Next Toyota GR86 could add sedan and wagon variants – report
The latest reports out of Japan suggest Toyota may expand the GR86 model range to include four- and five-door bodies.
The next-generation Toyota GR86 could be offered as a four-door model, the latest unconfirmed reports claim.
Japanese magazine Best Car – which has a history of reporting future product information from within Toyota – claims the next-generation GR86 will be offered with the option of four doors, while also suggesting a five-door wagon could also be on the cards.
It appears as if the four-door version will be a coupe-styled sedan – offering an aggressively sloped roof-line, echoing the silhouette of the (four-door) Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupe and the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.
A digital illustration by Best Car of the next-generation GR86 – which may be unveiled as soon as 2025 – indicates buyers may have a choice of three body styles: a coupe, sedan, and wagon (illustrated by Best Car below).
Previous reports claimed Toyota would reduce Subaru's input from the project – with both first- and second-generation 86 coupes being sold by Subaru as the BRZ – instead adopting the three-cylinder turbo engine found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
The turbocharged three-cylinder is also said to be mated with a hybrid system. There have been suggestions the GR86 could use a modified version of the decade-old chassis beneath the Lexus IS – or a completely new platform developed in-house.
However, an earlier report from Japanese outlet Mag-X says Subaru could still be contracted to build the GR86 in its factories – meaning there may continue to be Subaru-badged versions, despite Toyota taking the lead on the project.
While the first-generation Toyota 86 (as it was originally badged) and its Subaru BRZ twin had a life-cycle of 10 years, the second-generation – which was more akin to a heavily-updated facelift, rather than an all-new model – may only have a life span of approximately five years.
This may have been a strategy to extend the life of the current GR86/BRZ platform for as long as possible and amortise development costs over a longer period.
The current GR86 is also set to be removed from sale in Europe from July 2024, as it will no longer comply with advanced safety technology regulations.
The launch date remains in dispute, with Best Car claiming the all-new GR86 will be unveiled in 2025 – possibly for a 2026 launch – while rival Mag-X quotes a launch date of 2028.