July flew by, and just like buses coming in twos and threes, I found myself reviewing a third Subaru model. I am not complaining because the Subaru Solterra is a joy to drive. The company's electric SUV is All Wheel Drive and helped me out of some sticky situations caused by the heavy rain we had in England.
The Subaru Solterra has X-mode four-wheel drive, a gem in the car's armoury. The system enables you to get through pretty much any conditions you can throw at it. For me, it meant driving on quagmire fields soaked by the heavy rain we had in good old Blighty's summer.
I visited several car shows and jumble sales, all of which meant parking on fields of grass which soon transitioned to mud, with several hundred cars churning the surface up. Where other vehicles were slipping and sliding, I ploughed along effortlessly. Joyous.
The Subaru Solterra faces lots of competition in the SUV sector, but not all have four-wheel drive. Hyundai has its Ioniq 5, which I will test in August so that you can read about it in September. Skoda has the fabulous Enyaq iV, and Kia has their EV6.
The driving position is high, so you get a decent view of your surroundings, and to aid manoeuvring in tight situations, you have parking sensors front and rear and a camera system with a 360-degree view. The driver gets a fully electric seat allowing you to find that sweet spot for your comfort. The infotainment system in the Solterra is massive at 12.3in screen with all the usual Apps and smartphone connections.
Solterra has two motors, one for the front wheels and the other for the rear set. The motors produce 215bhp, and the car has a quoted range of 289 miles from the 71.4kWh battery. The four-wheel drive allows the power to transfer to the road with a superior grip, giving you excellent traction.
Road holding is tremendous, and the Solterra doesn't have much body lean, giving you the confidence to tackle the twisties quickly.
The X-Mode system is standard, covering you for every terrain type, with settings for deep snow, mud and more.
Interior space is plentiful for all five occupants; the Solterra still doesn't squash you in. They will also find a good amount of storage, with the front two able to use the cubby under the centre armrest, door bins capable of holding a couple of large bottles, a lidded tray for a phone behind the gear selector, and an open tray below the 'floating' centre console.
SUVs should be practical and functional, allowing users to carry people, their luggage, or sports gear, shopping or become a removal van when Ikea has been visited. The Solterra's boot has 452 litres of capacity to tackle a fair amount of anything.
The Solterra's maximum charging speed of 150kW is faster than the Skoda Enyaq iV, and perfect conditions will see you obtain a 10-80% charge in a tad over thirty minutes. A wall box at 7kW will be a jot under thirteen hours.
For your safety, the Solterra has plenty of tech with blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic emergency braking (AEB),
Overall the Subaru Solterra offers impressive performance, comfort, handling and practicality. Ticking all those boxes, plus being fun to drive, makes it an excellent option if you want to purchase an SUV.
The Subaru Solterra entry level is £52000
You get a Three-year manufacturer warranty and an eight-year cover for the main battery.