How will Subaru set the Solterra apart from the Toyota bZ4X?

How does Subaru intend to differentiate its product from the Toyota bZ4X, which will undoubtedly be a blockbuster? The two cars share a base, drivetrain technology, and most of their exteriors and interiors. Will there be more than a badge transfer between the two?

Blair Read, the company's local managing director, discussed the issue the firm confronts in this field to CarsGuide during a preview event for the Solterra.

"How does everything that people have liked about Subaru in the past translate to this car?" he wondered. "It has to be positioned such that it can't be distinguished from a Subaru XV 2022, Outback, or Forester." We need to be able to tell them what they can do in those automobiles and what they can do in this.

"For example, all-wheel drive is ingrained in Subaru's DNA. We haven't finalized the specs yet, but suffice it to say that we must remain faithful to the brand."

The Solterra is available in front-wheel drive in other markets, but considering the brand's concentration on all-wheel-drive technology in Australia, we wouldn't be shocked if it differentiated itself from the bZ4X by being offered only with AWD when it arrives here.

The distinctive bodywork, which has expanded and exaggerated plastic shields over its front and rear wheelarches, even wrapping the whole way around to the front, is part of the Subaru promise.

"It can't simply be an electric car; it must also have the capabilities that our clients need." The automobile we're evaluating here is more for us to figure out what our loyal customer base would desire from the worldwide options accessible to us, and what best symbolizes Subaru to them." Mr. Read remarked.

The media demo car was a left-hand drive pre-production variant brought from Europe, with a specification that was described as upper-mid grade. It boasts a panoramic sunroof, a huge multimedia screen, leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and heated front and rear seats. The digital display and the carpet-like texture that runs across the dash are also interesting interior features.

Initial foreign pricing data indicate that the Subaru is the more cheap of the two, a trend Subaru hopes to capitalize on with its existing line-up of competitively priced combustion SUVs in Australia.

The all-wheel-drive Solterra, for example, is priced under AU$70,000 in Japan, and while prices will not be a simple straight conversion for our market, it is notable for being less than the bZ4X equivalent, and a significant discount over current prices for the high-spec all-wheel-drive Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

The all-wheel-drive Solterra develops 160kW from two 80kW electric motors on each axle and is certified to go 460 kilometers between charges according to Japanese standards. Unlike the Hyundai and Kia models, which feature an 800-volt battery system that allows for ultra-quick charging, the Solterra and bZ4X have a 355-volt design that allows for charging up to 150kW.

Is the vehicle more Toyota or Subaru? Each manufacturer argues that the new electric platform shared by the automobiles is part of their own development process, with Toyota calling it a TNGA platform and Subaru calling it a progression from the Subaru Global Platform (SGP) on which its existing combustion range is based. The fact, according to Mr. Read, is that the car is more of cooperation than a one-brand vehicle.

In the future, Subaru will differentiate the Solterra by ultimately bringing manufacturing in-house, rather than having it made on the same assembly line as the bZ4X, as it will be for the first wave of vehicles.

The Solterra will arrive in Australia in 2023, and we'll hear more about its configuration for our market later this year.