Auto123 reviews the 2022 Subaru BRZ.
Subaru’s spunky little BRZ is, of course, an oddity in the Japanese automaker’s lineup, a low-sitting, sporty rear-wheel-drive coupe surrounded by outdoorsy AWD sedans and, mostly, SUVs. Certainly, this car doesn’t attract exactly the same buyers who are so devoutly loyal to the Outback, Forester and others. But there’s something of the same charm to be found here as in others carrying the Subaru celestial badge.
That likely has at least something to do with the lack of pretense in the interior, which is well-designed and practical (to a point) but not ostentatious or luxurious by any stretch of the imagination.
As it happened, our test drive of the 2022 BRZ’s Sport-Tech Limited variant equipped with auto transmission (there is of course a manual gearbox in the product offering) was cut short somewhat by a mid-week mishap. More on that in a bit. But it was long enough to get a feel for what the revised second-generation edition has to offer.
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Outside
From looking at it, you wouldn’t necessarily know this is a brand-new generation of the BRZ (produced once again conjointly with Toyota and its GR 86 model). Radical change is just not Subaru’s way, after all. The general lines and proportions of the car are essentially the same, and the changes involve tweaks to certain visual elements like the front grille, the flares over the back fender and the taillights. Otherwise, the new BRZ is about 2.5 cm longer than the old and sits slightly lower to the ground.
Inside
This is technically a 2+2 configuration you get with the BRZ, but we wouldn’t recommend you submit anyone to the experience to spending any amount of time in the back row. More likely, owners will use those rear seats as emergency-only transportation, and otherwise fold them down (flat, thankfully) and gain a bit of useful cargo space.
Getting in and out is, as you can guess, a little tricky for larger and/or less nimble folks, but once you’re in, the seat is pretty comfortable and things are arranged nicely and without complications.
If you’re familiar with the infotainment system found in the new Crosstrek, the 2022 BRZ’S infotainment system is basically that. The screen is not particularly large, but in this small car that’s kind of a plus in our book. In general, bells and whistles are kept to a minimum, we’re guessing for reasons of cost and space but also of charm, as mentioned earlier.
Under the hood, the BRZ comes with the same 2.4L 4-cylinder engine found in the new GR 86, and it replaces the previous BRZ’s 2.0L unit. The switch delivers a gain in power of 23 horses, from 205 to 228 hp. Another difference is that peak torque arrives earlier, which certainly makes the car sprightlier than before. Subaru says it has stiffened the chassis this time around, which only helps improve on what is the BRZ’s biggest strengths, its handling and cornering abilities on winding roads.
