The 2026 model year brings the biggest changes to Subaru’s Solterra EV so far. The new XT model features 338 horsepower, marking a significant 113-hp boost compared to the 2025 Solterra. The maximum range, described as “more than 285 miles,” also marks a significant increase compared to the 2025 version. The Subaru Solterra looked like a terrible attempt, even as the first electric vehicle. When it came out for the 2023 model year, it was a rebadged Toyota bZ4X. The biggest problem with it was that neither of them was very competitive. Subaru is taking the 2026 Solterra seriously by making a number of changes that fix major problems. Like the Toyota version, the Solterra can only be bought with two motors and all-wheel drive. Those motors are now making more power, though. The base model has 233 horsepower, up from 215 horsepower before, and the new XT model has 338 horsepower. Subaru says that the XT can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than five seconds. This is a lot faster than the 6.1 seconds it took us to get a 2024 model to that speed. Solterra also fell short when it came to range, but the 2026 model does better in that area, too. Subaru says that the 2026 Solterra can now go up to 285 miles on a single charge, even though the new 75-kWh battery is only 2 kWh bigger than the old one. This is a huge improvement over the current car, which gets between 222 and 227 miles per gallon, depending on the trim level. The 2026 Solterra also has a built-in NACS charging port, which means it can be charged at Tesla Supercharger sites when it’s time. We learned that the 2024 model’s highest rate of recharge is 99 kW, and its highest rate of ion input is 150 kW. The Solterra’s all-wheel-drive system has 8.3 inches of ground clearance, hill-descent control, and Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes, so it can still handle some rough terrain.
