Subaru BRZ reveal set for this year

The new Subaru BRZ sports car will emerge earlier than expected in the next few months, but COVID-related delays with its final development – and that of its Toyota 86 twin – have pushed back its local launch to late 2021.

Engineering work is continuing for the highly-anticipated second-generation Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86, and carsales has learnt that the teaser campaign for the new BRZ is scheduled to begin late this year.

This campaign will preview various aspects of the all-new entry-level sports coupe ahead of its global unveiling, which is expected early in 2021.

Our sources also suggest that both the new Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 will now roll into Australian showrooms around November next year – some three months later than the August arrival previously anticipated.

However, this target is described as “conservative” and first deliveries of the new-generation sports cars might still take place either late in the third quarter or early in the fourth.

Like most major car-makers, Toyota and Subaru have been forced to revise their model launch schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected real-world testing and movement between countries for hot and cold weather performance testing.

The latest spy photos of both the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR 86 suggest the vehicles’ silhouettes have not changed dramatically compared to the current models. And like the current cars, both will have a fairly similar design, as evidence by the Toyota 86 render from the GR86.org forums.

Reports from Japan also indicate the affordable coupes have not switched to Toyota’s newer, more advanced TNGA platform and will instead use a development of the current platform to reduce costs.

One of the biggest changes for the new Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ will be the adoption of a new engine.

Almost certain to be packing Subaru’s newer, more powerful 2.4-litre four-cylinder FA24 boxer engine, the sleek Japanese twins should crank out at least 162kW of power and 240Nm of torque. This compares with the current 2.0-litre boxer engine’s 147kW/205Nm.

Both manual and automatic gearboxes are again expected, the latter tipped to be a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Subaru BRZ is currently priced from $35,270 plus on-road costs and the Toyota 86 opens the ledger at just $32,180 – cheaper than some top-spec small hatchbacks.

Both brands are also plotting several other performance car releases in the next few years, with the Toyota GR Corolla tipped to break cover in 2021 along with the Subaru WRX. The WRX STI will follow in 2022.