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2011 Scion tC earns NHTSA five-star crash rating

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Safety, Scion

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

The redesigned 2011 Scion tC coupe has officially earned a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Thanks in part to no fewer than eight airbags, the little Scion managed to ace the government's collision and rollover tests.

The tC features driver and passenger airbags, seat-mounted side airbags, driver and passenger knee airbags and side-curtain airbags.

In addition to its impressive airbag tally, the car also packs ABS, traction control, stability control, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution and Smart Stop technology to help prevent the airbags from ever having to deploy. Click past the jump to see the full press release.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: Review

Photos copyright (C)2011 Jeff Glucker / AOL

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading 2011 Scion tC earns NHTSA five-star crash rating

2011 Scion tC earns NHTSA five-star crash rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Scion tC

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Performance, Scion, New Car Reviews

Changed For The Better, But Not Quite Enough

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

Historians William Strauss and Neil Howe are known for their theory that America goes through a repeating cycle of four periods: a High, an Awakening, an Unraveling and a Crisis. Depending on who you believe, we could be in an Unraveling period about to fall headlong into a major crisis, which our two historians call the Fourth Turning. But if we persevere and turn the corner, we'll find ourselves back in High times once again.

We reckon the Scion brand is in about the same spot. It hasn't had much positive to report lately, so the redesigned 2011 Scion tC gives the brand something to talk about while it works out how to improve on its initially strong showing in the U.S. Does the new tC portend a return to High times for Scion, or is it leading a parade lap right into the Fourth Turning?

Continue Reading...

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: Review

Continue reading Review: 2011 Scion tC

Review: 2011 Scion tC originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyoda: Scion will soldier on

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Scion, Toyota

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

Scion came out swinging when it launched in 2003 and sales hit a peak of 173,024 units in 2006. Since that time, however, things have been spiraling downward. In 2010, Scion sold just 45,678 vehicles. That represents a 21 percent decline compared to 2009 sales. Despite this lull, Toyota President Akio Toyoda says the youth-oriented brand isn't going anywhere.

According to Automotive News, Scion represents a way for Toyota to reach a young demographic, and it doesn't plan to lose that gateway anytime soon. One of the problems has been that folks under 30 have been hit by the economic recession just like everyone else. Another is that recent models have failed to capture the imagination - and sales - that models like the original box-like xB did. Analysts are predicting a sales rise in 2011 but will that rise include Scion's demographic? Toyota recently redesigned the brand's most-popular model, tC, trying to make sure it does.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2011 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Toyoda: Scion will soldier on originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scion officially opens its doors for business in Canada

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Scion, Toyota, Canada

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

Scion is a youth-oriented brand that was developed by Toyota to capture a younger North American demographic. By "North America," Scion was referring to the United States - until now. Happy Youth-Oriented Car Day, Canada! Scion has just announced that the brand is hopping the border and ready to be purchased by "young, style-conscious Canadian drivers."

The initial roll-out is set to take place in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Scions will be available through 45 dealerships spread between those cities. As the brand builds strength in the country, more dealerships and locations will be springing up.

A full list of the original 45 dealers can be found at ScionNation.ca/scion/dealers. The full 2011 lineup is available, including the recently-driven 2011 Scion tC. Thanks for the tip, Paul!

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: First Drive

Continue reading Scion officially opens its doors for business in Canada

Scion officially opens its doors for business in Canada originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scion tC to get TRD performance version?

Zach Bowman — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Performance, Japan, Scion, Rumormill

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

This is interesting. The JDM-obsessed crew over at 7Tune seem to believe that Toyota is planning a more sports-oriented version of the 2011 Scion tC. At first blush, the car reads like little more than a best-of list of parts from the TRD catalog. The word comes courtesy of none other than Toyota's Chief Engineer, Masayuki Nagai, who says that the car will boast all-new bodywork, a revamped suspension and a free-flowing exhaust for a little more pep. Supposedly the whole package will hit the wallet at a little more than $18,000. If that's true, the new package could be a performance steal.

