Scion tC is a sport compact introduced by Toyota in 2004 as a concept car under its recently introduced Scion brand name. The Scion tC was designed to appeal to the Generation Y market. They hoped to do so by making standard features numerous and optional features extremely easy to add. The Scion tC is generally considered Toyota’s successor to the Celica whose production ended with the 2005 model year.

The Scion tC uses the chassis of the Avensis which is sold in the European market, and the Camry’s 2.4 L 2AZ-FE I4 engine. Its low price (base MSRP of US$16,715 for the 2006 model) is a major feature, as well as the pure pricing marketing style that Toyota has adopted.

The name tC does not fit in with its stablemates the xA and xB because the name xC has already been taken by Volvo for its XC70 and XC90 models. According to Scion, tC stands for “Touring Coupe.”
Contents

Specifications (2007 model)

* Engine: 2.4 L Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC) 16-valve 4-cylinder with VVT-i
* Power: 161 hp (120 kW) @ 6000 rpm
* Torque: 162 lb·ft (220 N·m) @ 4000 rpm
* Transmission: Standard 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission
* Highway fuel economy/consumption: 35-30 mi/U.S. gal (7.8 L/100 km) (automatic); 34-29 mi/U.S. gal (8.1 L/100 km) (manual)
* City fuel economy/consumption: 29-23 mi/U.S. gal (10.7 L/100 km) (automatic); 28-22 mi/U.S. gal (10.7 L/100 km) (manual)
* Fuel tank: 14.5 gal (54.9 L)
* Brakes: 4-wheel anti-lock braking system employing disc brakes on both the front and rear
* Curb weight: 2,970 lb (1,347 kg) (automatic); 2,905 lb (1,318 kg) (manual)
* Displacement: 2382 cc

Features

The Scion tC has a number of standard features including:

* Interior: Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Tachometer, Tilt Steering, Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Control, Tire Pressure Monitor, Pioneer AM/FM/CD Audio System with 6 Speakers and MP3 Playback, 60/40 Folding Rear Seat, and a Panoramic Moonroof/Sunroof.
* Exterior: Automatic-off multi-reflector halogen Headlights, 17″ alloy wheels, Power Windows, Power Exterior Mirrors, and Interval Windshield Wipers.
* Safety: Power Door Locks, Vehicle Anti-Theft Engine Immobilizer, an anti-lock braking system, driver and passenger airbags, as well as a driver knee airbag, a first aid kit, and Remote Keyless Entry.

Release Series Vehicles

Beginning in late Spring 2004, Scion launched the Release Series (RS) line, limited quantities of their current vehicles pre-packaged with individual numbered badging, exclusive accessories and other special features. Limited edition vehicles from a marketing standpoint were used to create a buzz for the brandname, with their exterior colors tending to be loud or bright hues (i.e. orange, yellow, red, blue, green). Because of the growing popularity of the Scion product line and the scarce production runs (most dealers only get 2-3 of each RS model), these limited edition vehicles quickly sell out.

Preordering is available at each dealership on a first-come, first-served basis. To the customers benefit, Scion’s “Pure Price” MSRP bounds dealerships against market-demand vehicle mark-up. Naturally, resale values of Release Series vehicles command a premium because of their packaged options and scarcity.
April 2005

* tC RS 1.0 only available in Absolutely Red with 2500 units produced

April 2006

* tC RS 2.0 only available in Blue Blitz Mica with 2600 units produced

February 2007

* tC RS 3.0 will be only available in Blizzard Pearl with 2500 units produced

In early 2006, a recall was issued for some 2005 and 2006 tCs due to the possibility of the glass wind deflector being shattered by debris.

Owners were requested to bring in their vehicles to have a shatter resistant film installed.

In late 2006, a recall was issued for 29,542 2005 and 2006 tCs due to the possibility of the side airbags deploying as a result of slamming the door forcefully. The greatest risk occurs when doors are shut while the ignition is in the on position or when the door is shut within 90 seconds of the ignition being turned from on to off. Owners of potentially affected tCs can call 1-866-548-1851. The recall identifier is SSC 60H.