Volkswagen
ID.5
From $67,990
Subaru
Solterra
Model Profile
ElectricSUV2026
From $67,520
Driveaway estimate · NSW · priced Aug 2026. Varies by state. Details →
The short version
Subaru's first electric car arrived in 2024 and promptly flopped. It was too expensive, too short on range, and the Tesla Model Y outsold it by roughly forty to one. The 2026 Solterra is the rebuttal. Every version is now all-wheel drive, the cabin has been rebuilt around a 14-inch screen, and here is the neat twist: the cheapest grade travels furthest, claiming 566km against the flagship Touring's 517km. Prices have fallen by thousands, too. It is still no sports SUV, and the boot is small, but the Solterra has gone from easy to ignore to worth a serious look.
Range (base AWD)
566km
WLTP
Drivetrain
Standard AWD
ANCAP
5 stars
2025 datestamp
The numbers that matter
What matters to you?
517–566km
Range252kW
Power410–421L
Boot space8years
Battery warrantyRange shown across the Solterra line-up. Pick a priority to see the numbers that matter to you.
In the metal
Images are illustrative and digitally rendered. They may not reflect the exact variant, colour or trim. Details →
The full picture
Living with the Solterra.
The 2026 Solterra is the second take on Subaru's electric SUV, and it fixes the two things that sank the first: range and price. A larger 74.7kWh CATL battery lifts the WLTP claim to 566km in the base AWD and 517km in the Touring, while system power jumps to 252kW and 437Nm from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup that stays standard across the range. It also charges faster on home AC power than most rivals. Both grades cost thousands less than the cars they replace.
For the 2026 range, the value read points squarely at the base car. The two grades are mechanically identical, so the extra $6,000 for the Touring buys equipment, not performance. And because the Touring rides on heavier 20-inch wheels, it actually claims 49km less range and a smaller boot than the 18-inch base. Reviewers across the Australian press land on the same conclusion: the entry Solterra AWD is the smart buy.
Charging is a game of give and take. The Solterra's 22kW three-phase AC rate is double the 11kW most rivals manage, so home and destination top-ups are appreciably quicker. The 150kW DC peak is only mid-pack for 2026, though, and a 10-to-80 per cent fast-charge takes around 30 minutes. On the road, Australian reviewers describe it as comfortable and quiet rather than sporty, a two-tonne SUV tuned for calm progress, with steering they call accurate without being especially involving. The press consensus is that it soothes more than it thrills, and most owners will prefer it that way.
The catches are honest ones. The 410-to-421-litre boot trails a class where 500 litres-plus is normal, and the Touring's firmer ride on its larger wheels will not suit every road. But with standard all-wheel drive, the clear point of difference over the front-drive base Toyota bZ4X it shares a platform with, a real-world range that finally clears 500km, and a five-star safety rating, the Solterra is a far more rounded proposition than before, and a legitimate rival to the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X rather than an afterthought.
bZ4X
Its corporate twin
The Solterra is co-developed with the Toyota bZ4X, sharing its platform, its battery era and even its ANCAP result, but every Solterra gets all-wheel drive as standard, where the entry bZ4X is front-drive.
The range
Solterra Range Walk
Two grades, both dual-motor all-wheel drive and mechanically identical. Because the powertrain never changes across the range, the real decision is how much equipment you want, and how much range and boot space you are willing to trade to get it.
- 01
Solterra AWD
Most buyers, the range and value pickFrom $67,520
The whole powertrain for the lowest price: 252kW/437Nm AWD, the class-longest 566km range, 18-inch wheels, the 14-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate, a power tailgate and two wireless chargers. From $67,520 drive-away.
- 02
Solterra AWD Touring
Buyers who want the kit and can live with less rangeFrom $73,820
Adds 20-inch wheels, a panoramic glass roof, ventilated front seats, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon system, memory mirrors and seat, and a 1500W vehicle-to-load outlet, for about $6,000 more. The trade-offs: range drops to 517km, the boot shrinks to 410L, and the ride firms up on the bigger wheels.
Driveaway estimate · NSW · priced Aug 2026. Varies by state. Details →
Running costs
What the Solterra costs to own
Fuel or charging, insurance, servicing, tyres and rego, with repayments if you finance it. Estimates for a NSW private buyer, not a quote.
Running costs
Keep for
Drive
Where the money goesrunning costs + interest, over 5 years
Charging$4,259Insurance$15,095Servicing$984Tyres$800Rego + CTP$5,420Loan interest$12,292
Free · no obligation · estimate for a NSW private buyer, not a quote
Specifications
Under the skin.
Safety
How it protects.
ANCAP · Tested 2025
Adult Occupant88%
Child Occupant86%
Pedestrian80%
Safety Assist82%
This vehicle achieved the highest possible ANCAP safety rating, with strong results across occupant protection, pedestrian safety and safety-assist technology.
The verdict
On the 2026 range, we would pick the base Solterra AWD, and it is not a close call. It out-ranges its own flagship, undercuts it by $6,000, and its standard all-wheel drive is the reason to choose it over the front-drive base bZ4X twin. The boot is small and the DC charging ordinary, so it will not tempt anyone chasing outright practicality or the quickest highway top-ups, and the Tesla Model Y still counters with more boot space and a longer top-spec range. But as an easy-to-live-with, well-warranted electric SUV that finally travels far enough to trust, the second-generation Solterra has earned a place on the medium-EV shortlist.
Where it shines
- Standard all-wheel drive across the whole range
- Real-world range finally clears 500km (566km WLTP on the base grade)
- 22kW AC charging, double most rivals
- New 14-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Sharp new pricing, cut by thousands over the old car
- Five-star ANCAP safety to the 2025 datestamp
Worth weighing up
- 410-to-421L boot trails a class where 500L-plus is normal
- 150kW DC fast-charging is only mid-pack for 2026
- Comfortable rather than sporty to drive
- The pricier Touring rides firmer and travels less far than the base car
The back story
Where the Solterra has been.
Past generations. Context, not the car on sale today.
The Solterra is Subaru's first electric vehicle and one of its newest nameplates, co-developed with Toyota and launched in Australia in early 2024. The nameplate has no deep lineage; its short story so far is one of a rough start and a rapid correction.
2024, first generation
Launched as Subaru's debut EV, a badge-engineered sibling of the Toyota bZ4X. It was criticised for a high price and a short driving range, and sold poorly, roughly 588 units in almost two years against tens of thousands of Tesla Model Ys.
2026, second generation
A wide-ranging update lifted system power to 252kW, WLTP range to 517-566km and AC charging to 22kW, added a new 14-inch-screen interior, and cut prices by $6,000 to $7,000, directly addressing the original's two biggest weaknesses.
Questions
Asked about the Solterra.
By Yuri Cartland, Editor