Unfortunately, this rumored sharper tC isn't slated to hit showrooms until the 2012 model year, which means that buyers will be only have its more prosaic iteration to pick over for a full year before its meaner brother comes along.

Of course, we have to wonder exactly how many people are buying the tC because they want to scoot around a track faster than the competition - not too many, we'd fathom. But with Toyota apparently keen to gain a stronger male demographic for the tC, this is probably as good a place as any to start.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: First Drive

Photos by Jeremy Korzeniewski / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: 7Tune]

Scion tC to get TRD performance version? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Scion tC to start at $18,275*

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Budget, Scion

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

In case you missed it, Scion tossed us the keys to its new 2011 tC coupe and we dutifully put it through its paces out in San Diego and wrote up a First Drive report. You should read it. But if you won't, here's one salient bit of data that we thought was worth sharing again: $18,275.

Yep, you guessed it. That's the starting price of the 2011 Scion tC, and don't forget to tack on another $720 for destination. Buyers who'd rather let the six-speed automatic do the shifting for them will need to shell out an additional grand over the standard six-speed manual. We'd advise sticking with the manual, but we know 70 percent of buyers will disagree...

Want one? Scion promises the 2011 tC will hit dealerships on October 1st, so you'd best start saving your pennies now.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: First Drive

[Source: Scion]

2011 Scion tC to start at $18,275* originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Scion tC is a bolder swipe at Generation Y

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Hatchback, Scion, First Drives

NOTE: Our first drive report of the 2011 Scion tC was originally published at 9am EST when Toyota's embargo lifted. We didn't want you to miss it, so check it out below.

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's no demographic that's targeted more often than young, affluent males. Though these buyers may not have quite as much expendable income to throw at new car purchases than say older, affluent males, automakers are still very keen to cater to the needs of Generation Y with the hope of earning a customer for life.

The tC is Scion's most important product.

Toyota is no different than any other automaker in this regard; perhaps even more so as the Japanese giant's customer base is just about as old as that of Buick. To resolve that issue, Toyota created the Scion brand in North America back in 2002 and has been marketing the heck out of its up-and-coming feeder marque ever since.

The ploy has mostly been successful. Toyota merrily points out that Scion has the youngest average customer in the industry and that 71 percent of all 800,000 or so Scions have been sold to buyers who are new to the Toyota family. Interestingly enough, with a median age of 26, it's the tC coupe's 310,000 total sales since 2002 (accounting for 41 percent of all Scion production) that manages to attract the youngest customers of all.

In other words, while the funky xB may be the most recognizable, it's actually the tC that is the brand's most important product. Therefore, Scion absolutely needs the new 2011 tC to be a runaway hit. Especially since the second-generation of the xB has, by many measures, failed to live up to the success of its straight-ruled predecessor.

So does the new tC pass muster? We set out to answer that very question when we grabbed the keys in sunny San Diego. Read on to find out what we learned.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: First Drive

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Scion tC is a bolder swipe at Generation Y

First Drive: 2011 Scion tC is a bolder swipe at Generation Y originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2010: Five Axis mods the 2011 Scion tC

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:18:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, New York Auto Show, Coupe, Budget, Scion

2011 Scion tC by Five Axis - Click above for high-res image gallery

Yesterday, Scion revealed their brand spankin' new 2011 tC to the world's automotive press here at the New York Auto Show. We happen to think the car looks just fine, but will admit that for a youth oriented brand such as Scion, a little bit more aggression might have been nice. Meet the Five Axis tuned Scion tC, a car that couldn't get much more aggressive unless it was holding a gun. A really big one. \ If you don't know, Five Axis is mostly known for their show car offerings.

