Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
The BRZ received a bevy of improvements for 2017, starting with obvious styling enhancements that include revised front and rear fascias featuring new standard full LED headlamps and LED taillights respectively, interior refinements with added features like upgraded Starlink infotainment that includes a standard rearview camera, plus engine performance and handling upgrades highlighted by an all-new VDC Track mode.
I like the subtle changes made front and back, the new headlights adding some sophisticated
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Inside, my tester’s red stitching on black leather and Alcantara psuede motif is part of my Sport-tech upgrade as well, and is just as nice now as it was the last time I tested it. In other words it’s mostly carryover, although some interior details, like an updated standard leather-wrapped steering wheel with better controls, are new.
Along
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
I
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
It’s difficult to know all the parameters at play, but the renewed interest in the BRZ may have something to do with the upgraded engine, the “purer” element I mentioned earlier. As fans of this car will already know, both Toyota and Subaru models utilize the latter company’s horizontally opposed DOHC naturally aspirated 2.0-litre “boxer” four-cylinder, which has been massaged with new valves, camshaft and cylinder heads, plus a new aluminum intake manifold and exhaust manifold for an additional five horsepower and five pound feet of torque resulting in
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Subaru provides the option of a six-speed automatic with paddles, which is actually a decent alternative if you feel the need and don’t mind slightly less output, this version getting the same engine tuned to 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque, but I was certainly glad for another chance with the more engaging DIY combination.
The BRZ has never been about straight-line acceleration or speed, but the new setup certainly allows a bit more snap off the line. A new lower final drive ratio, from
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Such is the BRZ’s forte, and fortunately the new 2017 model feels at least as agile as the outgoing version. What I love about this type of sports car, and I’ll lump the Toyota 86, Mazda MX-5, new Fiat Spider, Hyundai’s dearly departed Genesis Coupe, and even Honda’s outgoing CR-Z into this category, is the ability to have fun without venturing into unwise speeds. After all, most jurisdictions harshly penalize excessive speed, so why bother with a car that’s only enjoyable when those limits are breached and the result could result in heavy fines, impoundment, and potential loss of license. Many of us don’t have access to a local racetrack or the
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
In a BRZ, traffic circles and highway entry/exit cloverleaves become surrogates for Laguna Seca’s Andretti Hairpin and Corkscrew, the car so much fun to pitch sideways into a corner that you’ll be praying for rain just so you can do so without, once again, exceeding the speed limit. It’s a car that will test your skill too, especially if you turn off the various electronic driving aids, the multi-mode stability control system better than average thanks to lateral-g and yaw-rate sensing
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
It’s in such situations that I appreciated the grippy psuede seat inserts, which helped to hold backside in place, while overall driver’s seat comfort and support was excellent. Believe it or not I also took opportunity to climb in back, and as you probably can guess this 2+2 sports coupe’s rear quarters are for small adults and kids only. They’re certainly larger than a 911’s rear perches and a lot more accommodating than a two-seater like the aforementioned MX-5, but most owners will be more likely to use them for stowing a briefcase on the way to the office or simply leave them folded flat for easily loading life’s luggage when needed. To that
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Speaking of practicalities, the driveline changes mentioned earlier hurt the 2017 BRZ slightly at the pump where the manual now gets a 11.1 L/100km city and 8.0 highway rating compared to last year’s car that was estimated to achieve 10.9 and 7.9 respectively, whereas the autobox continues to do a bit better at 9.7 city and 7.2 highway compared to 9.6 and 7.0, but I can’t fathom anyone buying a sports car like this caring one iota. After all, the added fuel cost will be nominal and the accelerative advantage of the shorter final drive is noticeable.
I’ve
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
On that note I’d be happy commuting in a BRZ, that suspension, the excellent seats and its many standard features making life comfortable and convenient, some of these items including auto on/off headlamps, power-adjustable heated side mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering, variable intermittent wipers with washers, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity with voice activation and streaming audio, aux and USB integration, eight-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA/satellite/Aha audio from a 6.1-inch high-resolution colour touchscreen with navigation, SMS text
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
While its standard feature set is impressive for a car costing just $27,995 plus freight and fees, there’s no way I’d buy a BRZ without the Sport-tech package, as it provides that extra wow factor the interior needs to match the car’s even more appealing outward design, plus a number of appreciated features.
Now I’ve got fingers and toes crossed that word gets out about the 2017 BRZ’s many improvements, as it would be a sorry day if such a great car were cancelled due to lack of interest.
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