Click above for high-res gallery of the Scion Hako Concept
Any hope that Scion would be revealing the next iteration of the tC, or a clean-sheet sports coupe with which to replace it, were dashed this afternoon in New York when the wraps were pulled off the Hako Coupe Concept. The Hako is essentially a Scion xB that's lost a couple of doors and gained a massive schnoz, a seriously upright windshield and some highly stylized accents. Scion's PR people insist that the coupe's design is inspired by the "emergence of American vintage style among young Tokyo trendsetters," which may be true, but Scion's veep, Jack Hollis' remark that the Hako "is the sporty version of a box." Oxymoronic? We think so.
As with most of Scion's concepts, the Hako is a combination of form and functionality, with an emphasis on living the Scion life that the brand has fought hard to establish. As such, there's a focus on lifestyle elements that find their way inside, with storage crevices for magazines and mobile phones, flat-screen monitors and a videogame-inspired dash that would be all the rage if you were eight and it were 1992.
While the Hako is technically a coupe, it's not what we were hoping for, especially considering that Scion insists that the brand has its finger on the pulse of the youth market. What do young, car-crazed youths really want? We'd suggest that it's a few stands away, sitting at the Hyundai booth in the form of the Genesis coupe.
Scion's full press release is posted after the jump and a gallery of official shots is below (live shots are forthcoming!).
New York 2008: Scion Hako Concept - Official Pics
PRESS RELEASE
SCION REVEALS HAKO COUPE CONCEPT AT THE 2008 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
NEW YORK, March 19, 2008 -- Scion unveiled its Hako Coupe Concept vehicle at a press conference today at the New York International Auto Show. Scion's Hako Coupe was developed by Tokyo Design Division, which studied global, youth-inspired trends. Japanese and American youth cultures often influence each other and are interpreted with a unique twist. The Hako Coupe Concept was inspired by the iconic xB and the emergence of American vintage style among young Tokyo trendsetters.
"Scion's Hako Coupe Concept embodies a distinct global perspective on today's youth," said Jack Hollis, Scion vice president. "This type of forward thinking complements the Scion philosophy of intently listening to our customers and being willing to take risks to help us see where our brand should be. We took the xB's iconic boxy shape and explored something more vivacious, yet just as emotionally appealing. This concept is the sporty version of a box."
Tokyo Design developed the Hako Coupe with classic American coupes in mind. The car's geometric profile conveys a powerful stance in a compact and bold package. Its trapezoidal LED headlights lie parallel with a large and aggressive, rectangular upper grille. The lower rectangular grille anchors the front fascia and continues to communicate the Hako's aggressive attitude. Round fog lights, symmetrically placed high on the front bumper, have integrated turn signals. The Hako's silhouette is accentuated by slim, race-car-inspired side mirrors
that also feature integrated turn signals. Powerful, flared fenders add dimension and contrast to the concept's boxy shape and smooth surface planes. The Hako concept hugs the road with custom 18-inch deep dish five-spoke wheels and tires with a
"Scion" custom tread.
The Hako Coupe features a vertical windshield as the concept sits upright and ready to attack the road. A high linear beltline along with a blackened and chopped greenhouse seamlessly wrap around the rear to provide a mysterious profile. As an example of potential personalization, the concept is equipped with a flat, panorama roof that features a random, barcode-like pattern that can be seen on
the exterior and from the interior.
The rear features LED taillights that echo the shape of the headlights. To complete the package, the rear bumper has an integrated fog and back up light on the left and exhaust on the right.
Inside, the Hako is accented with orange and metallic detailing that exudes a modern environment with entertainment possibilities. The front and rear seats are covered with urethane and rubber-like upholstery for easy cleaning. The contemporary front bucket seats flow to the floor and incorporate a geometric design on the seatback. The seats are separated by a center console that features a large
storage crevice for storing magazines, cell phones, and other small items. Two cockpit-like rear seats also share a storage crevice.
