The curse of a west coast downpour can actually be a blessing when you are testing the prowess of a sport-ute in the backwoods.
And boy were yours truly and my drive partner Brian Chow blessed during a two-day adventure in the new all-electric Subaru Solterra on Vancouver Island. Being a video guy, Brian perhaps would have welcomed some longer breaks in the liquid sunshine that soaked the terrain.
Upfront it should be said that the Solterra is a variation on Toyota鈥檚 strangely tagged bz4x and its stablemate the Lexus RZ450e. Fierce competition there, but to be fair, this was actually a collaboration between the two Japanese manufacturers and is not merely a re-badge, Subaru has stamped its own brand on this model by introducing its own technology and drive style.
Here are the key differences: the Solterra comes with dual 80 kW motors and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD), while the bZ has a single 150 kW motor and front-wheel drive, with AWD available as an option.
Subaru claims a range of just under 360 kms, whereas Cousin Buzzer, as I call it, boasts a 400-km range. Neither would achieve those optimistic distances on the drive we did but these are both healthy distances for this who want to journey out of town for the weekend.
The last edition drew criticism for slow charging. Fixed. It can now charge at a Level 3 station at speeds up to 100 kW and go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 35 minutes. And an available charging cable can now charge at Level 2 speeds from a home 240-volt outlet.
Every EV ute I鈥檝e driven so far had been on regular roads and I鈥檝e often joked that despite their off-road ability of a particular model it was unlikely many would get a speck of mud on them. That鈥檚 what intrigued me about this drive opportunity. Subaru was keen to demonstrate you can get down and dirty with this sleek machine.
It also used the event to introduce a worthy program called Adventure on Parks which promotes the use and protection of national and provincial parks, largely through enthusiastic and knowledgeable young park ambassadors. You might say that the walk through the forest with these young guys got us all tuned up and ready to take on the muddy trails.
The first thing you notice when climbing aboard is the oval shaped steering wheel, ooh, racy! I soon learned about one of its functions. It enables the camera to observe you ... and it has a mom鈥檚 attitude. 鈥淪it up! Driver鈥檚 face not visible!鈥� Sheesh! 鈥� It was like being at the dinner table as a kid being told to quit slouching in my chair.
A torrential downpour greeted our descent from Victoria through the mist towards the dense woodland of Enduro Park, home to a very muddy, winding track, designed for crazy dirt bike riders! The course was made up challenging twisties, seemingly vertical ascents and descents. Ok, I exaggerate a little.
The standard dual-function X-Mode was ready for such conditions. There are two modes: one for snow and dirt and a second for deep snow or mud. The Grip control maintained traction on some darn steep and slippery inclines by managing the power between the wheels. Hill Descent Control handled tricky downhill plunges with unerring ease by taking over speed and braking control. A fun time that I might not experience again, if you know what I mean. Smile emoji.
The muddy ute drew some stares on the ride back into town, especially during a slowdown in heavy commuter traffic. Traffic jam assist is a subscription-based feature which lets you drive hands-free on some roads as long as the car鈥檚 speed is below 40 km/h. Err, no, I鈥檒l pass on that.
An extra set of front radar offers cross-traffic alert and lane change assist, which enables auto lane changes when adaptive cruise control is on. That feature also now holds the car still in traffic for up to three minutes before disengaging. Our brief on road experience proved those features to be effective.
That return home in the passenger seat allowed observations of what the Solterra interior offers. Comfy seating and ample space for five. Plenty of room at the back and still more with the rear seats dropped.
The available 10-way power adjustable height driver鈥檚 seat is worth the upgrade. Heated front seats are standard, but the Luxury trim brings a heated steering wheel and the Tech package edition adds ventilated front seats. Ho-hum.
An 8-inch touchscreen is in the base trim and a 12.3-inch screen comes with the two other trims. Easy to operate. Young Brian is not a heavy metal fan so I couldn鈥檛 put the sound system through the usual Judas Priest test.
Summing up a fun-to-drive and capable ute off or on road, from a very reliable manufacturer that knows its market.
The base model has a sticker price of $59,340. The Luxury package takes the price to $63,840, and the Technology package brings the total price to $66,340. The Solterra qualifies for the $4,000 BC EV rebate but the $5,000 federal incentive has been shelved with no indication as to whether it will be revived.
keithrmorgan@hotmail.com
