Subaru Solterra vs Toyota Corolla Cross

What's the difference?

The updated Subaru Solterra is now good enough to compete with rivals such as the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X. The price is right as are the driving range and motor outputs.

There's room for improvement in terms of cabin packaging. The car doesn’t cater for taller, larger people up front, with the steering wheel placement and wide centre console. Cabin storage could also be much better.

Still, the Solterra is superb to drive. One of the best EVs I’ve piloted at this price.

The Corolla Cross is still an incredibly sensible car if you’re needing to buy a car, but you’re not a car person. Everything is intuitive and easy, allowing you to focus on driving.

This update has helped make this car stand out a bit more, but it’s still a bit vanilla. The Hyundai Kona, for example, offers more character. Also the asking price, especially at the top end, is creeping eerily close to RAV4 territory.

The Solterra is a mid-sized SUV with sporty coupe-like styling and this update has seen the front of the car receive a new look which to my eyes is better than the previous face. 

The rest of the car’s exterior remains mainly unchanged in the design.

If you aren’t a fan of the Solterra’s look then check out Toyota’s bZ4X, which is its twin and has slightly more conservative styling, and while I do like the Subaru’s face, I think Toyota’s tail-light treatment is cleaner.

The cabin is modern with a large central media screen, a high-placed instrument display and a wide centre console with dual phone chargers. But the squareish steering wheel steals the show, completing the futuristic vibe.

This update has seen the centre console re-designed with the dual chargers added and the gear-shifter moved backwards away from the media display.

The cabin doesn’t have much in the way of glitzy touches, with dark materials dominating throughout. Hard plastics abound, but the interior still looks and feels premium.

Toyota has put some effort into jazzing up the Corolla Cross’ exterior design. The pre-update car was arguably one of the more vanilla cars in its segment.

The most noticeable changes are up front. There’s a new grille set-up with hexagonal cutouts, as well as new LED headlights that are connected by a section that illuminates at night. This latter part looks quite tacky and feeds into the current trend of full-width light bars.

Around the side there are new 18-inch alloy wheel designs on this Atmos trim, as well as a revised LED tail-light set-up.

You can still tell this car is clearly a Corolla Cross from the outside thanks to the cladding around the wheel arches, but it no longer looks so boring, especially in top-spec Atmos guise.

Inside the design changes are more minimal. There’s a new centre console set-up that includes a chunkier gear selector, as well as an ambient lighting strip that wraps around the outside.

I prefer this centre console as it looks more substantial than the pre-update car’s, however, the glossy piano black is a big downside. After a week of testing it was already dusty and grimy, plus scratches are inevitable when you wipe it clean.

Beyond this there are no other obvious changes. I wish Toyota would include some differing colours and finishes inside as it’s a bit of a sea of black.

While there are some soft-touch materials on the dashboard and armrests, you don’t need to look far to find harsher, scratchier finishes. I expect better in a car that costs more than $50,000.

The steering wheel’s square design is like that for a reason - it’s designed to provide the driver with a clearer view of the instrument cluster. But as noted in the past with other vehicles that choose this set up, the ergonomics don’t work for everybody - especially if you’re tall like me (I’m 189cm).

In my case the top of the steering wheel obstructs my visibility of the display, which shows vehicle speed among other crucial info. 

There’s also a problem with the clearance of the steering wheel and my legs. This is caused by a combination of my height, the low steering wheel and the limitations of how much it can be raised, the low-hip point in the seating position and the shape of the wheel. 

Add an overly wide centre console and space for larger and taller drives becomes even more cramped.

Moving the shifter back in this update also makes it more difficult to use for me and the mechanism is quite clunky.

Second row space is a much better story, with a flat floor, good headroom and lots of legroom even for me behind my driving position. The rear door aperture isn’t great and this has made installing child car seats and the corresponding child difficult.

Cabin storage could also be better. There’s no glove box, but there is space under the centre console, although this is now where the large driver’s manual lives. There’s a large centre console bin, big door pockets and four cupholders (two up front and two in the second row).

The second row has directional air vents and USB ports. There are USB ports up front, too.

Boot capacity isn't enormous at 421 litres in the entry-grade and 410 litres in the Touring. There’s no front boot, either. Under the bonnet is the Solterra’s front motor and electrical hardware.    

The Solterra is a five seater SUV, so no third row here.

The front seats in this car are deliciously comfortable. The bolsters hug you nicely and there’s plenty of upper back and leg support.

I’m also a fan of the upholstery finish in this Atmos trim. It’s a combination of leather and fabric which is great because the front seats also offer heating and now ventilation.

The steering wheel is a classic Toyota unit that features synthetic leather wrapping and heating function. There are also plenty of clearly labelled physical buttons that are a treat to use.

