Subaru Solterra priced in Australia! Electric SUV revealed to start at circa-$80,000 driveaway

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The Subaru Solterra, the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, is reported to start from around $80,000 driveaway in Australia, according to dealership sources.

The aforementioned price will apply to the entry-level grade, while the flagship Touring will start from around $85,000 driveaway.

Update: Subaru Australia has officially released the pricing and initial specification of the Solterra, read more in our seperate article

Importantly, both prices fall under the $89,332 cut-off point for luxury car tax for fuel-efficient vehicles in Australia for the 2023 to 2024 financial year.

This figure is important not only because buyers will pay less upfront tax but also because it means that purchasing a Solterra under a novated lease makes it eligible to wave fringe benefits tax. 

Everything else we know about the Solterra

While the specification official is yet to be confirmed, Subaru Australia has previously told Chasing Cars that all Solterra models sold in our market will be all-wheel drive. 

Subaru has previously stated that the first round of deliveries will be dispatched to customers in late December. 

Once arrived on our shores, the Solterra will compete in the electric SUV sales race against established rivals such as the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6 along with the mechanically similar Toyota BZ4X.

For context, the Tesla Model Y starts at $65,400 before on-road costs (around $68,400 driveaway) in RWD guise, but the first AWD-equipped grade, the Long Range Dual Motor, kicks off at $78,400 before on-road costs, or around $84,450 driveaway in NSW before incentives.

An early prototype of the Solterra, which had undergone significant local testing, also previewed what was likely a similar specification to the high-end Touring.

In the US, their top models include features such as:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Leather seat upholstery
• Roof rails
• 12.3-inch touchscreen
• 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• Harman Kardon premium sound system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
• 360-degree camera
• Leather steering wheel
• 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat 

Chasing Car recently spotted what appeared to be an entry-level Solterra parked on the streets of Sydney with some of the key differences including the addition of cloth seats and smaller alloy wheels. 

Additional reporting by Oleky Novak and Zak Adkins