The "Blood Shot Red" paint is slathered over a four-inch wide body kit. The lower grill is just plain nuts. Sadly the doors of this concept were locked, but we could see (but not really photograph) that the interior's stuffed with all sorts of customized good stuff, with lots of what appears to be leather and suede. The suspension is made up of Tein adjustable coil-overs. The brakes are ginormous (especially for a 180-horsepower tC), measuring 14-inches in front and 13-inches in the rear. But the brakes aren't the crazy part.

The crazy part consists of the wheels. Ready? The front wheels are so big they require 245/30/20 rubber. The rear? 295/30/20. That's right, the rear wheels are 10.5-inches wide. Remember this car's a front-wheel driver. Sort of gives new meaning to the phrase, "all show and no go," eh?

Gallery: New York 2010: Scion tC by Five Axis

New York 2010: Five Axis mods the 2011 Scion tC originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2010: Scion reveals better looking, more powerful 2011 tC

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Japan, Scion

2011 Scion tC - Click above for high-res image gallery

The big reveal for Scion at the 2010 New York Auto Show is staring you square in the face. Meet the 2011 tC. Scion describes the car as defining "refined aggression." They called it, "masculine," too. Even though the new car borrows fairly heavily from the 2006 Fuse concept (not to mention the outgoing tC), our collective jury is still out on the refined aggression part. But we'll go ahead and agree that the new model does indeed look more masculine, which is good for Scion, as the tC demographic not only skews young (most youthful in the industry it turns out), but very male as well.

As for what's new, the engine is now a 2.5-liter I-4, up from 2.4 liters. Power is up as well. The new tC ships with a respectable 180 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque. That's plus 19 ponies and 11 pound feet. The suspension is now "sport tuned" and the power steering is electronic, which Scion assured us better allows the engineers to dial in more steering feel. Uh-huh.

The new tC also gets better gas mileage than the previous car (no word yet on exactly how much better) and comes with two new transmissions. There's a six-speed automatic that features sequential-shift (Scion-speak for a manual shift mode) as well asa six-speed manual that promises more refined shifting than the old five-speed.

Other goodies include 18-inch wheels and larger tires, bigger brake rotors (Scion claimed 16-inch rotors front and back during the press conference, but that's... insane) and a flat-bottom steering wheel. The tC has been our favorite Scion ever since Scion replaced the fist-gen xB with the fatter second-gen model. As such, it looks as if we have a new favorite. Press release, after the jump.

Gallery: New York 2010: Scion tC

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC

Continue reading New York 2010: Scion reveals better looking, more powerful 2011 tC

New York 2010: Scion reveals better looking, more powerful 2011 tC originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Scion tC video brings updated sport compact into sharper focus

John Neff — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:09:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Budget, Performance, Videos

2011 Scion tC: Sneak Peek - Click above for image gallery

Thanks to our anonymous tipster from earlier in the day, we know a lot more about the updated 2011 Scion tC than we did yesterday. Tomorrow we'll know even more when the new car debuts at the 2010 New York Auto Show. In the meantime, Scion itself has released a video that confirms many of our tipster's earlier details, as well as provides some unfettered views of the new tC's design.

The video, which can be viewed after the jump, confirms that the tC will be available with a slightly larger engine at 2.5 liters of displacement compared to the current model's 2.4 liters. We don't know yet how much little extra bit of volume will translate into extra horsepower, but the man in the video says there will be more than before (torque too). Add to that confirmation of both a six-speed manual and automatic transmission, improved fuel economy, 18-inch alloy wheels, bigger brakes and an eight-speaker stereo with a USB port.

