UK pricing for new Toyota GR 86 doesn’t bode well for Aussies

The likelihood of the new 2022 Toyota GR 86 carrying a much heftier price tag than its original predecessor has increased following confirmation of its UK pricing, which starts at £29,995 ‘on-the-road’ – equivalent to $52,188 drive-away here.

That’s a £5000 ($A8636) increase on the first-generation Toyota 86’s starting price back in 2012 and a £2670 ($A4612) mark-up on the facelifted version.

While it’s almost certain the base price of Toyota Australia’s GR 86 won’t eclipse the $50K when it arrives in local showrooms later this year, the revelation adds weight to previous intel that Toyota wouldn’t be able to replicate the first-generation’s trademark low pricing.

The original Toyota 86 arrived here in 2012 with a headline-grabbing entry price of $29,990 plus ORCs, but in its final guise it retailed from $31,180 plus ORCs for the six-speed manual with no options – still about $7000 less than the first-gen Subaru BRZ ($38,520).

So sports car fans were delighted earlier this year when Subaru locked in a $38,990 starting price for its second-gen coupe, so much so the brand has been struggling to keep up with demand.

While the 2022 Toyota GR 86 will probably match its Subaru twin and be offered here in more than one trim level, the UK version is a one-size-fits-all affair with the only major option being an automatic transmission.

Just like the BRZ, the UK GR 86 will come standard with 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber, and an 8.0-inch infotainment interface with smartphone mirroring and a reversing camera.

Other standard features include adaptive LED headlights, rear cross traffic alert, heated ultrasuede and leather seat trim, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, auto-folding door mirrors, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and blind spot monitoring.

Automatic versions step things up with a pre-collision system including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam and lane keep assist.

Similarly, manual versions of Subaru Australia’s new BRZ lack a number of ‘EyeSight’ driver-assist systems including AEB, but Subaru says that’s not the reason the model will remain ‘unrated’ by independent auto safety body ANCAP.

Like the new BRZ, which is also available Down Under in more upmarket S form, priced at $40,190 for the manual and $43,990 for the automatic, the new Toyota GR 86 is again expected to be offered in two model grades.

But it remains unclear whether or not its delayed local launch is due to re-engineering work to address the lack of AEB in manual versions or the same safety regulations that will prevent the GR 86 being sold in Europe in two years.

First launched in 2012, the original Toyota 86 is now out of production and has been unavailable Down Under for some time. The new Toyota GR 86 was originally expected on sale here by the end of 2021, but Toyota Australia now says it will arrive in local showrooms in the second half of 2022.

That will give the new BRZ a minimum six-month head-start in the market, but Toyota told carsales in November the delay would make the new 86 a better vehicle.

“Toyota Australia is confident that the launch of the GR 86 will be highly successful,” said a spokesperson at the time.

“We believe the new Toyota GR86 will benefit from the additional development time which was used to make it a slightly more focused vehicle on track.

“We believe this difference will ensure that a good number of our interested customers will wait to experience the difference for themselves, before deciding which vehicle is best suited to their needs.

“At this stage, we have no further announcements on any order taking for the GR 86, announcements of any plans for pre-ordering of this vehicle will be made in due course.”

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