The new Subaru Outback is not coming to Europe. However, we will also get a Subaru Outback, namely the E-Outback! This EV is the long and rugged sibling of the Solterra, which is also being presented in a renewed form for the European market.
Painful: for the first time in the history of the famous Subaru Outback, actually the inventor of its segment, that car is most likely not coming to Europe. However, Subaru already has the solution ready and is bringing the Trailseeker, previously presented in America, to Europe as the Subaru E-Outback. This means that this model will soon be available under two brand names, because at Toyota, the Trailseeker was already presented as the bZ4X Touring.
This ‘station wagon’ is nothing more or less than an extended and somewhat more rugged-looking version of the lively duo Toyota bZ4X/Subaru Solterra, with which the serious electric adventure began for both brands a few years ago. The E-Outback is therefore actually ‘just’ a Solterra that is 14 centimeters longer and 2 centimeters higher. The Outback name is justified by the black wheel arches, which the Solterra actually loses with the facelift. The E-Outback also distinguishes itself from the Solterra with sturdy bumpers and sill cladding, roof rails and a rear window wiper.
Drivetrain E-Outback
The Subaru E-Outback will initially only have one powertrain. It combines a 74.7 kWh battery with two electric motors, together good for 343 hp and a 0-100 time of around 5 seconds. Immediately the fastest Outback ever, then. The car is allowed to tow 1,500 kg and has a range of ‘more than’ 450 kilometers without a trailer. Toyota’s twin brother also has this powertrain, but is also ‘simply’ available with front-wheel drive. That makes the bZ4X Touring less fast and less tough, but it does mean that the driving range suddenly increases to 560 kilometers. There are no photos of the European Subaru E-Outback yet, so we’ll make do with a picture of the American Trailseeker. ‘Our’ version is most likely almost identical, but without the orange ‘side markers’.
Solterra
With the arrival of the E-Outback, it is also time for the European version of the renewed Subaru Solterra. There is an image of that, albeit only one picture for the time being. As mentioned, the Solterra is shorter than the E-Outback, and stands further away from SUV-like vehicles than before due to its now fully painted bumpers and wheel arches. The nose is new and now has separate headlights placed lower in the bumper.
The always all-wheel drive EV gets a huge power boost from the powertrain that is also in the E-Outback and of course the bZ4X. Previously, a Solterra was 218 hp strong, now 343 hp. The sprint from 0 to 100 is thus completed in 5.1 seconds, while the driving range is raised above 500 kilometers thanks to the new 73.1 kWh battery. The towing weight doubles to 1,500 kg and fast charging is a lot faster than before: ‘from 10 to 80 percent’ should be achievable in 30 minutes.