The video also shows a few fast glimpses of the '11 tC's redesigned exterior, which we've captured and gallerized below in the hope that a few seizures from the video's quick cuts might be prevented. Regardless, It won't be long until the teasing stops and the 2011 Scion tC greets the world onstage in the Big Apple tomorrow.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: Sneak Peek

[Source: Scion]

Continue reading 2011 Scion tC video brings updated sport compact into sharper focus

2011 Scion tC video brings updated sport compact into sharper focus originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reader Spy: 2011 Scion tC caught on New York show stand ahead of reveal, looks much the same *Updated

Chris Paukert — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Budget, Hatchback, Scion

We have always thought that the Scion tC was a pretty tidy looking little hatchback, but as it's been on sale since 2004, well, it's gotten a bit tired, even though there are very few inexpensive front-drive sport-ish coupes to choose from these days. With that in mind, we've been looking forward to the introduction of the long-awaited 2011 model, expecting a fairly radical step forward. Judging by this new spy shot from an anonymous tipster, perhaps we ought to temper our expectations a bit.

While the single snapshot in question is blurry and blown out, it does show what appears to be a new lower fascia, grille, wheels, and side mirrors. The headlamps are too washed out under the showstand's high-power lights to tell if they've been altered (it appears that the photo was taken during a presentation rehearsal ahead tomorrow's New York Auto Show reveal), but it's reasonable to assume that the tC will receive new lights both front and rear, as they're a hallmark of almost any vehicle refresh.

As for what lies underneath the reskin, we're not yet sure, as the only thing to have slipped out about the new model that appears credible are a few official-looking detail shots that reveal items like a new manual shift mode for the automatic transmission and revamped HVAC controls.

We'll have more on the 2011 tC after Scion's press conference tomorrow, but in the meantime, you can play a game of "spot the differences" from the outgoing car by checking out our high-res gallery of Scion's latest special edition model below.

*UPDATE: Our man with the spy cam has offered up the following details about the 2011 tC:

2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (2010 model has a 2.4-liter)
Six-speed manual or automatic gearbox with sequential shifter
18-inch wheels standard (with wider tires)
Traction and stability control (defeatable)
Wider track for improved stance
Flat-bottom steering wheel "one of the best feeling out there (comparable to the one used in the GTI), very thick"
Improved seats with "good bolsters and shoulder height bolsters, too"
Improved rear headroom (but panoramic moonroof stays)
Overall, a "very nice feeling interior (for the price point and even above)"
Eight-speaker stereo standard
Single outlet exhaust ("would like nice with a dual back there")

We'll see if our inside man is right on the money tomorrow.

Gallery: 2010 tC Release Series 6.0

Reader Spy: 2011 Scion tC caught on New York show stand ahead of reveal, looks much the same *Updated originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pulled Ahead? Scion dealer reportedly says iQ headed for U.S. in 2010 [w/POLL]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Scion, Rumormill

Scion iQ Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Last we heard, Toyota was planning to bring the diminutive iQ to the American market badged as a Scion in either late 2010 or early 2011 as a 2012 model. According to AutoWeek, that date may have been moved up a few months as a major Scion dealership (which declined to be named) has confirmed the car for next September or October. If true, that could mean that the car will carry a 2011 designation, and might also pull the iQ ahead of the replacement for the tC coupe, which was previously said to be the next Scion in waiting.

It's no secret that the Scion brand has been hit harder than most in the face of the worst economic downturn in recent memory (down 57.8 percent for the year through July), and it's apparently thought the 66-mpg Smart-killing iQ is just what the doctor ordered to spruce up the automaker's lineup.

Speaking at the iQ's debut in Scion drag at the New York Auto Show, company Veep Jack Hollis said that "the interest was so high that it would be silly for us not to fight for [the iQ], but the next-generation tC is our top priority now." That next-gen tC is rumored to drop sometime in mid-to-late-2010 with more aggressive styling and a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower. Armchair quarterback time: which new model is more important for the Scion brand, the iQ or the tC? Click past the break to take part in our poll.

Gallery: New York: Scion iQ Concept

[Source: AutoWeek]

Continue reading Pulled Ahead? Scion dealer reportedly says iQ headed for U.S. in 2010 [w/POLL]

Pulled Ahead? Scion dealer reportedly says iQ headed for U.S. in 2010 [w/POLL] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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