The Japanese automaker may be preparing a power-packed STI version of its Solterra crossover ready to roll in Japan next summer, BestCarWeb reports citing own sources.
The specifics are unknown thus far, but insiders are reporting that work is already underway on such a car. One of the reports says tweaked suspension could be the biggest selling feature of the new e-SUV.
Aside from that, the car may wind up with numerous other modifications that the manufacturer previewed on the Solterra STI Concept at the last year’s Tokyo show (see video). That one had a rather modest body kit, spoilers and vivid red accents.
Whether the motors will be any better remains to be seen. The current Solterra EV was co-designed with Toyota and is available with one or two electric motors. The output is fairly modest in both cases, getting to 204 PS (201 hp / 150 kW) in the former and 217 PS (214 hp / 160 kW) in the latter version.
This may be the case because the Solterra EV is closely based on Toyota’s own bZ4X model, which also makes do with low-end engines. If it does get a power boost in the rumored STI version, it may end up competing on par with the Korean-made Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV6 GT.