Subaru Solterra First Drive: Big Improvements In All The Right Places For 2026

When Subaru's first electrical car launched successful precocious 2021, nan Solterra had thing of a problem: It wasn't precisely competitory successful immoderate of nan awesome factors that EV buyers typically look for. Its 220-mile scope and 215-horsepower output were middling astatine champion erstwhile compared to vehicles for illustration nan Tesla Model Y. Its quirky styling didn't precisely help, either.

For 2026, Subaru is giving nan Solterra a important up-do. Don't telephone it a reboot, arsenic it's still very overmuch nan aforesaid SUV arsenic before, but pinch much range, much powerfulness and amended tech — each disposable astatine a starting value of $TKTK that hardly changed. The consequence is simply a overmuch much compelling car. Now, pinch Tesla's world entreaty falling to an all-time low, which takes nan Model Y disconnected nan array for galore buyers, Subaru's first EV feels for illustration it's yet recovered its clip to shine.

More of what you want

I'm nan first personification to show a imaginable EV purchaser that scope is not nan first criterion they should beryllium considering erstwhile EV shopping. There are galore much important factors that effect your value of life connected a regular ground than really galore charging stops you'll request to make connected your yearly roadworthy trip. Still, erstwhile nan original Solterra was doing 220 miles connected a charge, while nan Tesla Model Y did good complete 300, that made nan point a spot of a difficult sell.

Thankfully, nan 2026 Solterra gets a large bump successful that department, up to 288 miles connected a charge. It’s not class-leading by immoderate means, but arsenic personification who's lived pinch EVs for years, I tin confidently opportunity that's plentifulness of juice to destruct scope worry for most.

Impressively, nan caller Subaru does that connected a artillery battalion that's hardly immoderate bigger: 74.7 kWh vs. 72.8 before. Where does nan other scope travel from, then? Subaru and Toyota engineers (this car is mechanically identical to nan 2026 Toyota bZ) deployed a raft of subtle improvements that consequence successful important efficiency, everything from aerodynamic tweaks to updated electronics and caller motors.

When it's clip to plug in, nan Solterra and nan Model Y tin now usage nan aforesaid chargers. For 2026, nan Solterra switches complete to a Tesla-style NACS port, though nan car comes pinch adapters for utilizing J1772 and CCS ports. Outright charging velocity is up by 50 percent complete past year's car, but that only equates to a maximum charging complaint of 150 kW. Again, it’s a large improvement, but not class-leading.

It tin astatine slightest pain those electrons much quickly. Outright powerfulness is up, pinch nan Solterra now putting down 338 horsepower done each 4 wheels connected nan XT trims, a bully boost from nan aged car's 215.

Big display, large safety

All those updates are nice, but imaginable buyers will beryllium much instantly wooed by a wholly rethought dashboard layout that's still quirky but importantly little awkward than before. A new, 14-inch touchscreen dominates proceedings, giving you speedy and easy entree to everything from navigation to media playback. It serves arsenic a generous canvas for either Android Auto aliases Apple CarPlay, some of which are offered wirelessly.

There's not 1 but 2 wireless charging pads to support your devices juiced while slinging tunes and navigation, positive a brace of USB-C ports successful nan 2nd statement for passengers. With 60 watts of output, back-seat productivity hounds tin support happily typing away moreover if they forgot their adapter.

They'll beryllium comfortable, too. There's a bully magnitude of headroom and legroom successful nan rear seat, positive 23.8 cubic feet of cargo abstraction successful nan rear.

When it comes to keeping everyone safe, nan caller Solterra offers Subaru's EyeSight strategy standard, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise power and a lane-centering system. I sewage a bully chance to sample these systems successful nan progressively dense postulation successful and astir Denver, Colorado. The adaptive cruise brought nan car to a complete extremity and resumed connected its ain erstwhile postulation came to a crawl, while nan progressive lane-keep strategy ensured nan Solterra stayed centered.

The drive

For my time down nan instrumentality of nan caller Solterra, Subaru provided maine pinch a exemplary successful top-shelf Touring XT trim, nan highest performance. That meant I sewage to sample nan car's afloat 338 horsepower, but I person to admit that successful position of acceleration, nan point still isn't a rocket ship. It has nan instant torque of an EV and is surely quick, but nan powerfulness is delivered successful a somewhat much relaxed measurement than galore of nan peppier EVs connected nan marketplace today.

That characteristic continues passim nan Solterra thrust experience. Steering is rather crisp and responsive, but nan suspension doesn't really promote immoderate overly melodramatic cornering antics. The traction and stableness power systems quickly and abruptly termination each powerfulness astatine nan first hint of nonaccomplishment of grip. For galore Subaru enthusiasts, that's conscionable erstwhile things commencement getting fun.

It won't beryllium a panic connected your favourite gravel road, but nan Solterra is reasonably competent erstwhile nan asphalt ends. Subaru group up a short ungraded course, which was much meander done nan trees than due expedition. Still, it proved nan SUV tin connected nan sorts of terrain a mass-market instrumentality for illustration this is liable to see.

In position of comfortableness and thrust quality, nan Solterra handled astir roadworthy imperfections and bumps without issue, but felt a small harsh complete bigger stuff. There's nary existent upwind sound aliases nan like, making it a quiet and calm road cruiser, but a adjacent spot of roadworthy sound did travel up done nan suspension connected rougher stretches of asphalt.

Wrap-up

In galore ways, this improved Solterra feels for illustration nan electrical SUV that nan marque should person launched successful nan first place. Better precocious than never. The large boost successful scope and performance, positive each nan different tech and characteristic upgrades, make for a importantly improved car. It still comes up a small short of nan title from Hyundai aliases Tesla successful position of cardinal metrics that EV shoppers thin to hyper-fixate connected — peculiarly scope — but it's adjacent capable now to beryllium judged connected its different merits. Thankfully, those merits are good.