New Subaru Solterra EV Preview – Electric SUV Developed with Toyota Coming to America

By Steve & Tamami Laser

When Toyota rolled out its new bZ4X Electric SUV  conceptlast month, we wondered what Subaru’s version would be called. Today in Tokyo, Subaru Corp. said that “Solterra” has been selected as the name for its upcoming battery electric SUV, a joint development project with Toyota.

According to Subaru, Solterra combines the Latin words “Sol,” which means “Sun,” and “Terra,” which stands for the Earth. The automaker says it chose this name “to appreciate mother nature and further advance the form of coexistence with it, together with our customers, and to represent our commitment to deliver traditional Subaru SUV’s go anywhere capabilities in an all-electric vehicle.”

In addition to the badge photo, Subaru released a second image that provides a sneak preview of Solterra’s styling. We can see that the silhouette looks similar to the Toyota bZ4X, while Solterra wears unique headlights, roof rails, and likely other distinct design elements.

Riding on a new battery electric vehicle (BEV) e-Subaru Global platform developed with Toyota, Subaru says Solterra is expected to go on sale “by mid-2022 in Japan, the U.S., Canada, Europe, and China.”

Subaru aims to leverage its strengths in all-wheel-drive technology, passive safety, and vehicle stability in the BEV dedicated platform, while Toyota applies its experience in vehicle electrification technology.

The collaboration between the two automakers runs deep, including product planning, design, and performance evaluation. Toyota said previously that it plans to build its version of the EV in Japan and China. Subaru has not yet announced production locations for Solterra.

Note: Future production models and launch timing mentioned in this story is subject to change without notice

News source and photos courtesy of Subaru Corp.

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