Behind this there’s a 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster like plenty of other Toyota models now. It features a familiar set-up that allows you to change a number of widgets and save multiple pages of configurations.

Moving across, the 10.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system is high-resolution and has crisp colours. There’s not a heap to do in the native user interface so there’s no excuse to get lost.

Thankfully there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Connection was immediate with my iPhone 15 Pro Max when starting up the car and it remained rock solid throughout known interference points.

Under the touchscreen I appreciate that Toyota has retained physical climate control buttons and dials. They’re very easy to understand and use, especially on the move.

In fact, there are a lot of physical buttons around the cabin. This is great because you don’t need to dive into touchscreen menus and sub-menus.

In terms of amenities up front there are two cupholders, a wireless charger, USB-C charger, centre console box with a 12V socket, as well as a glovebox.

Moving to the second row there’s a decent amount of space for a small SUV, though if you want to use the seats more, you’ll likely want to opt for something larger, like a RAV4.

At 182cm tall I have minimal legroom behind my own driving position, though toeroom is excellent. Headroom is fine though it is impeded due to the panoramic glass sunroof, which notably doesn’t open despite the thick crossbar.

You can easily get two adults in the back of the Corolla Cross, though pushing it to three would make things squishy. It doesn’t help that there’s a central hump in the floor.

Amenities include rear air vents, two USB-C ports, bottle holders on the doors, plus a fold-down armrest with cupholders.

Around the back there’s a hands-free power tailgate that’s handy if you’ve got your hands full. In classic Toyota fashion, it opens and closes with plenty of beeps, which may attract attention.

There’s 380L of boot space with the rear seats upright, expanding to 2000L with them folded. This is fine for the segment, but doesn’t stand out. Front-wheel drive trims get a touch more boot space as they don’t have the rear electric motor.

In the boot area there’s a light, some hooks and a load cover. Unfortunately all-wheel-drive trims don’t come with a spare wheel whatsoever. Instead they only get a tyre repair kit.

It’s worth noting two-wheel-drive trims get a space-saver spare wheel. This is important if you frequently do long-distance drives away from tyre repair shops.

The 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross line-up now starts from $37,440 before on-roads for the GX Hybrid trim, however, on test here is the flagship Atmos Hybrid AWD trim at $50,990 before on-roads. That’s a fair chunk of change for a small SUV.

For context, you can get a mid-spec RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid for around the same price as this Corolla Cross. Ultimately it comes down to whether you want a bigger car or more equipment.

Speaking of the latter, this top-spec Corolla Cross is stacked with equipment.

Highlights include new 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a panoramic glass sunroof, 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker JBL premium sound system, heated and ventilated front seats, as well as premium leather-accented upholstery.

One of the few things this car is missing over its rivals is the availability of a head-up display.

The Solterra has two electric motors and as before there is one driving the front wheels, and one driving the rear wheels for all-wheel drive. Toyota’s bZ4X twin can be had in two-wheel drive and AWD.

The big news is the motors are now more powerful. Much more powerful. Combined output is 252KW (up from 160kW). That’s a huge increase but power is still less than the output of a Model Y or Zeekr 7X.

The front motor now makes 167kW/268Nm, while the rear motor produces 88kW/169Nm. Acceleration from 0-100km/h is about five seconds and that’s almost two seconds faster than the old version. 

Like last year, all Corolla Cross trims now come with a hybrid powertrain. It’s unchanged with this facelift.

There’s a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with either one or two electric motors, depending on whether you opt for a front- or all-wheel drive version. Our tester is the latter so it has two electric motors.

Total system output is 146kW with drive sent through an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT). Top speed is 180km/h.

It’s worth pointing out there is no power difference between the front- and all-wheel drive trims. Uniquely, the latter picks up a ‘Snow’ drive mode.

The updated Soltera’s battery size has increased to 74.7kWh. That’s up from 71.4kWh and means driving range has increased. 

The new, larger lithium ion battery delivers a range of 566km (WLTP) in the entry-grade Solterra (up from 414km). That addresses a big concern about the old car. The Touring has a range of 517km and any range above 500km is acceptable in my book.

Also big news is the increase in maximum AC charging capacity from 11kW to 22kW. DC charging capacity is the same at 150kW with 0-80 per cent charge in about 30 minutes.

Consumption officially ranges from about 14.6kWh/100km in the entry-grade Solterra to 16.0kW/100km in the Touring. The Touring we tested was reporting 17.0kW/100km according to the trip computer after 163km of testing in mainly urban conditions. 

Toyota claims the Corolla Cross Atmos Hybrid AWD consumes an average of 4.4L/100km on the combined cycle. This is 0.2L/100km higher than front-wheel-drive trims.

