A Subaru Solterra STe (STi) coming next summer?

With electrification, Subaru is one of the manufacturers who face the most challenges in maintaining their personality. No more Boxer flat engines and constant mesh integral, electric motors are putting all that into oblivion. Even if the future is scary for Subaru, the manufacturer can still play on one of its most iconic cards, its performance division Subaru Tecnica international, better known as STi.

Last year, Subaru unveiled the Solterra STi concept as part of the Tokyo Motor Show. At this moment, not a single word on the heart of the beast or what the engine would be. To date, this concept only illustrates a possible avenue if the manufacturer ever decides to launch with a performance version of the Solterra, Subaru’s first electric vehicle. As required to respect the STi tradition, the vehicle is in blue with red accents at the bottom of the body and on the wheels. For more dynamism, the concept also came with more imposing skirts and a large rear spoiler.

While Subaru had said nothing about it, we now learn through the Japanese publication Best Car that the manufacturer would launch a production version of the concept in the summer of 2024. At the same time, Subaru approved the STe name in Germany, which is obviously an evolution of STi. In this case, the “e” stands for “electric”.

To respect the legacy of the STi division, STe will have to give more power to the Solterra. For the moment, in Canada, its only engine generates 215 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque. Compared to the competition, this is one of the least powerful electric vehicles on the market. So Subaru has plenty of room to boost the power and make the STe more competitive in sportiness.

There are still a lot of unknowns in this news, but we allow ourselves to believe that Subaru could revitalize the Solterra range with an STe model. We will see between now and next summer if it comes to fruition.

There’s no doubt that electrification is not good news for Subaru. After all, the manufacturer has always defined itself by the uniqueness of the configuration of its engines. With the simplicity of electrification, Subaru will lose a little of its soul. The idea of ​​keeping STi alive by swapping the “i” for an “e” really makes sense. It is now enough for engineers to give it the mechanical zest that we know from STi products so that enthusiasts continue to be interested in the brand.

Additionally, we must not forget that the Solterra is nothing more than a Toyota bZ4X with a few different exterior decorations. Subaru can afford to share with Toyota for the moment, but we will necessarily have to give ourselves a real personality with electrification. Otherwise, I wouldn’t give much for Subaru’s skin in 20 years.