Subaru axes entry-level BRZ in Australia as GR86 keeps its full range

Key takeaways

• BRZ range now starts with the S at $49,190 before on-roads
• Entry price rises $1,300 after the $47,890 base grade was dropped
• Cheapest BRZ now costs $5,250 more than the cheapest GR86

Subaru has dropped the entry-level BRZ from its Australian range. The rear-drive coupe now comes in just two grades for MY27: the S and the tS.

That lifts the starting price of the BRZ from $47,890 to $49,190 before on-roads, a $1,300 rise. Prices for the S and tS haven’t changed.

The change also widens the price gap to the Toyota GR86, the BRZ’s mechanically identical twin, which keeps its full GT and GTS line-up.

Subaru BRZ pricing in Australia

View Subaru BRZ driveaway pricing and specifications →

Both grades use a 2.4-litre four-cylinder boxer engine with 174kW and 250Nm, driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. Manual and automatic cost the same.

How the BRZ compares with the Toyota GR86

The BRZ and GR86 are built together in Japan and share the same engine, gearboxes and chassis. Toyota sells the GR86 GT from $43,940 before on-roads and the GTS from $46,090.

That makes the cheapest BRZ $5,250 dearer than the cheapest GR86, up from a $3,950 gap before the base grade went. Grade for grade, the BRZ S costs $3,100 more than a GR86 GTS, and the tS is $4,500 more than a GTS with the performance pack.

Subaru has never tried to undercut Toyota with the BRZ. When the original launched here in 2012, it came in a single, higher-spec grade. Dropping the base car pushes the BRZ further upmarket and leaves Toyota as the only way into the pair for under $45,000.

The BRZ has also become much more expensive. When the second-generation car was priced in 2021, the range started at $38,990, so it now starts $10,200 higher. Most of the latest increase came in January, when Subaru raised prices by $2,600 to $3,700 a grade and priced the manual the same as the automatic.

Buyers who want a BRZ under $48,000 before on-roads should check dealer stock for remaining MY26 base cars while they last. Otherwise, the GR86 GT is now the cheapest way into the pair.