Today we have a first look at the new 2022 Subaru BRZ. This new one is more powerful, more nimble, and in my opinion – it looks better, too. And, yes, the vents are functional.
From some angles, it looks a little Porsche, with a touch of Bangle BMW in the back.
Of course the most important part of any sports car is what’s under the hood. Here, Subaru has upgraded the BRZ with a new naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine with Toyota’s direct fuel injection and port injection. This setup puts out up to 228 horsepower and 184 lbs-ft of torque to the rear-wheels – that’s 23 more ponies than the outgoing engine.
For those that were hoping for a turbo, Subaru says that going down that road would have made the BRZ too expensive. But they also agreed it needed more power – this 2.4-liter is the compromise. And, though it does share the same bore and stroke as the turbo 2.4 in the Ascent, Subaru says the BRZ boxer engine is all-new design.
This new engine is also placed lower in the chassis to improve its already impressive handling characteristics. It’s still the lightest rear-wheel drive sports car in America, tipping the scales at only 2,900-lbs.
You can get the new BRZ with either a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, or a close-ratio manual transmission. Interesting to note that the automatic has Sport, Snow and Track modes – which modifies traction and power. The Manual, only gets Track.
Trunk space seems pretty close to the outgoing model. Not huge, but significantly better than a Miata. Subaru says with the seats folded down you can fit a bike with the wheel off, or four tires for a track day.
The interior is still familiar, but with some nice updates: including a digital gauge cluster with a g-meter and lap timing capabilities. The display also changes based on your drive mode. The seats look great, with dual stage heat. Dual-zone climate control is also available.
Automatic models come standard with Subaru’s EyeSight safety system. The 8-inch infotainment screen has been upgraded, with an interface that now matches the rest of the Subaru lineup. Switch into reverse and it doubles as a backup camera with improved resolution over the outgoing model.
Unfortunately, today we just have a couple pre-production cars – which we’re not allowed to drive. But, thankfully, we know someone that can. Subaru invited pro driver Scott Speed to give us some laps in a pre-production vehicle. Watch the video for the full story.
Of course, we’ll have a full review of the 2022 Subaru BRZ as soon as we can get our hands on a production car. It’s too early to say what pricing will be, though we expect it will be nicely equipped for under $30-grand. Final production cars are expected to hit dealerships in early fall of 2021.
