Another) One For The Kids: Toyota's Youth Division Adds A Third Model


By WES RAYNAL



2005 SCION tC
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $16,465
POWERTRAIN: 2.4-liter, 160-hp, 163-lb-ft I4; fwd, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 2905 pounds
0 TO 60 MPH: 8.0 seconds (est.)

FIRST, A REFRESHER: TOYOTA launched the Scion division two years ago, wanting to bring young buyers into the fold. Scion offers two inexpensive cars aimed at the youth market, the xA and xB (AW, April 28, 2003). Then Scion offers a slew of stuff with which to modify these cars, or in Scion-speak, "personalize" them, something Gen-Yers love to do. You can get wheel/tire packages and superchargers and interior doodads and body kits, 40-some accessories in all. The idea behind Scion is to suck 'em in young to the inexpensive line, graduate to Toyota, and wind up in a Lexus-all while treating customers right. And guess what? It has worked pretty well: On sale in half the states, Scion has averaged 5000 sales a month of xA and xB. This month Scion goes on sale nationwide at those Toyota dealers that have signed on to carry the brand.

Now Scion is bringing a third model, the tC, to market. Unlike the xA and xB, home-market Japanese cars modified for the United States, tC is designed and built for the U.S.-only Scion brand, with our kids the primary market.

Why the third model? Scion boss Jim Farley says the tC, a coupe, is a must in rounding out the Scion lineup. For starters, he says, Scion's research uncovered the coupe as the most popular body style. "Young trendsetters want sleek cars that offer utility," Farley explains. "Even as Scion continues to be a work in progress, we knew we could develop a new car with sedan interior packaging and hatchback versatility to attract both sedan and coupe buyers."

The tC's shape is a bit Acura RSX-ish, while the interior looks to be of high quality. The 2.4-liter four is shared with the Camry.

Second, Farley says, Scion needs to test what it calls the "premium" concept. Scion has found that Gen-Y trendsetters have higher luxury-brand intentions vs. older generations (including their parents). Translation: They want Audis and BMWs, but can't afford them. Further, Scion reasons that while xA and xB have loads of equipment, they are not premium cars compared to the tC, which is based on Toyota's European Volkswagen Passat competitor, the Avensis. Farley figures young buyers will go for the tC, since the only other real choice is the Acura RSX, or a used 3 Series or Audi A4, but those cars are priced in the $20,000-to-$25,000 range, while the tC costs less than $17,000.

Third, Scion needs a car offering more performance than the xA or xB. Those cars are powered by a 1.5-liter, 108-hp four. "To be credible to the tuners," Farley says, "we needed real performance; our 2.4-liter four [at 160 hp] has unlimited tuning capability. With the optional supercharger, it develops 200 hp."

Scion folk love to talk about value, and the tC, developed in just 13 months, is a pretty good one. For a base of $16,465, the tC has oodles of standard equipment including air conditioning, sunroof, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, 160-watt AM/FM/CD stereo, tilt wheel, keyless entry, cruise control and power windows, mirrors and door locks.



Then there is the personalization. Buyers can specify 18- or 19-inch alloys (17-inchers are standard), a stereo upgrade, tons of interior mods, an AEM cold-air intake, stainless-steel sport exhaust, fog lamps, rear spoiler, a TRD supercharger (not yet priced), even a carbon fiber hood. A four-speed automatic transmission is available for $800.

The tC rides on MacPherson struts in front and a double-wishbone setup in the rear. Another accessory available is a TRD suspension-lowering kit, which brings the car down half an inch. The aluminum 2.4-liter four, shared with the Camry, develops 163 lb-ft of torque.

We spent a day driving tCs with various equipment levels, from base to supercharged models. It's a good-looking little coupe, this tC-sort of RSX-like. No, it doesn't stand out on the road like the xB, but for some buyers that will be a good thing. Interior materials, including the plastics, look first-rate, especially at this sticker price. Chief engineer Shigeyuki Hori (he also did the MR2, Prius and Celica) says the VW Jetta was the ride/handling target for tC.



All the tCs were pretty quick, feeling nimble and light on their feet and offering good, quick steering and comfortable and supportive seats. There is good room in front and the back seat has useful room as well-anybody under six foot shouldn't have a problem back there.

Our favorite version of the tC has the cold-air intake package and sport exhaust. That car is plenty fast enough, the exhaust note just that little bit nastier (in a good way).

Scion is about to get more competition: Nissan plans to bring its Japan-market Cube to the States hoping to grab some younger buyers, and word on the street is Honda will bring its Fit small car Stateside as well. For Toyota, it seems, the tC comes just in time.