2024 Subaru Solterra First Drive: When Subsidies and Rebates Aren't Enough

● The 2024 Subaru Solterra can travel up to 359 kilometres on a single charge.
● The Solterra starts at $56,495.
● This electric crossover comes standard with four-wheel drive.

2024 Subaru Solterra | Photo: Germain Goyer

Isn’t launching a 2024 model in the fall of 2024 absurd? Yet this is Subaru’s strategy with its Solterra. This 100% electric crossover arrived in participating dealerships last spring and has been sticking around ever since. With less than three months to go before the gradual reduction of the provincial subsidy, Subaru seems to be trying to boost sales of a vehicle that has so far proved to be rather unpopular.

What do you do when you’re a small manufacturer, the market is suddenly going electric, governments are tightening regulations and your R&D budget is limited? You turn to an immensely larger global business partner. That’s precisely what Subaru did when it knocked on Toyota’s door. While Subaru is a brand that shines in Quebec and in certain key North American markets, it remains relatively small on a global scale. So, we don’t have the power to invest massively as General Motors did in its Ultium electric platform, for example. So we turned to Toyota, which had developed the bZ4X on the sly, to market a copy. The Solterra was introduced in 2023 and met with very little success.

New features for 2024

After just one year on the market, Subaru has adjusted its focus a few notches for 2024 with the Solterra. New features include a redesigned steering wheel. Since the steering wheel is not height-adjustable, the aim is to make reading the information on the dashboard easier. We’ve also added the option of an electrically adjustable passenger seat. Finally, the roof rails have been redesigned.

One of the issues raised in 2023 was charging in cold weather. The automaker now claims to have solved the problem. Also, the 2023 Solterra could only be charged once or twice a day. The number of fast recharges has now increased to four or more daily. The manufacturer has also enhanced its range of safety features with the 2024 Solterra.

On the technical front, the Solterra receives two 80 kW electric motors. Together, they produce 215 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to a 72.8 kWh battery, this crossover can travel a maximum of 359 kilometres. However, this range is disappointing. You’d expect a range of 400 kilometres or more in this segment.

A generally unconvincing vehicle

As mentioned above, the Subaru Solterra is a copy of the Toyota bZ4X, to which Subaru has tried to add an ounce of its own personality. In North America, Toyota has little interest in marketing electric vehicles. It prefers to focus on hybrid and plug-in hybrid technologies, in particular. The bZ4X was created to meet increasingly stringent government requirements. So, as you may have guessed, while the Toyota bZ4X is an average electric vehicle, so is its non-identical twin.

One of its distinguishing features is its 210-mm ground clearance, which is higher than the competition’s. By comparison, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT’s ground clearance is 177 millimetres. Yet the Korean manufacturer presents it as an adventurous crossover.

In addition to driving the 2024 Subaru Solterra on the roads of Vancouver Island, we were invited to put it to the test on an off-road course. We’re well aware that few buyers of this crossover will venture far into the forest or have the ambition to hike the famous Rubicon Trail. It was surprising to find the Solterra at ease on a road normally reserved for off-road vehicles. Steep inclines, wet earth and rocks were all part of the equation. Incidentally, please note that a wrong maneuver could be very costly if you were unfortunate enough to damage a component of the electrical system during your expedition.

Government subsidies, big rebates, etc.

Like many electric vehicles coming onto the market, the Subaru Solterra has not avoided the waiting list phenomenon. After all, it’s not hard to imagine that the typical, loyal Subaru buyer might be inclined to go green to give themselves the impression of doing their bit for the environment. But it only took a few weeks, even months, to exhaust the reservation lists. Then, the manufacturer had to put forward a marketing and promotional strategy to boost sales. And yet, we don’t find the price range disproportionately high. All three versions of the 2024 Subaru Solterra qualify for the $7,000 provincial subsidy under the Roulez vert program. This will be reduced as of January 1, 2025. The Solterra is also eligible for a $5,000 federal grant under the Zero Emission Vehicle Incentive Program.

Subaru is offering an additional $5,000 rebate as if that weren’t enough. This is an unusual practice for a Japanese manufacturer whose vehicles are generally popular. In fact, we’ve never seen such a substantial rebate from the manufacturer on vehicles like the Crosstrek, Forester or Outback. Clearly, the Solterra needs to be discounted to make it even remotely attractive to customers. At present, it can be leased and financed at rates as low as 0.99%.

The Subaru Solterra has an MSRP of $56,495. An additional $4500 is required for the De Luxe package, which includes 20-inch wheels, a Harman Kardon audio system and a heated steering wheel. For a further $7000, you can take advantage of the Technology Package, which includes a panoramic glass roof, auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink and air-conditioned front seats.

In brief

When it was introduced in 2023, the Subaru Solterra was definitely one of the least interesting electric crossovers on the market. Despite some adjustments for the 2024 model year, it remains unconvincing. The range is disappointing, the interior layout isn’t remarkable, and the electric technology is far from innovative. We believe the competition has a more relevant offering, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Volkswagen ID. 4, and Chevrolet Blazer EV.