Subaru Solterra Revealed As A Badge - Engineered Toyota Bz4x
The Subaru Solterra electric SUV is making its official U.S. debut next week in Los Angeles, along with U.S. specifications. But it has been shown early in Japan. The SUV has been jointly developed with Toyota, which will sell it as the bZ4X. And unsurprisingly, the two look nearly identical.
That's no exaggeration. The entire midsection, even the body cladding, is the same as the Toyota. Inside the Solterra, it's again the same as the bZ4X, though there's no yoke to be seen.
The visual differences come down to detail changes at the front and rear. Up front, the Solterra wears a faux grille outline, one that's slightly inset to the bumper, and the Subaru badge is square in the middle. This is a significant contrast to the virtually grille-less Toyota. On that note, the lower grille opening looks larger, and features two big round fog lights. The cladding underneath is more pronounced, too. All of this is surely to add some more perceived ruggedness to the Subaru.
At the back, differences are more subtle. The center of the taillights is darkened to divide them. They also have little red tails added to the lower half to mirror other Subaru models. That's where the changes end.
The specifications for the Solterra are the same as the Toyota, too. It appears that at least in Japan, and possibly some other markets, the Solterra will even be offered with the front-wheel-drive powertrain and 201 horsepower, or the optional 214-horsepower, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system. Of course, we'll have to wait until the L.A. Auto Show to see what offerings the U.S. will get.