An electric powertrain for the Subaru BRZ isn’t out of the question for the third generation of the two-door sports car in Europe, Autocar reports.
Subaru dropped the BRZ from its European lineup recently, leaving the Continent with a Subaru sports car-sized hole in its heart. While it's humming along nicely here in the U.S. with its 2.4-liter flat-dour, how could Subaru get it back on European streets? Well, Autocar says Subaru bosses are leaving the possibility open for it to come back with electric power.
“Our options are open,” David Dello Stritto, Subaru’s European boss, told Autocar when pressed on the idea of a BRZ EV.
Emissions and safety regulations have proven a sticking point for Subaru and Toyota in trying to sell their BRZ / GR86 sports car in Europe. The cars were available for a short time, but only in limited numbers before being discontinued at the end of 2024. Switching to an electric powertrain would obviously solve the emissions and regulations side of the problem, — but there have to be buyers who want a small, electric sports car to justify making it.
“We did consider electrifying the BRZ and GR86, but the win-win relationship is more important, and for the moment we can’t get the kind of benefits for both sides,” Inoue Masahiko, Subaru’s global EV product boss, said.
By a win-win, Subaru is referring to both Toyota and Subaru agreeing on the path forward. There’s no timeline on the horizon for when such a thing might be possible. In fact, Stritto tossed cold water on the idea by saying for any electric sports car to come to Europe, the regular electric models need to perform well first.
“We feel very positively about Subaru enthusiasts, but we need to see how Uncharted does first,” Stritto told Autocar. The Uncharted is Subaru’s smallest, new EV — and like every other Subaru electric car, a copy of a Toyota, this one being the C-HR.
Basically, give this whole BRZ future situation some more time to work itself out. Subaru is clearly mulling over its options, and while an electric BRZ might be one of those, there’s no clear indication it’s hitting the streets anytime soon.
You Might Also Like
Comments