Few automotive brands have more assiduously cultivated the image of vehicles designed to access the Great Outdoors than Subaru.

It’s hard to think of a television campaign or a print advertisement that doesn’t somewhere feature a Forester, Outback or a Crosstrek splashing through puddles, or navigating forest trails with canoes on the roof and mountain bikes on the tailgate.

So, when it came to creating the brand’s first-ever battery electric vehicle (BEV), the Solterra, it was a non-negotiable that this new model had to offer a similar level of all-terrain capability to its combustion-powered stablemates.

Which explains how we came to find ourselves pointing the nose of Subaru’s bright, shiny, new EV up a moderately rough bush track in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, wondering nervously if we might damage the underfloor battery on a rock, or wade through water that somehow fritzes the battery.

There were no such concerns from the Subaru engineers and other technical staff present, who collectively encouraged us onwards, up a track that meandered through thick lantana scrub over humps and bumps, straddling rocky outcrops and wheel ruts, and on through shallow fords to a small summit.

The key to this confidence no doubt lay in the fact that the Solterra, which was co-developed with Toyota and is for all intents and purposes a technical facsimile of that brand’s equally new bZ4X EV, underwent off-road testing at the same facility Toyota used to develop its forthcoming LandCruiser Prado.

That’s not to suggest that the Solterra or bZ4X have LandCruiser-like off-road ability, but with electric motors front and rear providing all-wheel-drive grip, an enhanced X-Mode traction control system, and a handy 212mm of ground clearance, this new Subaru has been designed to go wherever its combustion-powered stablemates dare to tread.

That ground clearance figure is just a shy of the tall-riding Outback’s 213mm, with Subaru claiming the Solterra is capable of safely traversing water up to underbody height, and that the battery is protected from impact damage by strategically located aluminium channels and braces.

The X-Mode system provides selectable driving modes for Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud, as well as a Grip Control feature that acts like cruise control for off-road, allowing the driver to select speed in 2km/h increments up to 10km/h via a toggle switch on the console.

Once a speed is selected the vehicle maintains its pace, leaving the operator to focus on steering.

We tried it and found the feature handy for steadying progress down some moderately steep slopes, where the forward view option of the 360-degree camera system, which displays a video image of the track on the central infotainment screen, also proved helpful.

Subaru’s faith in the Solterra’s all-terrain ability was eventually rewarded with each of the small fleet of test vehicles making it back apparently unscathed from an off-road loop that would have stopped a passenger car in its tracks, and caused many SUVs to break a sweat, if not leave a bumper or underbody plate behind.

Available in a choice of two grades, the entry-level Solterra AWD is priced from $69,990 (MSRP), rising to $76,990 for the Solterra AWD Touring.

This places Subaru’s new EV well north of the next most expensive model in its local line-up, the turbocharged Outback Touring XT which costs $55,990.

No doubt these price points were carefully chosen to pit the Solterra competitively against the Tesla Model Y which has established itself as the dominant player in the Australian EV landscape, with the Model Y Long-Range AWD costing $78,400 (MSRP), and the more affordable Rear-Wheel Drive costing $65,400 (MSRP).

Comparisons with the best-selling Tesla are inevitable, despite the Solterra being classified as a Small SUV and the Model Y as a Medium SUV.

Battery technology and range are established Tesla strengths, with the Model Y Long Range AWD sporting a 75kWh battery and claimed 533km (WLTP) range, where the Subaru packs a 71.4kWh battery and claimed 485km (NEDC) range.

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Subaru says the Solterra was homologated as per Australian Design Rules for the more lenient NEDC standard and declined to provide a comparable WLTP figure at launch but its development partner Toyota quotes 411km (WLTP) for the same powertrain, so it’s safe to assume the Solterra will also be in that vicinity.

The Model Y also shows the Subaru a clean pair of heels when it comes to power, torque and acceleration.

Tesla doesn’t provide power and torque figures for its vehicles but reports suggest the least powerful Rear-Wheel Drive model makes an estimated 194kW/340Nm, while the more powerful Model Y Long Range AWD is closer to 357kW/493Nm.

With its twin 80kW electric motors mounted front and rear delivering claimed outputs of 160kW/337Nm the Solterra AWD offers broadly similar outputs to the rear-wheel rrive Model Y, but is shaded by the AWD version.

