2023 Solterra Interior
The Subaru Solterra's interior design is quite imaginative for the Japanese marque. There is a high-mounted digital gauge cluster ahead of the driver and an expansive infotainment screen in the center. With the available glass roof and the generous glasshouse, it feels pleasantly airy. As standard, the Solterra comes with automatic climate control, heated front seats, blind-spot monitoring, and lane departure prevention. The top trim boasts a power driver's seat with memory and a digital key. There are a few annoyances like the fussy capacitive controls for the ventilation system and the unusually high knee position when sitting at the back.
The dealbreaker for some, though, will be the mixture of a high-mounted digital cluster and lack of vertical adjustment on the steering wheel. It didn't take long to start realizing the digital cluster needs some refinement to make it work as intended. As we see it, the idea is that the gauges sit visibly over the steering wheel, negating any desire or need for a heads-up display. It's a good idea on paper, but it won't work in this configuration for everyone as intended and didn't work well for us tall folk. The steering wheel runs out of height adjustment before it's in the ideal position and still blocks the trip reading part of the odometer from view. Ideally, the gauge cluster would move with the steering wheel to do what it aims to do perfectly. Before buying, that's something we would suggest checking out this feature yourself. It's something we hope Subaru revises before the next batch goes into production.
2023 Solterra Interior Photos
Seating and Interior Space
The Solterra is a five-seater if the fifth person doesn't mind being a little squeezed on the back seat. Fortunately, they don't have to deal with a transmission tunnel where they want to put their feet. However, the floor is high due to the batteries being underneath and knees will sit higher than usual and long-legged people might find that uncomfortable over long periods. Legroom in terms of length is fine back there for adults, and kids will have to reach further to kick a parent's seat. Up at the front, visibility is great and, with no glovebox, the front passenger area feels particularly spacious.
2023 Subaru Solterra Interior Dimensions:
| Subaru Solterra Trims | Premium | Limited | Touring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Headroom Front Seat | 38.8 in. | 38.8 in. | 38.6 in. |
| Headroom Back Seat | 38 in. | 38 in. | 37.1 in. |
| Legroom Front Seat | 42.1 in. | 42.1 in. | 42.1 in. |
| Legroom Back Seat | 35.3 in. | 35.3 in. | 35.3 in. |
| Shoulder Room Front | 57.8 in. | 57.8 in. | 57.8 in. |
| Shoulder Room Rear | 56 in. | 56 in. | 56 in. |
| Hip Room, Front | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. |
| Hip Room, Rear | 44.8 in. | 44.8 in. | 44.8 in. |
Interior Colors and Materials
The base Solterra Premium comes with cloth seating upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. This is replaced by StarTex upholstery for the top two trims which also receive satin chrome-plated interior trim. Elsewhere, there is an abundance of shiny black plastic on the center console, while the dashboard is unusual in that it is covered in a textured cloth. It remains to be seen how this material ages over time.
Subaru hasn't yet revealed the full color palette for the Solterra's cabin but there are some breezy combinations like light seat centers with darker bolsters that looks good.
2023 Solterra Trunk and Cargo Space
We'll cover one of the downsides to the Solterra first: unlike some other EVs, this one doesn't have a convenient frunk in front. The rear trunk measures 27.7 cubic feet with the deck board up or 29 cubes with the deck board down. It's a fairly generous use of space although the sloping roofline does make it trickier to load taller items There is also some hidden storage space beneath the trunk floor. The Subaru Solterra's cargo space can be expanded by folding down the 60/40 split-folding rear seats. Only the top trim has a standard retractable cargo cover.
Within the cabin, the Solterra curiously lacks a traditional glovebox to stash consecutive years' worth of registration and insurance documents, an unread handbook, and at least two pens that don't work. It shouldn't be missed as there is plenty of other places to stash everything, though. There's center console storage space, door pockets, and pockets attached to the backs of the front seats. There is a large, open storage area beneath the front center console that can accommodate a small handbag. A fold-down armrest with an integrated storage space or cupholder is another plus. The top two trims have a wireless phone charging dock in the center console which is sited just ahead of dual cupholders.
2023 Subaru Solterra Trunk and Cargo Space Photos
2023 Subaru Solterra Trunk Size:
| Subaru Solterra Trims | Premium | Limited | Touring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trunk Width (Wheelhousings) | 41.3 in. | 41.3 in. | 41.3 in. |
| Trunk Height (Area) | 32.6 in. | 32.6 in. | 32.6 in. |
2023 Solterra Infotainment and Features
Features
The base Premium model starts things off at a fairly decent level. It comes with comforts like automatic climate control, four-mode heated front seats, a three-mode heated steering wheel, and dual charging ports both front and rear. It has a combination meter with a seven-inch LCD screen, and the exterior mirrors are heated for frostier mornings. Subaru's safety specification is high with a rearview camera, dynamic radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, safe exit assist, and road sign assist all coming as standard.
The mid-range Limited adds a 10-way power driver's seat with two-way power lumbar support and a memory system. It also gets driver parking assistance, power-folding exterior mirrors, a digital key, an automatic anti-glare interior rearview mirror, heated rear outboard seats, a panoramic-view monitor, wireless charging, and a power rear door.
Finally, there's the range-topping Touring. In this guise, the Solterra has ventilated front seats. Its cabin is given a substantial lift with LED footwell lighting, ambient interior lighting, and boosted natural lighting by way of a panoramic moonroof with a power sunshade.
Infotainment
Standard, as in for the Premium trim at launch, the Solterra comes with an eight-inch touchscreen featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. Cloud-based navigation is available for a subscription but seems irrelevant for anyone using a smartphone. A system called Subaru Solterra Connect that features an intelligent assistant is also available via a subscription. A USB A input port is standard at the front, along with two USB C front charging ports and two more in the rear. Moving up to Limited and Touring trim grows the touchscreen to 12.3 inches and an upgrade to a Harman Kardon sound system.