(By Tom Lohnes) – Do you want a Subaru that was co-developed by Toyota? No, it isn’t an 86, it’s an electric SUV.
Called the Solterra, this new Subaru-only SUV is currently being developed with Toyota in Japan. This is going to be a 2023 model that will be unveiled either this year or next. The focus of this EV is livability, so don’t expect crazy performance numbers out of this thing that we normally get from EVs. Outside, the Solterra supposedly looks like any other Subaru SUV, just with a piece of black plastic in the place of the grille. According to Motor1.com, Subaru is going to keep up its reputation of AWD capability by only offering the Solterra in a dual-motor setup. There may be a few sport models to enhance styling and handling a little bit, but really nothing else.
So, would you buy a Solterra? If it turns out like any other Subaru SUV, it will offer dependable, AWD transportation at a good price at the cost of being fun to drive. Who knows, maybe there will be a hot STI version. Probably not, but I’m excited to see what happens when Subaru joins the EV world.
Really not that unusual of a joint venture. I’m not sure if they still do, but the Subaru plant in Lafayette, IN used to build Camry’s along with all of the Subaru models.