Subaru BRZ tops Australian sports car market
While the Australian new car market saw the usual crop of dual-cab utes and SUVs lead the overall sales in 2023, there was a notable change in the sports car sector, with Subaru’s BRZ topping the segment for the first time. The BRZ outsold the Ford Mustang, which had been the Number 1 seller in the ‘Sports Cars under $80,000’ category since 2016.
Data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) for Sports Cars under $80,000 reveals that 1,573 units of the BRZ were sold in 2023, compared to 1,475 Mustangs. Last year’s result was also the best sales year ever for the BRZ, beating the 1,411 total from 2013 and a 35 per cent increase on 2022’s sales. For the Mustang, last year’s sales were the lowest since the model was officially released here in late-2015.
In addition to the Mustang, the BRZ also beat out its stablemate, the Toyota GR86, which recorded 1,144 sales last year. In fact, the GR86 was only the fourth best seller in the Sports Cars under $80,000 category, being outsold by the BMW 2 Series coupe, which achieved 1,164 sales. Behind the Toyota in the sales table was Mazda’s MX-5 with 653 salles and the Nissan Z with 449 sales
Sales Switch
Since the original BRZ/86 pair was launched in 2013, the Toyota has outsold the Subaru, but with the arrival of second-generation versions of both cars in 2022, the BRZ has moved ahead for the first time. Part of the reason for this is that the BRZ with the six-speed manual is significantly cheaper than a GR86 with the same transmission, so is seen as better value. However, both models lack additional safety technology that comes standard with the automatic.
Subaru Australia's Managing Director, Blair Read, expressed his pride in the BRZ's segment-leading sales achievement, commenting: "We are very proud to have a record number of BRZ owners join the Subaru family in 2023 and enjoy what is a fantastic all-round sports car. BRZ being named Australia's best-selling sports car is further recognition of the exceptional value BRZ offers to driving enthusiasts.”
Pony Car Decline
Last year’s drop in Mustang sales – from a high of 9,165 in 2017 – can be attributed to reduced availability ahead of the arrival of the seventh-generation version this year. As evidence of that, the Mustang was outselling the BRZ by almost 400 units midway through 2023, but as local stocks dried up, the Subaru caught up, taking the lead in November – by just 24 units - then extending it to almost 100 units by the end of the year.
RHD Mustang production in the US transferred to the new generation midway through 2023, so the last units in Australian showrooms and dealer lots are expected to be gone soon. Local dealers will also be keen to clear remaining stock before the new Mustang arrives in April (TBC).
Finally, the 2023 sales slump can also be attributed to customers waiting to spend their money on a new Mustang, rather than the version that’s about to be superseded.
Popular – and Premium - Sports
While the sports car market is often seen as a weak segment, sales in the Under $80,000 category actually increased by 44 per cent last year, while the overall new car market only increased by 12.5 per cent. Aside from the Mustang, most models in this category saw sales increases, due to new or updated versions arriving during the year or late in 2022 to boost 2023’s numbers. For example, BMW 2 Series coupe sales almost doubled following the release of a new version and Mini convertible sales almost doubled, too, while the late 2022 arrival of the next-gen Toyota GR86 saw sales increase more than fivefold.
For the BRZ, the increase from 1,165 sales in 2022 to last year’s 1,573 was less dramatic, as the second-gen version had arrived here early in 2022, whereas the new GR86 came much later in the year.
In the ‘Sports Cars $80,000 to $200,000’ category, BMW’s 4 Series was the leader with 858 sales, followed by the Mercedes-Benz C Class with 808 sales, according to FCAI figures. Porsche’s evergreen 911 was the leader in the Sports Cars Over $200,000 category, with 558 Australian sales in 2023, accounting for almost half the total in that category.
More for BRZ in 2024
Developments that will hopefully keep the BRZ at the top of the sales charts this year include the release of the BRZ tS – hailed as the best-performing BRZ ever – and the introduction of EyeSight Driver Assist technology in manual transmission versions. According to Subaru, the BRZ tS will “elevate the BRZ's legacy further and continue to extend its appeal to a range of driving enthusiasts,” while the addition of EyeSight will amplify the existing safety and driver assistance features to complement the car's performance.
“The new BRZ tS and EyeSight in manual models underscores our steadfast commitment to innovation, safety and providing first-rate driving experiences," Read added.
The BRZ tS should be in most Subaru dealers by the time you read this, while a release date for the EyeSight addition on manual BRZs delivered here had not been confirmed at time of writing. See your Subaru dealer for more details.