During my week of testing I saw an average of 5.0L/100km, according to the trip computer. This is fine, but I’ve experienced better in other hybrid SUVs.

However, during one trip into the office with heavy traffic I achieved an average of 3.7L/100km. Now that’s frugal!

All-wheel-drive trims get a larger 43L fuel tank compared to the 36L unit front-wheel-drive versions have.

Using my as-tested fuel consumption, this car has a theoretical range of 860km.

All Corolla Cross variants require a minimum of 91 RON regular unleaded petrol.

The Solterra may slightly lag behind rivals in some areas such as range and power output, but where most rivals can barely touch it is when it comes to driving.

Currently there aren’t many electric vehicles that are good to drive, except for more prestige offerings from brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. 

The Solterra is one of the best electric vehicles I have driven at this price point and it’s down to the outstanding platform it shares with the Toyota bZ4X which provides superb ride comfort, great handling and excellent steering.

Acceleration is strong and traction from the all-wheel drive is good.

Sure, while the driving position needs improvement, the car itself is excellent to drive.

Visibility is also good and sound intrusion is minimal. We noticed some materials making noises in the cabin. Although this is common, with no engine to mask it, it becomes more noticeable in EVs. 

When you first start up the car it usually defaults to EV mode unless the petrol engine is bone cold. If this is the case it’ll fire it up to get the fluids warmed up.

Once the engine reaches operating temperature it typically switches off again, allowing you to cruise around exclusively on electric power. This never stops being fun and it’s almost a game to try and eke out as much electric juice as possible before the engine fires up again.

This is inevitable however once the battery charge gets low enough, or you press the accelerator that little bit harder. There’s no noticeable switch from electric to petrol that can be felt, but you do hear the petrol engine whirring away under the bonnet.

Despite this hybrid powertrain producing a total system output of 146kW, it doesn’t really feel like it from behind the wheel. Once you push the accelerator, the petrol engine tends to sound strained. It’s not a nice sound as it’s amplified by the fact there’s an e-CVT that doesn’t require gear shifts.

There’s great regenerative braking as standard which helps recuperate kinetic energy from slowing down back into the battery. This is helpful as it acts like engine braking down hills without actually using the brakes.

When you come to a complete stop the transition from the regen brakes to the traditional friction brakes can be a little grabby. You need to be prepared to alter the pressure you’re applying to the brake pedal.

The suspension in this car is a major highlight. It balances comfort and composure perfectly, allowing for an effortless driving experience. It soaks up virtually all road imperfections with ease, including harsher speed bumps.

This flows on to the steering which does err on the firmer side, but feels direct and a touch sporty. Overall this makes the Corolla Cross a fun vehicle to pilot even on the most dull roads.

On the parking front there are front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera with great resolution. Even though this car is easy to park, there’s also a semi-autonomous park assist that can be handy if you’re not great at parallel parking.

Out on the open road the petrol engine does stay on more consistently. It’ll quickly flare the revs if you need to accelerate harder which makes me grit my teeth every time because it’s not the most refined sound.

Despite this there were moments when I was travelling at 80km/h and the petrol engine turned off, allowing the car to drive exclusively on EV power. This primarily only happens on flat roads as the moment there’s even a whiff of a hill, the engine kicks back in again.

There’s a fair bit of road noise that enters the cabin at higher speeds, which isn’t uncommon for small SUVs. However, there’s also noticeable wind noise that sounds like it comes from the sunroof or the side mirrors.

The Corolla Cross was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022 based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP. The two safety authorities have harmonised testing protocols.

Standard equipment includes eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane centring, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a reversing camera.

The AEB system activates from 5km/h and lane-trace assist (lane centring) can be activated from 0km/h.

Also standard is one year of complimentary access to Toyota’s connected services. This allows for SOS emergency calling, as well as a range of remote features via a smartphone app.

Stepping up to the GXL brings a surround-view camera, as well as vehicle detection for the low-speed front and rear AEB.

All three rear seats have top-tether points and the two outboard rear seats have ISOFIX child seat anchorage points.

It’s all fairly standard on this front.

The Solterra is covered by Subaru’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty which is falling behind the seven-year warranty offered by many now. The battery is covered  by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. 

There is also five years of capped price servicing with each yearly/15,000km service costing between $130-$300. That’s a very reasonable price.

Like all Toyotas, there’s a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty. However, if you service at Toyota dealers you get two additional years of engine coverage, bringing the total to seven years.

The high-voltage battery coverage can also be extended up to 10 years if you service at Toyota dealers.

Roadside assistance is available to purchase from $99 annually.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The first five services are capped at $255 each, which is incredibly affordable. It’s only beaten by the likes of Honda.

Toyota has one, if not the, most prolific dealer networks in Australia. There are around 260 dealers and they span metro, regional and rural areas.