However, the steering isn’t rewarding, and, as is common with EVs, the Solterra occasionally exhibits odd body motions on undulating pavement. You can drive this Subaru with confidence, if not joy.

Getting into and out of a Subaru Solterra is effortless because it sits high off the ground. StarTex artificial leather is included with both packages and adds class to the seat upholstery. The test car had heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats (new for 2024), and a heated steering wheel. During the chilly and stormy weather, most of these proved useful. The heated exterior mirrors and window defoggers worked rapidly, too.

Though the steering wheel shape takes some getting used to, the Solterra is a comfortable crossover SUV. It offers plenty of storage space, especially within and beneath the centre console. However, many of the locations lack a lining, so items placed there could scrape and vibrate against the plastic. In addition, neat freaks will dislike the sheer amount of dust the gloss black console surface collects, and you might also find it easy to forget your phone by leaving it in the covered wireless charger.

Rear-seat passengers will enjoy the accommodations. There is plenty of legroom and space for feet, and the seat cushion offers good thigh support coupled with a comfortable backrest angle. Air-conditioning vents and USB-C ports keep those sitting in the back cool and charged up, and the centre armrest contains cupholders and smartphone storage slots. The test car also had a glass roof panel and heated outboard cushions.

Open the fastback-style hatch, and you’ll find 674 litres of cargo space plus some extra storage under the load floor. Fold the back seats down, and the Solterra can handle 1,798 litres of cargo. Unfortunately, there isn’t a front trunk (frunk).

In its base configuration, the Solterra has an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Subaru Solterra Connect services. Add either package, and you get a high-resolution 12.3-inch touchscreen with a surround-view camera, wireless smartphone charging, and an impressive 11-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system.

The underlying technology and connected service plans mirror the Toyota Audio Multimedia system in a bZ4X. Highlights include services related to safety, remote vehicle access via a smartphone app, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. You can also access a cloud-based navigation system and a conversational digital voice assistant. The test car did not have that feature set up, but from past experience using it in Lexus and Toyota models, the voice recognition tech is satisfactory.

Overall, the Solterra’s infotainment system is a pleasure and is superior to the Subaru Starlink tech in the company’s other models. We also found the camera-based digital rearview mirror and surround-view camera systems helpful, and the latter offers a transparent view so you can see the ground underneath the Solterra.

In addition, the test vehicle had Advanced Park, a semi-autonomous parking assist system that helps a driver put the Solterra into a parallel or perpendicular parking space.

Subaru says the Solterra has its EyeSight collection of driver assistance systems, but the underlying tech is all Toyota. That’s not a bad thing because it includes some features you won’t find on other Subaru models, like a front cross-traffic alert system and a proactive driving assist system that gently brakes in everyday driving to help you maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead.

The front cross-traffic alert system is new for 2024, along with a hands-free driving feature that works at speeds under 40 km/h (commonly called traffic jam assist in other vehicles). An active lane-change assist feature is also new and works when driving on the highway with the adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist functions on. The last update for this model year is a DriverFocus distracted driver monitoring system.

Additional unusual highlights of the Solterra’s EyeSight package include intersection collision avoidance, emergency steering assist, emergency stop assist, and a notification system that tells a driver that traffic ahead is moving again.

Collectively, while the depth and breadth of Solterra’s EyeSight contents are impressive, the execution needs improvement. For example, the lane-centring assist struggles in curves and bends. When the lane-centring assist disengages, you hear an audible ding, but when you look down at the instrumentation to see what the ding is for, there isn’t a message.

Speaking of the digital gauges, the display is small and attempts to show too much information simultaneously. All of the driver-assist engagement icons are tightly grouped together, forcing a driver to concentrate on them, allowing their eyes to linger away from the road for too long. In addition, if you happen to drive with one hand on the upper part of the steering wheel, it can block the DriverFocus monitor, resulting in a warning.

If a collision is unavoidable, the Solterra does a good job of protecting its occupants in a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives it a five-star overall rating, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named it a Top Safety Pick+ in 2023.

The 2024 Subaru Solterra qualifies for the full $5,000 amount of the Canadian federal government’s EV rebate program. It also qualifies for provincial and territorial incentive programs where they exist.

Among electric SUVs, the Solterra can’t match the class-leading Tesla Model Y regarding range or efficiency. However, compared to others with dual-motor AWD, it is competitively efficient. Where the Solterra disappoints is the maximum driving range. And while Subaru says it now charges faster, it still isn’t as quick to juice up as a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6.

Does any of that matter? Not if you buy a home charging station and replenish the battery overnight when electricity rates are lower. But it sure does when you’re on a road trip. Or when your public charging station costs is expensive, working at a sluggish pace, and a long line of other EV owners is patiently waiting for a chance to charge.

Overall, the 2024 Subaru Solterra is a good EV. But without a more capable battery that can charge faster, more powerful electric motors, and a stronger value equation, it won’t ever be a great EV.

Note: Images show a US model.