Subaru Solterra will be the name of the brand's EV SUV developed jointly with Toyota

Subaru has released the first official details about the electric crossover it's developing jointly with Toyota. About the size of a RAV4, the EV will be called Subaru Solterra when it goes on sale in select markets halfway through 2022.

Solterra blends the words sol and terra, which mean sun and earth, respectively, in Latin. Subaru chose this name "to appreciate mother nature and further advance the form of coexistence with it," and to stress that going electric isn't an excuse to shift away from the off-road capability and the ruggedness it's known for. We doubt the Solterra will arrive as a hardcore off-roader, but it should be more comfortable off the pavement than the average crossover. 

Subaru released a pair of preview images to give us an early look at the model. One shows the emblems the firm will put on the crossover's rear hatch, including an "EV" badge that announces the zero-local-emissions drivetrain. More revealing, the second shows the outline of a soft-roader with what looks like a relatively tall and sharp front end, angular headlights with LED accents, and a surprisingly rakish C-pillar. Finer design details (like the grille) are intentionally hidden, but we can already see a strong family resemblance will link the Subaru Solterra to Toyota's BZ4X.

Both crossovers are being designed jointly by Subaru and Toyota, and they'll ride on a modular platform also developed by the two partners. It's reasonable to assume they'll be made in the same factory, too.

Neither company has released technical information, so figures such as range, horsepower, acceleration, and charging times are under wraps. All we know is that all-wheel drive (through-the-road, presumably) will be available.

More details about the Subaru Solterra will emerge in the next few months. We're expecting the EV will make its full debut before the end of 2021, and it will begin arriving in showrooms in the summer of 2022, likely as a 2023 model. America is one of its target markets, but pricing information won't be announced until closer to its on-sale date.