Subaru Solterra review

It’s fairly smart in here. A strip of cloth covers some of the dash, and the transmission selector and cupholders are on a flying buttress console with more storage underneath. Typical for EVs, but well executed.

Top-spec models get luxuries like a panoramic roof, wireless charger, eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and a fake leather interior. Nice to have, but not essential.

What's the tech like?

The driver's screen is mounted some way ahead of you on a sweeping bridge. Looks good, and for most of us works well. It's in your sightline above the steering wheel rim, so you don't have to drop your gaze far below the road. And because it's distant you don't need to re-focus either. Most of the advantages of a HUD, then.

But if you like to sit very reclined, the wheel rim might block some of the screen. It's something people sometimes find with Peugeots. Try before you buy.

It’s sensibly laid out but its graphics are still a bit coarse. Steering wheel pads scroll through some useful sub screens; energy use, entertainment, driver assist.

The central screen is 12.3 inches and has decent definition. It'll do phone mirroring of course. For the car's native maps and control menus, the graphics are much nicer than Subaru has managed before.

The best news of all is that Subaru hasn’t done away with physical switchgear completely, including a dedicated row of climate control buttons. We like.

Will my passengers enjoy the ride?

Space is decent. Headroom in the back is OK for six-footers even with the top-grade double sunroof. There's the usual EV gotcha that the battery raises the floor a bit, so it needs the front seats raised a little to give enough foot room behind. Four USB power sockets are dotted around the cabin.

The boot is a good size (452 litres in Limited trim spec, 441 litres in Touring), bigger than a Mustang Mach-E’s, about on par with a Nissan Ariya, but lagging behind the Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq. And there’s room under the floor for cables or mucky boots. No frunk though.