Subaru Names New Electric SUV Solterra

A new Subaru electric SUV is coming in 2022, and it goes by the name of Solterra. Fully electric, the new Subaru Solterra is a joint-venture product with Toyota, which revealed its version of the electric vehicle at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show as the bZ4X Concept.

Solterra is the more memorable of the two names (unless Toyota comes up with something else), and Subaru says it is rooted in the Latin words for “Sun” and “Earth.” Solterra, the automaker claims, represents its commitment to “deliver traditional SUV capabilities in an environmentally responsible package.”

Subaru bases the Solterra EV on a new electric vehicle platform it calls the e-Subaru Global Platform. Toyota reports that it builds its version of the SUV on a modified, electric version of its Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA). Undoubtedly, they are the same. Currently, models ranging from the compact Toyota Corolla to the large Toyota Sienna minivan use the gas-engine version of TNGA.

The Solterra is not the first electrified vehicle collab between Subaru and Toyota. The current Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that uses the same technology found in the Toyota Prius Prime. It offers a modest electric driving range, and the battery reduces the Crosstrek’s already cramped cargo space. But it’s the only all-wheel-drive vehicle of its kind in the small crossover SUV space.

Going on sale in Asia, Europe, and North America, in 2022, the 2023 Subaru Solterra is a 5-passenger compact crossover with all-wheel drive and what appears to be generous ground clearance. The company promises the Solterra will offer the safety, versatility, and capability that Subaru owners have come to expect from its SUVs.

Subaru is the source of information for this article. It was accurate on May 11, 2021, but it may have changed since that date.