4 reasons why Subaru needs to launch a new turbo BRZ STI
The news out of Subaru of America is nothing but spectacular except for the 2015 Subaru BRZ sports coupe. We’ll give you the good news first from the Japanese automaker, and then the bad news. Sales for Subaru of America are up 31 percent year-over-year, the new 2015 Legacy sedan had its best month ever, September was the best month for 2015 Outback, Forester and XV Crosstrek.
Things seem to be going well for the brand that makes multi-purpose vehicles. The high-performance 2015 WRX and WRX STI are also flying out of dealer showrooms and seeing a 33.2 percent increase YTD. And the Subaru brand has its seventh consecutive month that sales have exceeded 40,000 units and 34th consecutive month of year-over-year growth. There is a lot to celebrate for Subaru except for one sports car in the lineup. 2015 Subaru BRZ sales are down month to date and are also down for the year.
Nothing has changed, and that is the problem
When the Subaru BRZ / Toyota GT86 / Scion FR-S sports coupes were launched in 2012, they were an instant hit with driving enthusiasts. The two-door rear-drive coupes were affordable and fun to drive. Nothing has changed, and that is the problem for BRZ. The sports car is still affordable, fun to drive and still comes with a 200 horsepower boxer powerplant. It had enough power to make it interesting in the beginning, but Subaru needs to bump up the hp now to keep it an attractive option and attract new buyers to BRZ.
Exterior STI enhancements aren't enough
Subaru and Scion have released “special edition” models recently, but it’s not enough to get fans excited. There have been numerous reports about STI testing the BRZ on the Nurburgring with a performance package, but Subaru hasn’t come out with the new BRZ STI with a turbocharged boxer engine yet. A new turbo BRZ STI would get fans excited and would attract new conquest customers who have never purchased a Subaru product before.If Subaru doesn’t upgrade BRZ with a new turbocharged engine and STI suspension, the exterior STI enhancements won’t be enough, and the sports coupe will continue to decline and will eventually become irrelevant.
Why does Subaru need a new BRZ STI?
Here are 4 reasons Subaru needs to upgrade the BRZ rear-drive sports coupe. If Subaru doesn’t bring out a new-generation BRZ with more horsepower, the sports coupe will continue to decline and become irrelevant. A new high-performance Subaru BRZ STI would bring new excitement to current BRZ fans and would be the needed fuel for BRZ sales. A new BRZ STI would draw new conquest customers into Subaru showrooms and increase sales across the lineup. Subaru needs to differentiate themselves from competitors like the popular Mazda MX5 Miata, Audi TT Roadster, MINI Roadster, Nissan 370Z Roadster and BMW Z4 who all offer convertible models.
Subaru has a history for making model changes every 5 years. If this holds true, we can expect a model change in 2017. 2015 Subaru BRZ sales are going in the wrong direction and something needs to change for the sports coupe. Subaru needs to come out with a new BRZ STI for performance fans.
Other 2015 Subaru BRZ STI stories of interest.
Tommi Makinen previews new Subaru BRZ STI