One year after the market launch of the new generation BRZ in Japan, Subaru announced model year updates for 2022. While it is not uncommon for automakers to upgrade their models in terms of color, trim, and equipment, what caught our eyes is that the changes in the Subaru BRZ are limited to a single element: the light switch.
The bottom line is that Subaru added an extra position to the lighting
switch. This change allows owners to turn on the taillights separately from the
side lights, or keep both off (three settings). Tailights and side lights could
only turn on/off together at the BRZ from the previous model year (two
settings). If you are wondering about the headlights, you should know that in
Japan, they operate automatically, as permitted by the law for all new vehicles
sold since October 2021.
Setting aside the lighting switch,
everything else remains unchanged, in terms of exterior design, interior
design, powertrain, equipment, trim levels, and optional accessories. And this
is no problem at all since the BRZ didn’t really need anything else to be
desirable as one of the few affordable ICE-powered RWD sportscars on sale. The
only thing that was rumored but didn’t happen is a 10th-anniversary special
edition similar to the one coming for the Toyota GR86 twin. In Japan, the BRZ
is available in S and R guises, alongside the market-specific Cup. The S comes
standard with 17-inch wheels and fabric upholstery. The R brings a cooler set
of dark-finished 18-inch wheels, suede / leather upholstery, nicer trim on
details and heated seats. Finally, the Cup comes with 16-inch steelies, a
roll-cage and other track-focused features since it is designed for
competition.
All variants are fitted with the same
naturally aspirated 2.4-liter boxer engine producing 232 hp and 250 Nm in Japanese specification. Power is sent to the rear
axle through either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission,
with the Cup being manual-only. The Subaru BRZ with the upgraded multi-level
lighting switch is already available in Japan with prices starting from
¥ 3,080,000 (US$ 24,197) for the S trim with the six-speed manual, up to ¥ 3,432,000
(US$ 26,962) for the highest-spec R trim with the six-speed auto. The
back-to-basics Cup is priced at ¥ 3,338,500 (US$ 26,208). For reference, in the US
market, the 2023 BRZ starts at US$ 28,595 for the manual Premium trim and tops out
at US$ 33,815 for the auto Limited flagship, although the available equipment is
different for each market.