Incidentally, the Subaru’s outputs are identical to the Toyota bZ4X AWD, although Toyota also offers a less powerful single motor front-wheel drive which Subaru does not.

Unsurprisingly, the Tesla also trumps Subaru’s new offering when it comes to acceleration, with the Long-Range AWD nailing the 0–100km/h sprint in five seconds flat, where the Subaru takes 6.9 seconds.

That said, the Solterra’s acceleration is on par with Subaru’s manual transmission-equipped BRZ sportscar, so it’s no slouch.

Both Solterra grades come reasonably well equipped with standard features including a powered tailgate, LED headlights and taillights, digital rear-view mirror, 12.3-inch high-definition central touchscreen, 7.0-inch digital instrument panel, heated front and rear outboard seats, and a heated leather steering wheel.

The higher-grade Solterra AWD Touring adds a premium 10-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, wireless Qi phone charger, synthetic leather seat trim, driver and passenger powered front seats with door mirror memory setting for the driver, and 20-inch alloy wheels in place of the base model’s 18-inch alloys. The Touring also gets an advanced park assist auto parking feature.

Safety is well catered for, with both variants featuring Subaru Safety Sense and Vision Assist technology.

The former includes adaptive high beam, adaptive cruise control, emergency driving stop, emergency steering assist, lane departure alert, lane tracing assist, low-speed acceleration suppression, pre-collision system and road sign assist.

Subaru Vision Assist adds blind-spot monitor, 360-degree view monitor, park brake support, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and a driver monitor featuring distraction and drowsiness warnings.

Pleasingly, the latter is reasonably well calibrated to not issue annoying alerts every time your eyes stray slightly from the straight ahead.

Dimensionally, the Solterra is similar in size to a Toyota RAV4, being 90mm longer, 5mm wider, 45mm lower, and riding on 160mm longer wheelbase. The packaging benefits of its 2850mm wheelbase and compact electric drivetrain combine to create generous passenger accommodation, but unlike Tesla there’s no additional front trunk or ‘frunk’ storage available.

The Solterra AWD Touring is comfortably furnished inside and designed with a hint of futuristic flair.

The dash features an unusual woven-fabric trim that provides an interesting point-of-difference to rival offerings, while elsewhere there’s splashes of glossy piano-black and satin-finish-like metal trims which contribute to a classy but not over-the-top ambience.

Drive selection is via a rotary selector on the wide centre console with the option of choosing Normal, Eco and Power driving modes.

The central 12.3-inch high-definition touchscreen provides a crisp resolution and quality graphics and comes equipped with such features as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus ‘native’ sat nav and digital radio.

It’s well designed and logical to use with clear icons for major functions and a row of physical buttons below the screen for HVAC controls.

The Solterra key fob also allows the climate control system to be activated to precondition the cabin before hopping in the car.

A 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster or ‘multi-information display’ sits in front of the driver in a high-set binnacle that provides an additional range of vehicle-based information such as speed and distance travelled.

The leather-trimmed steering wheel is low-set and features a flat top and bottom section, which combined with a smallish diameter feels a little unusual, especially when busy with the wheel in tight parking spots.

The steering wheel is heated and the boss contains a plethora of switches for different functions, while behind the wheel are paddle shifts to control regenerative braking levels, or you can jump straight to maximum regeneration via an S Pedal Drive switch on the centre console.

The front seats offer good comfort and support, along with seat heating and cooling.

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There’s a single USB-A connection and two USB-C ports, along with a 12V charger and wireless phone charging pad, while overhead a twin sunroof allows plenty of light into the cabin.

Curiously, there’s no glovebox which seems strange, even if there is a decent amount of storage in the under-console area. That decision relegates the owner’s manual to beneath the cargo bay floor where the supplied charging lead is also stowed.

The rear seat is low-set but roomy and comfortable, offering generous leg, head, foot and shoulder room with a good-sized glasshouse to allow passengers to see out.

The outer seats are heated and there’s twin USB-A plugs for powering devices. Other amenities include a fold-down centre armrest with twin cup-holders, console mounted air vents, door storage with bottle holders, and seat back map pockets.

The seat features a split-fold 60/40 design for additional versatility, although the seats don’t fold completely flat, with the electric tailgate opening to reveal a 410 litres of load space.

