Car of the Year Contenders (6/7): Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X

The resolution for the 2023 Car of the Year election is approaching. As in previous years, seven finalists were selected. Each day for the next seven days, we will be highlighting a contender for Car of the Year.

This year’s Car of the Year awards will take place on January 13th. Until then, the live stream can be seen via Autovisie.nl.

Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X Car of the Year

Subaru has been working with major shareholder Toyota on an all-electric platform, on which Toyota recently unveiled the bZ4X, Lexus is building the RZ, and Subaru has built this Solterra.

The two cars are mostly similar. For example, both have a 71.4 kWh lithium-ion battery on board and a similar look. The interior is also almost identical.

The Subaru Solterra is not sold as a front-wheel drive vehicle, but the bZ4X is. The two engines on the front and rear axles of the Solterra deliver a total of 218 hp and 338 Nm of torque. The front-wheel drive bZ4X produces 204 hp. The range is between 418 and 512 kilometers according to WLTP and charging can take place at a maximum speed of 150 kW. There is no 800-volt electrical system like the Korean competition already has, but one with 355 volts.

Potential Car of the Year

The Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X are joint contenders for Car of the Year 2023. Both electric cars don’t come cheap. The Subaru starts at just over 55 grand, the entry-level model at Toyota is 4,000 euros cheaper. If you want to know more about the two Japanese electric cars, watch the upcoming videos where Dries van den Elzen tells you everything you need to know about the electric cars.

Video Toyota bZ4X

Video Subaru Solterra