The 2026 Subaru Solterra has received a facelift, headlined by a more powerful XT flagship.
Revealed at the New York motor show, the updated Solterra goes on sale in the US later this year. However, local launch timing has yet to be announced.
“Subaru’s latest global unveilings at the New York International Auto Show provide an exciting glimpse into the brand’s future,” said a Subaru Australia spokesperson.
“We look forward to sharing what these global debuts mean for the Australian market in due course.”
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The Solterra features a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery which features pre-conditioning to ensure it’s at the optimal temperature for charging before you go to plug in.
Subaru claims range of more than 459km, likely on the US EPA cycle – up 25 per cent on the outgoing model. It can be charged at up to 150kW like the outgoing model.
The company says the Solterra has a “new all-wheel drive system [which] integrates independent front and rear motor outputs for improved driving performance on- and off-road”, with the electric motors featuring an improved controller promising “more flexible drive power distribution and drive power control in wet and dry conditions”.
All up, the all-wheel drive Solterra produces 174kW of power – up 14kW on the outgoing model.
A new XT flagship features more powerful electric motors, bumping power to 252kW and slashing the 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time to under five seconds.
Subaru has also made refinements to the suspension and electric power steering for better handling and responsiveness.
While the related Toyota bZ4X is available with front-wheel drive, the Solterra is all-wheel drive only in markets like ours and the US.
The bZ4X was updated earlier this year, also scoring the 252kW power output, up from its previous 160kW figure.
It features Subaru’s X-Mode, allowing you to adjust the amount of traction available, and features Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes plus Grip Control and hill descent control.
The Solterra has 211mm of ground clearance, or 10mm less than the new Outback.
The updated model wears a new face resembling that of the new Trailseeker. That includes revised headlights and a small black panel incorporating an illuminated Subaru logo.
Subaru has stripped back some of the black plastic cladding, with body-colour front fenders available with certain colours.
There are also available two-tone colour schemes, as well as new 20-inch alloy wheels.
There’s also a new front bumper design, while down back the changes are more minor but include a new garnish and badging plus a new spoiler.
Again like the Trailseeker, the updated Solterra features a larger 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A trio of knobs for volume and temperature adjustment sit underneath this.
On the centre console is a pair of new 15W wireless phone chargers.
Available safety equipment includes blind-spot monitoring, front cross-traffic alert, traffic jam assist and adaptive cruise control.
The Solterra was first unveiled late in 2021, but didn’t go on sale in Australia until late in 2023.
Last year, Subaru Australia delivered 386 examples, less than half that of the related bZ4X (977) and less than the Ford Mustang Mach-E (673), let alone the top-selling Tesla Model Y (21,253).
Not only will the Solterra have to contend with an updated Model Y this year, but the mid-sized electric SUV segment continues to expand with recent or upcoming arrivals including the Nissan Ariya, Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5.
MORE: Everything Subaru Solterra
