The refreshed 2017 Toyota 86 will launch here later this year promising more power and torque and “enhanced road holding” performance…
THE TOYOTA 86 is now four years old, so it’s definitely time for an update. We already know a fair bit about the refreshed model from talking to chief designer Tetsuya Tada, and now Toyota has released a few more details.
The engine is essentially the same, and while power is up only 5kW and torque up 9Nm to 151kW and 214Nm, the torque peak is now 200rpm wider, spanning 6400 to 6800rpm and Toyota says “the torque curve has also been improved at low rpms.”
Toyota also claims “all models deliver sharper steering response and improved ride comfort with additional spot welds for the rear pillars and reworked shock absorber valve structures” and that “aerodynamic performance was the priority for the freshened exterior, contributing to enhanced road holding and turning performance.”
There is no revised top speed, which you’d expect to be slightly higher given the improved engine output, aerodynamics and lowered gearing thanks to a 4.3 final drive instead of 4.1. There is an option of a rear spoiler which “contributes to aerodynamic performance”. The old model’s top speed was 226km/h for the manual and 210 for the auto.
There are cosmetic touches: “The 86 is lower at the front and features nose fins, foglamp bezel fins and small canards or wing-like projections beneath the wider front grille for enhanced control. LED headlamps complete the front make-over.”
The old steering wheel was a 365mm diameter, and the new one is 362mm diameter. Toyota say “the cross-sectional shape provides optimal grip, manoeuvrability and comfort.” We don’t know what that means either, it’s still a circular wheel.
The 86 always had its tachometer front and centre, but now it is set so that the max-power RPM of 7000 is viewed at the very top.
All 86s get a 4.2-inch display that display information including such as G-force meter and power and torque curves, an improvement over the rather basic interior that was offered with the GT models at launch in 2012.
Toyota also say that “the instrument panel and door trim can be specified with Grand Luxe®, a high-quality suede-like material in black, that limits glare.”
We can look forwards to driving the new model soon as it goes on sale in Australia during the fourth quarter of 2016.
Related posts
- A conversation with Tetsuya Tada, chief designer of the 86 (contains more refresh details)
- Refreshed 86 revealed, due in Australia in 2016
- What’s it like to drive the Toyota 86 racecar?
- Toyota 86 Shooting Brake concept revealed
- Toyota 86 long-term test
