Facelifted Toyota 86 set for New York Show debut

Good news for Toyota fans, the 86 will receive its first major facelift after 4 years as Australia’s best-selling sports car. The information comes ahead of the New York International Auto Show where the vehicle will make its public debut.

The upgrade covers almost all aspects of the sports coupe, ranging from the exterior and interior design, through to the suspension and powertrain.

forcegt 2017 toyota 86 front

The front end benefits from a more aggressive design featuring a widened grille, headlamps with inbuilt indicators and a center air intake. The rear is minimally tweaked, the tail lights have been upgraded with LED lighting and the bumper slightly refined.

The wheels have been changed to a new twisted spoke pattern and the 86’s logo has shifted to a stand-alone badge on the front fender.

Inside the flagship GTS model, a new, soft-feel ‘Grandlux’ material has been applied to instrument panels and door trims. The new material is essentially a mix of Alcantara and leather upholstery.

GTS drivers will also benefit from a new seating material featuring silver stitching along the seams. A revised steering wheel with integrated audio controls completes the interior upgrades.

forcegt 2017 toyota 86 interior

The upgraded 86 ain’t no slouch either, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer engine on manual version has been squeezed harder to produce an extra 4kW and 9Nm of torque, bringing the total output to 153kW and 212Nm of torque. The suspension has also been revised with new shock absorbers and altered spring rates making the vehicle easier to control and more agile in corners.

Manual variant 86 also benefits from Hill Start Assist Control (HAC)helping prevent the car from rolling back on steep hills.

forcegt 2017 toyota 86 side

The facelifted Toyota 86 is scheduled to go on sale in Australia late this year. Pricing is unknown however, we don’t expect the facelifted model to cost much more than the current model.

Read ForceGT’s Toyota 86 Review

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