2026 Subaru Solterra Limited XT Review: Subaru Finally Fixed It

I reviewed the Subaru Solterra a couple of years ago and called it the EV that can go off-road.

I meant it as a compliment, and it was true — but rereading that piece now, the praise was aimed almost entirely at the things Subaru had always been good at. Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. Ground clearance. Capability. The parts Subaru owners already trusted.

The parts that were harder to defend were everything from the screen forward.

The 2026 Solterra Limited XT fixes them.

Our tester was a 2026 Subaru Solterra EV Limited XT finished in Midnight Tide Mica with Astro Black Mica fenders and cladding.

Exterior Styling

The redesign works.

Subaru has cleaned up the Solterra's proportions and given it a more resolved, more confident look than the outgoing car. Where the original leaned into a slightly awkward, aerodynamic-first shape, the new one reads as a proper Subaru — related to the rest of the lineup rather than an outlier in the showroom.

The details do a lot of the work. There is a new front lighting signature with an illuminated six-star Subaru logo and headlight washers, a new rear lighting signature with updated badging, and a roof-mounted dual spoiler with aerodynamic fins. The Limited XT rides on 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels wrapped in 235/50 R20 all-season tires.

In Midnight Tide Mica with the Astro Black cladding, it looks considerably more expensive than the car it replaces.

Powertrain and Performance

Subaru uprated both electric motors for 2026, and the Solterra Limited XT now produces 338 horsepower.

That is a significant number, and not only because it is a lot for a Subaru crossover. It is the same output as the Subaru Uncharted GT I drove in the same stretch — which explains why the two cars feel so closely related from behind the wheel.

The Solterra uses synchronous electric motors with integrated transaxles at both the front and rear axles, which means Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard rather than optional. Driving Mode Select offers Eco, Normal, and Power settings.

It drives a lot like the Uncharted GT, and that is a compliment. Both share an eager, planted, easy-to-place character that makes them more entertaining than their shapes suggest. At 4,475 pounds the Solterra is the heavier of the two and feels it, but the extra mass mostly translates into a more settled ride rather than a duller one.

Range and Charging

The uprated 74.7-kWh lithium-ion battery is rated at 278 miles of range.

More importantly, Subaru fitted a NACS-style compatible charging port on the right front fender. That means Tesla Supercharger access without an adapter, which does more for real-world EV ownership than almost any figure on a spec sheet. An 11-kW onboard charger handles AC charging at home.

Two hundred seventy-eight miles is competitive rather than class-leading. It is also a meaningful step up from where this nameplate started, and combined with the NACS port it makes the Solterra a far easier car to actually live with than the original.

Interior and Technology

This is the change that matters most.

Subaru has moved the Solterra onto a horizontal 14-inch Subaru Multimedia touchscreen, and I am glad they did. I was never a fan of the old Subaru Starlink setup — it felt dated next to the competition and it was the single thing I would have changed about the previous car.

The new system is a straightforward upgrade. It is more responsive, better organized, and the horizontal layout suits the width of the dashboard far better than what it replaced. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, along with dual 15-watt wireless smartphone chargers and a 7-inch LCD combination meter.

The rest of the cabin has come up with it. The Limited XT is genuinely luxurious inside, with a Harman Kardon premium speaker system, heated outboard rear seats, a 360-degree heated steering wheel, footwell lighting, power-folding mirrors with two-position memory, and a power rear door with automatic close and height memory.

Capability and Safety

The Solterra retains the hardware that made the original worth writing about.

Dual-Function X-MODE with Grip Control, Hill-Start Assist Control, and standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive mean this is still a Subaru first and an EV second. Advanced Park and a Panoramic View Monitor make the 184.6-inch body easier to place in tight spaces.

EyeSight driver assist technologies are standard, joined by a Parking Support Brake System with pedestrian detection and eight airbags including driver and front passenger knee airbags.

Value

Subaru has not published final pricing for the 2026 Solterra Limited XT — the press materials for our tester list it as TBD — so I am not going to guess at an as-tested figure.

What I can say is that the value equation has shifted. The outgoing Solterra asked buyers to accept a mediocre interior and a dated infotainment system in exchange for Subaru capability. This one does not ask for that trade at all.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 Subaru Solterra Limited XT is the car the Solterra should have been from the start.

The capability was never the problem. Subaru has been building all-wheel-drive vehicles that go where you point them for decades, and the original Solterra inherited all of it. What it lacked was an interior and an infotainment system worthy of the price.

Both are fixed.

It looks better.

It feels more expensive.

And the screen no longer feels like an apology.

For anyone who liked the idea of an electric Subaru but could not get past the details, this is the version worth another look.

Chung Score: 8.3/10

Pros:

• • 338 horsepower, matching the Uncharted GT
• • Redesigned exterior is a clear improvement
• • Horizontal 14-inch touchscreen replaces the dated Starlink system
• • Genuinely luxurious interior with Harman Kardon audio
• • NACS-style compatible charging port
• • Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with Dual-Function X-MODE
• • Panoramic View Monitor and Advanced Park

Cons:

• • 278 miles of range trails the segment leaders
• • 4,475 pounds is heavy, and you feel it next to the lighter Uncharted
• • Still closely related to its Toyota counterpart
• • Subaru had not published final pricing at the time of testing