Subaru BRZ a turbo-free zone

SUBARU has no turbocharged BRZ on its current product planning charts – and it should keep it that way, according to Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior.

Mr Senior said he realised some buyers might want more than the 147kW of power available in the normally aspirated BRZ that was launched for sale online in Australia this week, but turbocharging would detract from the “pureness and rawness” of the rear-drive coupe.

“The vehicle should be light-weight as much as possible,” he said. “Obviously, the quicker you go, the beefier you need the suspension and brakes, and that adds weight, so it is a self-fulfilling prophesy in reverse.

“I am not jumping up and down saying build a turbo or bring a turbo. Personally, I am against it.”

Mr Senior said Subaru’s turbo signature models were the WRX, STi, Liberty and Forester.

Subaru product planning chiefs told GoAuto in Japan last year that turbocharging the BRZ would be “very difficult” due to the lack of space around the exhaust system of the low-slung boxer engine.

The exhaust pipe exits the engine between the wheelhousing and the steering column with centimetres to spare, and then enters the close-coupled catalytic converter.

From top: Subaru BRZ Subaru XV.

Mr Senior said he had seen no plans for a turbo-charged BRZ on Subaru product planning charts.

Nor had he seen any plans for a convertible BRZ, as rumoured.

“I know it (cabrio version) has been talked about, but it is still not a definite,” he said.

Mr Senior said the BRZ was a halo car for Subaru, designed to attract a younger generation to the brand.

“We are attracting people to the brand that we would never have had a chance to speak to previously,” he said.

“At the end of the day what the car was all about – trying to get younger people involved in the excitement and the passion of Subaru motoring,” he said.

Mr Senior said Subaru Australia’s focus now turned to next year’s launch of the new-generation Forester SUV in the first quarter, followed by a new diesel Outback variant with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

He said these two vehicles would add to the momentum created by the new Subaru XV small SUV this year.

“We are in a good place with XV and now Forester and then the diesel CVT boxer Outback,” he said.

Mr Senior described Australia’s 34 per cent growth in SUV sales this year as astonishing, and he predicted it would continue.

He said it was great for Subaru to participate in that growth with two-all new models (XV and Forester) and an updated model.

The Impreza-based XV has added more than 5000 incremental sales to Subaru’s 2012 volume to date, helping it to increase its first-half sales by 14.5 per cent over the same period last year.

Although it is in its last year, the current Forester is still Subaru’s top seller, achieving 6201 sales in the first six months of this year – down 4.5 per cent.