2026 Solterra

[R P]

Quite a few significant improvements. Not sure if these were all pre-announced before, but just reading this, could make it a real winner. My original 2023 model is great off-road, and if this one is even better, that is quite a feat. And the bonus is vastly improved fast charging (if it matches the specs). Now it could also be used as a trip car.
https://insideevs.com/news/773567/2026-subaru-solterra-ev-prices-revealed/

 

[electriceddy]

Quite a few significant improvements. Not sure if these were all pre-announced before, but just reading this, could make it a real winner. My original 2023 model is great off-road, and if this one is even better, that is quite a feat. And the bonus is vastly improved fast charging (if it matches the specs). Now it could also be used as a trip car.
https://insideevs.com/news/773567/2026-subaru-solterra-ev-prices-revealed/

From the article;
" upgraded front and rear electric motors with silicon carbide semiconductors, producing 233 horsepower (up from 215 hp). You also get a 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery (up from 72.8 kWh) which delivers 288 miles of range (up from 227 miles.
Subaru said that’s just a 2% bump in battery capacity, but thanks to better cell insulation, upgraded cooling, new motors and improved aerodynamics, it translates into a massive 26% gain in range."

That is an amazing range gain just utilizing more efficient (yet more powerful) motors/electronics and tweaking the battery characteristics/cooling.
Thanks for the link, looks good for Subaru

 

[R P]

And a lot faster charging. The new Trailseeker drive train and platform should be similar.

 

[BrokeBoater]

Been 12 days since we took delivery of our 2026 Tech package. It has been bouncing around between 0 and 5c temperature here since we took delivery. The only minor complaint (maybe we were spoiled with the Kona) is you have to reset the regen every time you start the car as it reverts to the lowest setting. We haven't done a charge session yet, other than a short Tesla test, but probably will by the weekend. There is as expected a disconnect between the GOM and the state of charge, which conveniently shows a percentage on the instrument monitor.
So far we love the car and its roominess. It is amazing the number friends, neighbours and even strangers who have complimented us on our choice of car.

 

[BrokeBoater]

Just over a month now and about 565 km on the car. We have done a charge on our home 30 amp (26 amp actual) Grizzl-e level 2 charger with Grizzl-e NACS adapter. The unsolicited compliments on the car have not stopped. Admittedly it looks great in Smoked Carbon with black roof and the 20 inch tires. The weather until recently has been in the -5 to 5 c range. Our garage is attached to the house, and while it is not heated, it is insulated. The climate control system is wonderful and we are very happy we got the Tech package with the infared lap heaters for the front seats. The optional setting that only turns on the climate to the passenger seat if it's occupied is a nice feature. We are still getting used to resetting the regen every time we start the car. A trip to the lumber yard made us realize how much cargo area there is in the car. We did reconfigure our garage (which needed declutterring anyway) as the car is long, 6 inches longer than the 2016 Tucson ICE we once had. The charging takes longer than the Kona but this because it is a 20% bigger battery. The GOM is getting better, my guess is because we have driven more kms. It had 6km on it when we bought it. Comparing the range to the Kona, in similar weather, after the first charge we got 3.92km per Kwh instead of 4.5 with the Kona, but of course it is a heavier car, running 2 motors at 338hp instead of 1 at 201hp. We will get some data on long hi way driving in February when go over the mountains to Vancouver. We still have to try out the parallel parking system and the X drive.

 

[BrokeBoater]

Well we are about 5 months in with the Solterra. We have done a trip to Vancouver and back over the Hope Princeton. Given similar weather with the 2023 Kona (Rain, Snow, up to -5c), it used maybe 2-3% more power. Only 3 small issues/complaints so far; no regen memory, No granny charger with the car - went to the Tesla dealer and go their Mobile Connector, and adding the activity mount disconnected the kick to open trunk sensor.

The car is extremely comfortable and is easy to get into which is nice for our backs. Especially the seats are probably the most comfortable we have had in a car since a 5 series BWM we had in the early 1980's.

Was surprised to hear from a daughter in Vancouver on Friday, that she has just bought a tech package like ours. She takes delivery this week. It will be a trial by fire for her as she is coming up here for the easter weekend. I doubt the she will still be on the dealers charge and not charged the car her self, meaning her first experience will be the Hope Tesla station.....mmm should I ensure I have my Cell on Friday?

 

[BrokeBoater]

Well we are about 5 months in with the Solterra. We have done a trip to Vancouver and back over the Hope Princeton. Given similar weather with the 2023 Kona (Rain, Snow, up to -5c), it used maybe 2-3% more power. Only 3 small issues/complaints so far; no regen memory, No granny charger with the car - went to the Tesla dealer and go their Mobile Connector, and adding the activity mount disconnected the kick to open trunk sensor.

