By Ian Strachan.
If you’ve decided to do your bit towards saving the planet and switch to all-electric driving, there’s a growing number of vehicles competing for your money. The major manufacturers all have electric offerings, but it’s worth having a look outside the mainstream.
If you don’t want to put another nail in the coffin of the European car industry by buying Chinese, then the Subaru Solterra could be the vehicle for you.
This Subaru is attractive to look at, very comfortable inside, with high quality trim materials, drives exceptionally smoothly, has all the power you need and has a reasonable range.
This fully electric SUV starts at £52,495, with the Touring spec at £55,495. It has a published range, if you’re careful, of 289 miles, or 257 for Touring spec. It can charge from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.
The Solterra’s dual electric motors develop 218PS, with a top speed where allowed of 100 mph and it will take you from 0 to 60 mph in around 6.5 seconds.
The permanent 4WD Solterra will give you comfortable driving, good road manners and high specification. Plus the build quality is exceptional. It’s also a good looker from all angles, with smart 18-inch alloys and roof spoiler. It has plenty of legroom in the rear and a good luggage capacity of 452 litres which can be increased by folding the 60/40 split rear seats.
The interior of the Solterra is modern and well laid out, with a good driving position, high specification and high quality trim materials. In Touring spec you get a panoramic sunroof, making the interior light and airy. You also get heated seats all round, with a powered driver’s seat, a heated, leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel and plenty of storage spaces.
Specification on the Solterra also includes dual-zone automatic climate control, all-round airbags, 12.3-inch colour touch-screen navigation and infotainment system with eight-speaker DAB radio plus Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports and voice control and a range of safety technology including lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, 360-degree monitoring and pre-collision braking.
You also get all round electric windows and door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors with reversing camera, automatic headlights and wipers and LED daytime running lights.
Handling on the Solterra is excellent, with sure-footed road-holding and a suspension which could handle potholes without too much drama. The car’s off-road driving set-up is accessed with a simple press of a button.
The Subaru Solterra is a good option for someone who wants to do the right thing and go electric but also want the capabilities and practicalities of four-wheel drive.
