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2023 Subaru Solterra
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By Denis Flierl Feb 6 2023 - 8:39am

The New Solterra EV Pushed Subaru of America Over The Edge

Without the all-new Subaru Solterra EV, Subaru of America doesn't start the new year up in sales. See why the Solterra is just what the automaker needed.
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2023 Solterra EV
Subaru Solterra
Subaru EV
Solterra EV

Subaru is happy to see 2023 arrive as they report an increase in sales to start the new year. Subaru of America (SOA) says sales were up 0.5 percent in January, the sixth consecutive month of month-over-month sales increases for the Camden, N.J. automaker.

But without the all-new 2023 Solterra EV, SOA would not have started 2023 with a sales increase, and they would have been down compared with last year. The first month of Solterra sales was in December 2022. Now Subaru will count a full year's sales results in 2023 for its first battery-electric vehicle.

2023 Subaru Solterra
photo credit: Competition Subaru

SOA reported 44,373 vehicles were delivered to customers for January 2023 compared with January 2022 (44,158). "We are off to a winning start in 2023 following a season of strong holiday car-buying," said Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales. But 0.5 percent is a small margin of increase, and thanks to the new Solterra, sales improve year over year.

The all-new 2023 Subaru Solterra EV, in its second month of sales, had 499 compact SUV sales in January. Subaru's all-new 2023 Solterra EV has arrived in the U.S., but SOA's allotment of the battery-electric model is already pre-sold.

2023 Subaru Solterra
photo credit: Competition Subaru

Subaru of America closed the Solterra reservation system about one year ago on February 28, 2022, and said the new compact SUV EV sold out in the first 72 hours. SOA's retailers filled their reservations within a few days of the system going live.

What should customers do if they want a new Solterra now?

Customers who order a new Solterra EV now will likely get the 2024 Solterra models that will be delivered later in 2023. Subaru will make few changes, if any, to the 2024 model year only in its second year of production. But there will be a price increase. We don't know the 2024 model pricing, as Subaru has yet to announce the 2024 model updates.

The 2024 Subaru Solterra EV will be a hot new SUV for Subaru of America, and they will sell as many as they can get from Subaru Corporation. The Japanese automaker doesn't control the production of the new Solterra, as Toyota manufactures it.

What sets the Solterra apart from other EVs?

Customers looking for a battery electric vehicle will get a Solterra with all-wheel-drive all-weather performance, fun-to-drive, unique vehicle balance in severe conditions, and top safety scores. Subaru infused the 2023 Solterra EV with its core values, not those of other automakers.

The all-wheel-drive Subaru Solterra will be a success because it's designed for Subaru's customers looking to have some fun in the snow and for off-pavement excursions with their electric SUV.

Does Solterra qualify for the new U.S. EV tax credit?

Unfortunately, Solterra does not qualify for the new U.S. EV tax credit. Only EVs and PHEVs with a final assembly point in North America qualify for the consumer tax incentive. The Solterra is manufactured in Japan. Subaru has indicated that it plans to submit the Solterra to the IRS list but has yet to do so. The Solterra may also qualify for state and local incentives.

The all-new 2023 Subaru Solterra EV pushed SOA over the edge in January. Without the new EV, Subaru of America doesn't start the new year up in sales. The Solterra comes along just at the right time.

You Might Also Like: Subaru Secretly Reveals The All-New 2025 Outback To Its U.S. Dealers

Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Competition Subaru

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Comments

jg wrote on February 6, 2023 - 11:00am
Don’t be fooled, this is a Toyota through and through. Subaru obviously did a fantastic job making it drive like a Subaru, but inside it’s definitely a Prius styled like a RAV4 and owners will be paying Toyota and Google for the lifetime of the vehicle for multiple subscriptions just to have basic software functionality in the center stack and remote access. So sad that Subaru got sucked into this deal with Toyota. Eventually there will be an actual Subaru EV released, but nobody should regret not getting one of these. There are many sites documenting the severe lack of utility in these vehicles that most Subaru customers would be expecting. It is sooo Toyota — not that there’s anything wrong with that (for some people).
George hawkins wrote on February 6, 2023 - 12:03pm
If Subaru would have kept the line of cars that they are known for instead of caving into Americans fear on global warming there sales would be up. If they added an STI variant to all models sales would increase. Electric cars are a joke. Bring back the STI.
Mike wrote on February 7, 2023 - 1:46pm
EV vehicles are not a joke They are not for all people or all situations But they are not a joke
bob wrote on February 10, 2023 - 9:52pm
EVs are are not worth it. If they were they wouldn't need to offer government rebates. They impact the environment by the materials they require.We have to use rare materials that we need to get from China and other not friendly countries. There are NOT enough of these minerals for all the vehicles that would need to be built. There is not enough electricity to charge all these vehicles. Last summer (in kalifornia) people were told to NOT charge their cars due to the lack of enough electricity. And they just dis-incentivised getting home solar by nearly eliminating the power payback - net 3.0
Jack McCullough wrote on February 6, 2023 - 11:17pm
Eagerly waiting for news of the 2024 Forester! Hybrid? Turbo? Date to place order? Thanks!
Mike wrote on February 7, 2023 - 1:43pm
Got to this new model in person Was so so disappointed Was hoping to want to buy it but it just is so far short of where it should have landed This is the product of a start up company, not worthy of toyota/subaru
Nb wrote on February 11, 2023 - 3:21am
Those solterras are the biggest piles of shit I’ve ever seen come out of Japan. They aren’t selling well at all and customers are not excited to have to wait longer than for a Ferrari to get a 54k pos.