Sporty Subarus aren't dead! This new electric sports car shown at the Japan Mobility Show could be a hint at a BRZ replacement with chunky styling and a return to all-wheel drive

Subaru has thrown the covers off its ‘Sport Mobility Concept' at the Japan Mobility Show - which appears to be a new direction for the brand's sporty two-door offerings.

It could be a hint of what to expect to replace the BRZ in the post-combustion era, as the new concept maintains the two-door design but with a more iconically Subaru look consisting of chunky square wheel arches, and a surprisingly tall ride height.

It also showcases a new light profile and design motif for the grille, which Subaru says "gives you a sense of the flow of air."

Atsushi Osaki, Subaru's President and CEO, said "This concept model expresses the enjoyment that Subaru offers in the age of electrification, embodying the pleasure of going anywhere, anytime, and driving at will in everyday to extraordinary environments."

The brand also said "This is a BEV concept model that foreshadows the evolution of Subaru Sport's value, allowing you to take on exciting new challenges with peace of mind. Please enjoy the basic structure of the car, centred around the driver, who controls all four wheels at will."

One thing is clear, the Sport Mobility Concept is far removed from Toyota's FT-Se concept also shown at the Mobility Show, which appears to be more of a track-focused electric equivalent of a mid-mounted sports car.

One thing is clear, the Sport Mobility Concept is far removed from Toyota’s FT-Se concept also shown at the Mobility Show.

This seemingly confirms the intention to go all-wheel drive, unlike the currently rear-drive BRZ which is an anomaly in Subaru's range, at least in the Australian market.

Whether this means Subaru intends to go in a different direction with its next BRZ remains to be seen. It is expected Subaru's joint ties with Toyota will deepen beyond the current BRZ/86 and Solterra/bZ4X pair as the brands look to share development costs in the electric era.

International reports also have Subaru's next major Forester update swapping the brand's underwhelming e-Boxer hybrid tech for a more efficient Toyota-sourced system. Whether this means a complete powertrain swap (i.e. the removal of Subaru's signature four-cylinder boxer engine in favour of a Toyota in-line four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine) remains to be seen.

This seemingly confirms the intention to go all-wheel drive, unlike the currently rear-drive BRZ which is an anomaly in Subaru’s range.

Subaru also unveiled a manned drone concept dubbed the Air Mobility Concept. Of the concept, Osaki explained: "In the world of aviation where electrification and automation technologies are advancing, there are growing expectations for new air mobility that will bring about an air mobility revolution."

He said the concept "expresses the future of more freedom in mobility that Subaru envisions" and that "aerospace and automotive engineers are collaborating on flight demonstrations" alongside a video of a manned prototype in actual flight.

Subaru also unveiled a manned drone concept dubbed the Air Mobility Concept.

Other details of Subaru's future projects include the use of "ai technology" to enhance the next-generation of the brand's signature EyeSight multi-camera safety suite.

Subaru is a bit behind the electric car curve in Australia, yet to launch its Solterra mid-size SUV locally, despite it being in the works for some time. It will separate itself from Toyota's bZ4X by exclusively being an all-wheel drive offering and promising to be a "real Subaru" despite its shared underpinnings, complete with unique X-Mode all-wheel drive software.