The orange driver's seat has a gaming theme. Instrumentation and warning lights cascade from the art inspired instrument panel to the steering wheel. The shifter, located on the center console, resembles a large joystick. On the steering wheel is a simple button to start the engine and a track-ball type control for the Hako's entertainment system located on the passenger dash. The entertainment system consists of two video monitor screens mounted on the dash for radio, video, and music capabilities. Users can upload their videos and music through a Bluetooth® connection. The front passenger controls the system using a large rollerball mounted on the center of the dash. A black seat differentiates the front passenger area. Video monitors located on each door and on each side of the rear seating area project distorted fish-eye images from orange filtered cameras mounted
SCION HAKO COUPE CONCEPT VEHICLE
PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS
DIMENSIONS (inches)
Overall Length: 145.7
Overall Width: 68.1 without side mirrors
74.0 including side mirrors
Overall Height: 57.5
Wheelbase: 94.5
Ground clearance: 4.0
Wheels: 18-inch alloy wheels
Tire Size: 225/45 R18
Seating Capacity: 4
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
AlexP @ Mar 19th 2008 4:24PM
HAHAHAHAHA, OH WOW.
slim @ Mar 19th 2008 4:46PM
Scion appear to be self-destructing at an amazing pace! What the hell is this thing? The xB gets a serious beer gut and now this thing? OMG!
PJ @ Mar 19th 2008 5:12PM
.....
...oh.
I thought this was going to be a closer-to-production FUSE concept. This, this is kinda like an FJ Cruiser's grandma wearing hot pants.
Scion, that thing you just jumped was the shark.
HotRodzNKustoms @ Mar 19th 2008 6:11PM
yeah... I have to agree with Alex
Tinu @ Mar 19th 2008 7:24PM
This is what the Scion xB will look like as it ages, and gets old lol. Just missing a cane in the pictures haha.
Torrent @ Mar 19th 2008 9:11PM
oo it looks like the xB on anti-depressants.
Ethan @ Mar 20th 2008 12:26AM
I'm 17 and I wouldn't touch this thing, or any of their other goofy-looking wrong-wheel-drive boxes. For that kind of money, I'll take my V70R to go.
mk @ Mar 19th 2008 4:25PM
How did I know, from the early teaser shots, that this thing was going to be butt-ugly.
Chalk another unattractive design. And partially insane.
Talisman @ Mar 19th 2008 4:26PM
HAHA, this is terrible. They have to be kidding.
judd @ Mar 19th 2008 4:26PM
Holy crap! That's even uglier than I thought it would be.
dknight211 @ Mar 19th 2008 4:27PM
If Scion was aiming for shock factor, I'd say this was a huge success because this concept is a big WTF?!?!?!?!?
Mr. Blake @ Mar 19th 2008 7:16PM
WTF was my first reaction.
tenfifteen @ Mar 19th 2008 4:28PM
EPIC. FAIL.
James @ Mar 19th 2008 4:29PM
It's Japan attempt at 'capturing the retro-hot rod market'.... and while I'll definitely give them major points for the attempt... still, no.
arcsine @ Mar 19th 2008 4:29PM
Holy crap, it's the shoe from Super Mario.
Red @ Mar 19th 2008 4:56PM
Lmao. This is a failure of epic proportions.
I dunno what they were thinking with that reverse cab. Should've let 5-Axis come up with the design.
NPJ @ Mar 19th 2008 4:31PM
target market: Homer Simpson
Andre @ Mar 19th 2008 4:31PM
Man a futuristic look of the Ford Model T? lol..
Hamud @ Mar 19th 2008 4:37PM
HAhahahahaahhahah, good one.
Guess a brick is more aerodynamic than this.
AlexP @ Mar 19th 2008 4:33PM
And I thought original Chinese designs were ugly, God damn.
I can't wait for Toyota to pull out more crap like this, gahahahaha.