Electric Showdown 2025: Subaru Solterra vs. Kia EV6—Which EV Sparks More Excitement?

While not that new to the US car shopper anymore, EVs do, however, remain a bit of an oddity for most of us who grew up with fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

Having said that, our world is changing rapidly, and the EV has an important role to play in the massive US car market. Who doesn't want lower running costs, quieter traffic conditions, especially in busy city environs, and of course less pollution?

What comes as no surprise is that both Subaru and Kia chose an SUV model as their very first EV product. This fact shows the confidence automakers have to continue investing in the evergreen SUV market and the future of the electric vehicle.

Our article takes a close look at the 2025 Subaru Solterra SUV and compares it against the South Korean Kia EV6 SUV.

What's new for the 2025 Subaru Solterra?

The Solterra SUV is Subaru's first EV model, introduced late in 2022 as a 2023 model. The Solterra was co-developed with Toyota and mirrors the largely identical Toyota bZ4x model but with some drivetrain differences.

For 2025, the Solterra carries over mostly unchanged aside from some price drops on the base Premium model and the Limited trim, plus the pricier Touring trim also sees its price chopped. A new Touring Onyx trim joins the lineup to bring the choices up to four trim levels.

What changes are in store for buyers of the 2025 Kia EV6?

The Kia EV6 was introduced as the EV6 in March 2021, and this fully electric SUV model is Kia's first dedicated electric vehicle and the first car developed on the Hyundai Group's Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

Kia's EV6 received exterior styling updates for 2025 that include a new headlamp design, revised front bumper, updated wheel designs, along with a refreshed full-width taillamp.

Interior enhancements include an updated panoramic infotainment system display, new steering wheel, a redesigned wireless smartphone charging pad, and the standard fitment of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The powertrain sees a larger 84.0-kWh battery pack replacing the previous 77.4-kWh unit that should boost driving range. The EV6 is available in four trims, Light, Wind, GT Line, and GT.

How does the exterior design of the Subaru Solterra differ from that of the Kia EV6?

These two fully electric SUVs part ways when it comes to their exterior looks. The Subaru Solterra, co-developed with Toyota, sports a more conventional, boxy SUV body shape that places the emphasis on ruggedness and off-road capability.

Kia has endowed the EV6 with more city-slicker looks that show off a sleek, sporty, and futuristic design with its lower-slung coupe-like profile.

The Solterra has sharp creased body panels and an upright front fascia and standout black plastic molded front fenders that also serve as wheel arch protection. Slim "C" shaped multibeam LED headlamps are standard, and a body color hexagonal panel replaces the traditional front grille.

The Solterras' more rugged styling features a pronounced rear spoiler along with sharp-looking tail lights and new alloy wheel designs in sizes ranging from 18 to 20 inches.

The Kia, in comparison, looks, dare we say, more dainty, with a drooping front finished with slim, stylized horizontal LED headlamps and light signature. Body panels are more rounded, the wheel arches feature slim protective moldings, and the sculptured rear shows off a full-length light bar. 

In terms of practical cargo carrying capacity, the Solterra range is fitted with roof rails, which are not found as standard fitment on the Kia.

Which model is bigger, the Subaru Solterra or the Kia EV6?

The Subaru is 184.6 inches long, 73.2 inches wide, and 65 inches high. The Solterra rides on a 112.2-inch wheelbase and offers ground clearance of 8.3 inches.

The lower-slung Kia measures 184.3 inches in length and is 74.0 inches wide, 61 inches high, and rides on a wheelbase of 114.2 inches.

The Kia's lesser ground clearance of 6.1 inches means that off-road travel will require some more careful driving.

What benefits does the 2025 Subaru Solterra have for interior comfort and infotainment over the Kia EV6?

Style is subjective, and bearing this in mind, for those buyers needing a hard-wearing interior, the Solterra offers its waterproof and stain-resistant StarTex® upholstery material, perfect for adventurous drivers.

Heated front seats are standard across all trims, while buyers wanting this comfort feature will need to look at pricier trim levels of the EV6 to keep their nether regions warm.

These two EVs match each other for comfort items like dual-zone climate control and leather-wrapped steering wheels.

How does the passenger and cargo space of the Subaru Solterra compare to that of the Kia EV6?

The Subaru seats five passengers in a space measuring 95.7 cubic feet, while the Kia also seats five passengers in its passenger space of 103 cubic feet.

What the Subaru gives away in passenger space, it makes up for in cargo carrying capacity, which measures 23.8 cubic feet, growing to a useful 63.5 cubic feet once the split fold-down rear seats are down.

The Kia offers 27.7 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seats, which expands to 50.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Kia also has a front trunk or 'frunk' with 52.0 cubic feet of space.

How different is the powertrain of the Subaru Solterra from that of Kia's EV6?

The Solterra is fitted as standard with an all-wheel-drive system comprising two electric motors, making a joint 215 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque. Four drive modes include Eco, Normal, Power, and X-mode.

The Kia EV6 offers two power and torque specs depending on trim and drivetrain.

Base rear-wheel-drive models offer 225 horsepower and torque of 258 pound-feet while AWD models deliver 320 horsepower. The top high-performance GT trim boasts 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque.

Find Your Subaru Solterra at Granite Subaru

Our article has only just scratched the surface of all the innovative features that the 2025 Subaru Solterra SUV has to offer.

To discover more about Subaru's most versatile and first-ever EV model and other outstanding Subaru models, contact Granite Subaru, where we pride ourselves on our dedicated customer service.