It was less than a month ago when Toyota introduced the bZ4X concept to preview a future EV and now Subaru is teasing its equivalent version of the electric SUV, dubbed Solterra. The name chosen for the firm’s first purely electric model originates from the Latin words for “sun” (Sol) and “earth” (Terra) to highlight Subaru’s appreciation for nature.
Details are limited at this point as we only know the Solterra is underpinned by the e-Subaru Global Platform and will serve as a compact EV with all-wheel drive, so expect a dual-motor setup. Much like its sister model from Toyota, Subaru’s counterpart is expected to have an angular design and a long wheelbase creating a spacious interior.
Toyota uses the e-TNGA name for this dedicated electric platform and promises it will be a highly flexible architecture it will adapt to a variety of vehicle lengths. It’s going to underpin front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive EVs and is being engineered to support several battery sizes depending on the application. Being a bespoke electric vehicle, we are not expecting any of the compromises that companies make when adapting a platform originally intended for vehicles with internal combustion engines.
For this reason, the Subaru Solterra likely has a generous wheelbase for a vehicle of this size by shortening the front and rear overhangs as much as possible. That should create a spacious interior cabin with more room than a conventionally powered C-segment SUV. A completely flat floor is expected, along with the other benefits that come with vehicles developed from day one as EVs.
Subaru will have the Solterra on sale by the middle of next year at home in Japan as well as in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China. Expect to learn more about the technical specifications in the build-up to the world premiere likely taking place before the end of 2021 or early 2022.
Source: Subaru
