While Toyota and Subaru’s automotive concepts may grab attention at this week’s Tokyo Auto Show debuts, both brands have also revealed a pair of prototypes based on the new electric crossovers they have developed jointly.
The Toyota has received the GR Sport treatment, while the Subaru has been named the Solterra STI Concept. Both appear to be largely cosmetic affairs.
The bZ4x GR Sport features sportier black-finished wheels with higher-grip tires, sports seats, and matte black exterior panels.
Toyota says it promises a “high level of environmental performance and driving pleasure.”
It comes in a bronze-gray finish, giving the exterior a monochromatic appearance only broken by a flash of red on the brake calipers.
The Solterra STI Concept is more colorful, finished in blue with red not only on the calipers but also on the side skirts and front and rear bumpers. It also includes matte black body panels and black alloy wheels, as well as a rear spoiler.
Neither company has confirmed if these concepts will translate into production variants for their respective model lines.
The midsize electric SUV segment is growing rapidly, with models like the Nissan Ariya, Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6, all offering high-performance variants with over 200 kW of power.
The Subaru/Toyota twins, however, surpass 160 kW with all-wheel drive. The standard front-wheel-drive setup produces 150 kW of power.
The all-wheel-drive variant has a range of 460 km and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.7 seconds, while the front-wheel-drive model has a range of 530 km and can sprint in 8.4 seconds.
Both variants use a 71.4 kWh lithium-ion battery with a maximum AC charger output of 6.6 kW and a maximum DC fast charger output of 150 kW.
The Solterra and bZ4x use a jointly developed new electric vehicle architecture, which Subaru calls the e-Subaru Global Platform and Toyota calls the e-TNGA.
The two models are virtually identical, measuring 4690 mm in length, 1860 mm in width, and 1650 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2850 mm. This makes them slightly longer and wider than a Subaru Forester.
The ground clearance is 210 mm, or 10 mm less than a Forester, while the curb weight ranges from 1930 kg to 2020 kg.
For context, the dual-motor Tesla Model Y weighs 2003 kg.
While the Solterra has not yet been confirmed for Australia, its bZ4x twin is scheduled for a local release in the second half of 2022.
Toyota Australia’s head admitted last year that it would be expensive, much like the first-generation Prius when introducing Toyota’s hybrid technology locally.
