Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand is growing up, ever so slightly, refining its popular flagship tC model for 2011. Currently the tC boasts the youngest buyer in the industry with an average age of just 26 years old, and while Scion wants to maintain that core group of younger buyers, they’re also looking to bring in some slightly older customers (including second-time buyers) with a long list of small but important improvements.
It’s not the dramatic new sports car many had hoped for, with Scion instead opting for an evolutionary approach to the compact coupe. We’ll admit that a more powerful rear-drive sports car would be fun, but there’s little space in the market for such a model – especially at this price point. And with the tC already a major player in the compact coupe segment, Scion would be foolish to risk their share of this segment on a more expensive model in a smaller niche.
DESIGN EVOLUTION WITH MORE OF A TRUE COUPE PROFILE
At first look, the 2011 tC seems a tad too evolutionary, something we’ve come accustomed to from the overly conservative Toyota brand. Closer inspection, however, reveals the new model’s design appears longer with more of a true coupe profile. In comparison, the first-gen tC now looks almost as round as a VW Beetle.
Surprisingly, the new tC is actually identical in length to the old model, and it shares the same overall height. What has been changed is the width and the track at roughly 2-inches wider. That, combined with the flat-fronted nose and an overall look inspired by a racing helmet, helps deliver a masculine style that can compete with the boy-racer styled Kia Forte Koup, while also delivering a slightly more sophisticated European look.
NEW ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONS WITH ADDED POWER AND ECONOMY
Under the hood, the evolution continues with a slightly larger engine and a respectable bump in power that allows the tC to jump past its competitors while still steering clear of the more hard-core (and more expensive) options like a Civic Si. A new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder replaces the 2.4 with an added 19-hp and 11 ft-lbs of torque to total 180-hp and 173 ft-lbs. More importantly, however, are two new transmission choices with a standard 6-speed manual and optional 6-speed automatic – an important step forward compared to last year’s out-dated 4-speed. The result is a 0-60 mph time of 7.6 seconds (manual) and 8.3 seconds (automatic), a drop of 0.6 and 0.8 seconds respectively.
Whether driving hard or just driving, the upgrades make a big difference. There’s a solid amount of power that continues on past the 60-mph mark. The stick-shift has reasonably short throws and is more direct than the previous 5-speed unit – a notable improvement over past Toyota boxes and one that really helps compliment the sporty look and feel of the car.
As for the automatic, it drops gears without hesitation when asked. The remainder of the time, it reaches for the highest gear possible to improve fuel economy, which is now rated at 23/31-mpg (city/highway) – a solid jump of several mpgs over the past model.
