After a three year absence of new product, Toyota's Scion division is getting a new tC coupe that slightly better, slightly more powerful and slightly more expensive.
The tC gets a more sinister front look
By Scott Dukes Photography
The new tC, which goes on sale in October, is being priced at $18,275 with the six-speed manual transmission and $19,275 for the six-speed automatic before destination charges. The price is a boost from today's base of $17,820.
But it's more car. While the length is the same, the width is increased by 1.6 inches. The engine goes from 2.4 liter to 2.5 liter, with a 19 horsepower increase to a peppy 180. Yet gas mileage is better:
It means an increasse of 3 miles per gallon in the city and 4 mpg better on the highway on the manual transmission model. Gas mileage is better but not quite as good on the automatic. Total now for the manual is 23 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway.
The standard wheel is now an 18-inch, up an inch from this year's model. Larger wheels and new styling are aimed at giving the tC a more masculine, sinister look, executives say. In fact, the car was designed to resemble a full-face motorcycle helmet with the windshield taking the place of the visor. The goal was to stay close to the car's urban roots.
Yet they also say they were careful not to mess up a good thing: tC represents about 40% of Scion's overall sales, the most of any of its three models.
