The much talked about and somewhat highly praised Toyota 86
has finally been launched in South Africa. Some folk seem to think that its
power is under rated and doesn’t match up to its sport car persona. Toyota
admits that’s it’s not the fastest or most powerful car on the block by any
means but that the 86 rather offers spirited driving pleasure at moderate
speeds, which is something we can all appreciate. But then again, I have not
had the pleasure of driving the Toyota 86, so who am I to judge?
From the outside however the Toyota 86 certainly looks like
a car that I want to drive and you might agree. Its sport car feel just oozes
with class and its design lends itself to admiration, and for that my goes off
to Toyota. Let’s take a quick look at a few figures for the Toyota 86.
The 86 is fitted with a high revving, naturally aspirated
2.0-litre Subaru D-4S engine that produces 147kW at 7 000rpm and 205Nm
from 6 400rpm, not too shabby I’d say. 0-100km/h is achieved in 7.6 seconds
for the manual variant while the automatic will do it in 8.2 seconds. Top
speeds are 226km/h and 210km/h respectively. It must be said though that its
high revving capability combined with a rear-wheel setup should make for a
pleasure filled driving experience. Fuel
consumption is rated at 7.8-litres/100km for the manual and 7.1-litres for the
automatic with respective CO2 emission figures at 181g/km and 164g/km.
According to
Toyota, the interior has been designed with the
driver in mind, making the 86 an “extension of the driver’s body”. More than
this the horizontal dashboard communicates the 86’s roll posture to the driver and
the instrument cluster, with a large rev counter, offers easy access to vital
information while pacing through the bends.The High-spec models benefit from a combination of Alcantara
and leather seat trim while the standard model features durable and breathable
non-slip suede-like fabric for optimum grip.
The 86 is also available in seven colours namely Lightning
Red, Galaxy Blue Silica, Metallic Fusion Orange, White Pearl, Dark Grey,
Crystal Black Silica and Sterling Silver. The Standard 86 includes 16-inch
alloy wheels, air-conditioning, remote central locking, electric windows,
multi-information system, leather steering wheel, six speaker CD sound system
with USB, MP3 and Auxiliary compatibility, ABS and Stability Control. The High
86 models add HID headlamps with LED accents, 17-inch alloy wheels and headlamp
cleaners fitted as standard. The High 86 models also include a frameless
rear-view mirror, digital speedometer, cruise control, Smart Start with push
start button and fully automatic climate control.
Share your thoughts and driving experience on the Toyota 86 in comment box below.
Prices for the Toyota
86 are as follows:
Toyota 86 Standard 6-speed Manual - R298 500
Toyota 86 High 6-speed Manual - R329 400
Toyota 86 High 6-speed Automatic -
R346 500
All models include a
4-year/60 000km Service Plan with service intervals at 15 000km,
3-year/100 000km warranty and 24hr ToyotaCare roadside assistance.
News Source: Toyota