The car is extremely comfortable and is easy to get into which is nice for our backs. Especially the seats are probably the most comfortable we have had in a car since a 5 series BWM we had in the early 1980's.

Was surprised to hear from a daughter in Vancouver on Friday, that she has just bought a tech package like ours. She takes delivery this week. It will be a trial by fire for her as she is coming up here for the easter weekend. I doubt the she will still be on the dealers charge and not charged the car her self, meaning her first experience will be the Hope Tesla station.....mmm should I ensure I have my Cell on Friday?

She made the trip up to Penticton on the Couq. Only minor issue was a bad Tesla charger at Hope. She simply moved to another charger. The Harbour Blue tech black clad she bought is quite nice. She got 54kWh from our level 2 charger before she left. She charged in Hope on the way back. Her only complaint was the charger had finished charging before she had paid for her Starbuck's lunch which is on sight.

Today I got a text from her simply saying "Honestly this car makes me very happy"

Frankly my wife & I rank it as one of the nicest cars we have ever had as well

Turns out she has free level 2 charging in her underground office parking lot. We put a level 2 into her house" parking spot 3 years ago. I suspect she won't need it.

 

[TurkeyTrot]

Well we are about 5 months in with the Solterra. We have done a trip to Vancouver and back over the Hope Princeton. Given similar weather with the 2023 Kona (Rain, Snow, up to -5c), it used maybe 2-3% more power. Only 3 small issues/complaints so far; no regen memory, No granny charger with the car - went to the Tesla dealer and go their Mobile Connector, and adding the activity mount disconnected the kick to open trunk sensor.

The car is extremely comfortable and is easy to get into which is nice for our backs. Especially the seats are probably the most comfortable we have had in a car since a 5 series BWM we had in the early 1980's.

Was surprised to hear from a daughter in Vancouver on Friday, that she has just bought a tech package like ours. She takes delivery this week. It will be a trial by fire for her as she is coming up here for the easter weekend. I doubt the she will still be on the dealers charge and not charged the car her self, meaning her first experience will be the Hope Tesla station.....mmm should I ensure I have my Cell on Friday?

I’m sure your daughter’s trip will go well and it will be a good learning experience for her to figure out Tesla charging herself.

Did your/her dealership have the two week, come back and have the on site car nerd explain the features you/she might not have figured out/noticed during your short experience?

We found it super helpful. We’re still saying the old folk ’not sure about that’ with regards to the parking assist even though we’re sure it works. Perpendicular assisted parking is S…L…O…W so I imagine there’s little reason for us to use it. If the space is narrow enough for us to resort to assisted parking, likely assisted parking wouldn’t work anyway, and meanwhile impatient drivers would be fretting behind us as we wait for the car to decide ’nah, can’t get in there. what were you thinking?'

Now, parallel could come in handy.

Knowledge makes power and independence!

 

[BrokeBoater]

I’m sure your daughter’s trip will go well and it will be a good learning experience for her to figure out Tesla charging herself.

Did your/her dealership have the two week, come back and have the on site car nerd explain the features you/she might not have figured out/noticed during your short experience?

We found it super helpful. We’re still saying the old folk ’not sure about that’ with regards to the parking assist even though we’re sure it works. Perpendicular assisted parking is S…L…O…W so I imagine there’s little reason for us to use it. If the space is narrow enough for us to resort to assisted parking, likely assisted parking wouldn’t work anyway, and meanwhile impatient drivers would be fretting behind us as we wait for the car to decide ’nah, can’t get in there. what were you thinking?'

Now, parallel could come in handy.

Knowledge makes power and independence!

I passed on your comment re: "car nerd"...Thx. I know she showed me how the head light and rear camera washers worked, the latter being really handy here in the winter, so her salesperson may be fairly advanced in product knowledge.

She seems to be doing fine around Vancouver and is very comfortable with using a J to NACS adapter at home. She does admit that the CCS to NACS adapter she has for a back up is a bit intimidating because of the size. Frankly, I don't doubt that because the NACS plug and cable, are so much easier to handle, especially in the winter, than the CCS format, which we used with the Kona the 3 years we had it.

Yes the parking assist is really slow, although it does work. It did back into our narrow garage, from being parked on the street, dead centre although it stopped before it was all the way in because of the rear sensors seeing the back wall and breaking the car. It also took, maybe 10 seconds to get over the gutter lip between our drive way and the street, my guess is because of the slow speed. I doubt we will use it, although it is an interesting toy, and maybe a bridge toward future autonomous driving features if we ever get a new car. I drove transport in the summer when I was going to school and am still pretty good using my mirrors, which is of course enhanced by the cameras and sensors.