Two new additions to the Scion lineup are revealed tonight in Manhattan ahead of the 2015 New York International Auto Show getting under way tomorrow.
The Scion iA sedan and iM hatchback are all-new vehicles for the brand, which is looking to return to a healthier volume in the U.S.
Whereas the Toyota youth brand enjoyed strong success in its early years, sales lately have slowed due to a relatively old lineup.
The iA is due to arrive at Scion dealerships this fall with an estimated starting price in the $16,000 range for a mono-spec model with a multimedia system, voice activation and low-speed pre-collision safety technology.
The car looks to be based on Toyota’s subcompact Vios model sold overseas. The iA’s overall length, 171.7 ins. (4,361 mm) is just 2 ins. (51 mm) shy of the Vios’ reported length.
The Vios sister car, the Toyota Vitz hatchback, is sold in the U.S. as the Toyota Yaris.
The iA is powered by the Yaris’ 1.5L DOHC 4-cyl. engine making 106 hp and 103 lb.-ft. (140 Nm) of torque, and is mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Scion expects fuel economy of 37 mpg (6.4 L/100 km) combined for the iA, which has standard 16-in. alloy wheels.
While it has a relatively pedestrian engine, the iA’s interior and standard features are said to belie the car’s price point.
Buyers can expect standard soft-touch trim, “premium” chrome accents, six speakers, Bluetooth, Pandora, Aha and Stitcher audio apps, as well as cruise control, 7-in. (18-cm) display screen and power windows, locks and mirrors. Navigation is available.
Standard safety tech also includes a rearview camera, a U.S. regulation for the ’16 model year.
While the car is subcompact in size, it can accommodate taller passengers thanks to seats that slide 10 ins. (254 mm) fore-aft and adjust for height; and the wheel tilts and telescopes, Scion says.
New iM Offers Intelligent CVT
Also due this fall is the iM 5-door based on the Scion tC coupe’s platform, for a price said to be under $20,000.
“In true Scion practice, that’s for a mono-spec model equipped like an upgrade model from competitors,” the brand says.
The iM is the more athletic of the two cars, with a larger 4-cyl., a 1.8L DOHC unit making 137 hp and 126 lb.-ft. (171 Nm) of torque.
The engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual or an intelligent continuously variable transmission with sport mode and seven faux gears in manual-shift mode.
“Using the console shifter, the driver can make fast, sequential shifts through the transmission's seven predefined steps, accompanied by the familiar sense of positive shift engagement,” Scion says, noting the selected “gear” will be shown on the information display in the gauge cluster.
Standard interior features include bolstered front sport seats with an integrated Whiplash Injury Lessen structure, a layered dashboard with easy-to-reach controls, acoustic-layer windshield, floor silencer sheets, glove and console boxes, and cargo cover.
Other amenities include standard multimedia system, HD Radio and Aha, a genuine-leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic air-conditioning control and heated power-folding exterior mirrors.
Options include navigation, an interior light kit, roof rack and pet accessories, such as a dog harness and grass pad.
Toyota Racing Development (TRD) accessories, such as an antiroll bar, also will be available.
Scion says it is working with dealers and Toyota Financial Services to fine-tune and expand the reach of its no-haggle Pure Process Plus to apply for credit and secure a price online.
Last November, Scion Vice President Doug Murtha told WardsAuto the brand had been extending Tier 1+ APR financing rates to help cash-strapped and credit-poor buyers get into a new Scion.
“We take our APR rate and extend it from Tier 1+ all the way through Tier 3, so we’re hopefully capturing 85% of the market with that offer,” Murtha said.
