Subaru Solterra vs Toyota RAV4

What's the difference?

Car companies don’t normally overhaul a vehicle so rapidly and comprehensively. But the updated Subaru Solterra EV is an exception. It had to be done and this isn’t just an update, it’s an act of survival for Subaru… and Toyota.

You knew the Solterra’s identical twin is the Toyota bZ4X, right? Together Subaru and Toyota developed an electric SUV. Subaru’s is the Solterra, Toyota’s is the bZ4X - same car, different styling, mostly.

The problem was the vehicle couldn’t compete with rivals like the Zeekr 7X and Tesla Model Y on price, driving range, power or charging speed.

Subaru and Toyota knew this had to be fixed ASAP. And so we now have the new Solterra. But is this revised version good enough? Read on to find out.

The Toyota RAV4 is arguably Australia’s darling and has been for years. It’s long set the benchmark in the mid-size SUV segment - a position rivals like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5 would love to occupy.

It’s also been close to a decade since we’ve seen anything new from the RAV4, so expectations for this sixth-generation update are understandably high. For this family review, we’re testing the flagship Cruiser Hybrid 2WD, which brings the most features and the biggest price tag in the line-up.

On paper, it promises meaningful upgrades, particularly in technology and refinement, while holding onto the practicality and efficiency that made it so popular in the first place.

But with stronger competition and rising expectations in this segment, the question is no longer whether the RAV4 is good, it’s whether it’s done enough to stay at the top.