Perhaps it's no great surprise that Subaru, maker of some of the tougher and more rugged wagons and SUVs on the market, is late to the EV party. After all, despite recent advances, we've seen the limitations of electric vehicles in off-road environments. But now we finally know more about Subaru's first EV. We already knew that this new EV would be jointly developed with Toyota and can now confirm that it will be called the Subaru Solterra. The new SUV will compete in the C-segment and rides on the new dedicated e-Subaru Global Platform.

"Solterra" is a combination of the Latin words "Sol" (Sun) and "Terra" (Earth). The name underlines the brand's goal to deliver an EV with the same go-anywhere capabilities of other, conventionally-powered Subaru SUVs such as the Forester. The e-Subaru Global Platform will make it possible for the company to easily develop new EVs of various kinds since the platform can combine several components and modules. Along with the announcement of the Solterra name, Subaru also shared two teaser pictures of the new electric SUV, although it's not nearly as adventurous as the Subaru SUV concept shown previously. The one image shows the badge on the tailgate and the other shows the SUV in profile.

The Solterra has a chunky stance and some stylish headlamps with their integrated daytime running lamps. There is what looks like a large front grille section but the detailing of it is concealed and, of course, the Solterra doesn't actually require a traditional grille. Overall, it appears modern but not too futuristic or alienating, which is exactly what one would expect from Subaru, a company not known for outlandish designs. For now, Subaru has not shared any technical details about its first EV but we do know that it is slated to go on sale in the middle of next year in major markets like China, Europe, and North America, joining the brand's lineup of existing SUVs.