- Scion could launch a tC convertible in 2012.
- The new drop top would be based on the redesigned 2011 tC coupe.
- It would be the first convertible for the Scion division.
TORRANCE, California — After a product drought that has lasted too long to be considered cool, Scion unveiled a redesigned tC coupe last month at the 2010 New York Auto Show. It's the first time the brand-leading coupe has been revamped since its 2004 launch. Now sources tell Inside Line that the tC lineup could expand to include a convertible model in 2012.
Should the car make it to production, it would not only be Scion's first convertible, it would also be the only drop top sold at Toyota/Scion stores, as the Camry Solara went out of production recently.
The future Scion tC convertible is expected to share the 2011 tC coupe's new 180-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed sequential-shift automatic, both of which are new for 2011. Those engines, of course, power the four-seater's front wheels.
As Scion's most popular model, the tC coupe already has 30 percent of the Toyota sub-brand's sales under its low beltline. In convertible form, the tC coupe would be the car to help Scion recover its lost youth-oriented appeal. The entry-level convertible market isn't exactly rife with options, and the tC convertible is bound to be nicely packaged with a power-operated soft top, as Scion has a history of giving its buyers a lot for a little.
With the base-level 2010 tC coupe priced at just over $17,000, the tC convertible is expected to cost under $20,000, significantly undercutting other youthful drop tops including the Ford Mustang, Mini Cooper and Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder.
Inside Line says: Scion suffered its lowest market share since 2004 last month, and it's obvious that the once-youth-oriented brand needs more than a small shot of cool injected into its struggling lineup. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor
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jrhoglund1 says:
01:36 PM, 11/28/2010
A Reliable Convertible For Under 20,000...Can You Say Untapped Market!
thesls63amg says:
03:55 PM, 09/14/2010
Dang thats nice. its better than Civic and Chevy Cobalt. Scion is really stepping up their game. All the Civic liberals and the so-called "patriotic"Cobalt lovers are done they need convertibles. i am american, but i prefer Scion.
murderedtc2005 says:
06:52 AM, 07/30/2010
tax payer why are you comparing a civic with a tc? civics are POS tc are a hell of alot better then a civic and theres no comparison ... where can you get a 180 HP fully loaded car for under 20 g's a civic fully loaded with the options and just a 2.0 engine is well over 20 g's
taxpayer says:
05:15 AM, 05/12/2010
Wait to all that hate the Tc go buy a civic convertible, oh wait a minute there isn't one is there. We all now that you haters out there in-fact love the Tc, but will not confess. why else would you view and post messages about this car?
clerk1892 says:
07:17 PM, 05/07/2010
It looks very ho-hum. I suppose that's toyota's thing though, huh?
fortstring says:
02:46 PM, 05/05/2010
They should have wrapped the taillights around the rear corners a little more. The illustration looks like a cheese wedge.
mountainking says:
02:24 PM, 04/30/2010
Quite a downgrade on the styling. Side and rear views are particularly horrendous. Not a love-it-or-hate-it type design, it fails to even evoke passion of any kind.
ne1butu2 says:
07:40 AM, 04/25/2010
I don't think that the upcoming TC looks as good as the original. The design is just bad, and it won't look any better without a roof.
duskknight says:
11:34 PM, 04/24/2010
...Which is kind of what the article already said.
I thought I read it more carefully...
duskknight says:
11:31 PM, 04/24/2010
I guess it's more or less the replacement for the Solara convertible.
It will sell.