That’s not bad but it is less than the 498 litres offered by stablemate the Forester.

A two-stage design for the cargo bay floor allows a floor panel to be relocated to create an extra 50mm of floor-to-ceiling load height, but in lieu of a spare tyre drivers must make do with a ‘can of goo’ inflator kit.

That’s unusual for Subaru Australia, which usually goes out of its way to include a spare, even if that means sacrificing boot space, but it’s not unusual for the EV category in general, which tends to frown on carrying around unnecessary weight.

Dynamically, the Solterra benefits from the surety of its AWD traction on sealed and unsealed roads, as well as the lower centre of gravity afforded by having its battery and electric motors mounted low in the structure.

Subaru claims its new model has close to ideal front-to-rear weight distribution and that having the battery integrated as part of the body structure increases rigidity, which benefits ride and handling.

Over the course of a single-day drive program through the Gold Coast hinterland and Scenic Rim we experienced a mix of freeway, rural B-roads and unsealed sections, over which the Solterra showed itself to be a relaxed, comfortable and capable tourer.

The steering is lightly weighted and quite direct but pleasingly accurate once you get its measure, and the fully independent suspension does a good job of limiting body roll so feels confident and sure-footed in bends.

Acceleration, whether off-the-mark or rolling is swift and assured, with the Solterra easily despatching trucks and other slower moving traffic in the 80–100km/h zone.

Ride quality is also good despite the top-spec Solterra AWD Touring riding on 20-inch wheels versus the more comfortable 18s of the base model.

It’s not as comfortable or long-legged as the plush-riding Outback, but does a decent job of smoothing lumpy surfaces.

The body shell feels suitably stiff over bumps and corrugations and there was a pleasing absence of rattles and squeaks, even over rougher roads, suggesting good build quality and durability.

It’s quiet, too, with tyre noise and a hint of wind ruffle the only sounds intruding on the cabin ambience.

When it comes to refuelling, the Solterra’s 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged on AC and DC chargers, with a 0–80% charge on a 150kW DC charger taking about 30 minutes.

Charging to 100% on single-phase 7kW AC takes approximately nine-and-a-half hours or six-and-a-half hours for the same charge on an 11kW three-phase setup.

Subaru is also offering two different charging bundles, including a 7kW single phase Ocular LTE Plus Wallbox for $2,250 RRP including GST and standard installation, or an Ocular LTE Plus Wallbox Three-Phase (22kW) for $2,645 RRP.

The Solterra’s AC charge rating is capped at 11kW, however, so customers opting for the 22kW three-phase option won’t get the full benefit of that setup.

In summary, the Solterra arrives somewhat more than fashionably late to the EV party, with Tesla having launched its first BEV here a decade ago and now dominating the category with 53% of sales and Chinese brands including BYD and MG also having established strong footholds.

No doubt Subaru knows full well that certain comparisons with the Model Y don’t flatter its new EV, but that its reputation for quality, service and reliability will count with buyers who care more about such pragmatic matters than outright range or 0–100km/h acceleration times.

While the Solterra’s range is on the skinny side compared to the Tesla Model Y, 485km (NEDC) or 411km (WLTP) will still get you comfortably from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast and back, with a decent buffer for running around while there.

For some buyers Subaru’s 50-plus years in this market and its strong reputation for quality and reliability will be enough to counter areas where the Solterra falls short.

Add to this an ownership package that includes a five-year/unlimited-km warranty, eight year/160,000km battery warranty, five-year roadside assistance, and five-year/75,000km capped price servicing and Subaru’s first EV starts to looks quite convincing.

It’s certainly enough, we think, for the Solterra to earn a place on the consideration list of EV buyers seeking a comfortable and versatile medium-SUV, with the added benefit of all-terrain ability that most rivals can’t match.

Subaru Solterra key info

• Price: $76,990
• Warranty: Five years, unlimited km
• Powertrain: 71.4kWh battery, dual electric motors, AWD (160kW/337Nm)
• Range: 485km (NEDC)
• ANCAP crash rating: Five stars (2022)
• Energy consumption: 14.1kWh/100km (NEDC)
• For: Modest all-terrain ability, quiet and roomy cabin, brisk performance, quality finishes, well equipped.
• Against: No spare wheel, no glovebox, no Over the Air (OTA) updates, range and performance don’t match category leader.