Being the brand’s top selling vehicle, the Scion tC is extremely important to get right. It is a moderately-successful car, from a manufacturer which reportedly received the FR-S so as not to force Toyota to kill off the brand completely.
Now, they have improved the car for 2014 and are showing it off at the 2013 New YorkInternational Auto Show, complete with its FR-S-inspired styling makeover, which gives it some much-needed character.
The headlights are all new, and so is the hood, along with a revised faux-diffuser at the back and LED lighting all-round. There is also a newly designed 18-inch alloy wheel set, which suits the car’s newfound aggression.
Scion says that the changes to the tC go beyond the cosmetic, and despite the fact that the 2.5-liter 178 hp engine is unchanged, it does get an updated six-speed automatic featuring faster shift times when the new Dynamic mode is selected and matches the revs on downshifts (throttle is blipped).
The suspension has also been improved with new shocks and an increase in body stiffness, thanks to well-placed spot welds on the car’s chassis. The interior has also been touched, and it gets higher quality trim materials, as well as new kit, in the form of a 6.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
The 2014 tC is set to reach dealership showrooms in July, and in order to celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary, Scion is going to launch a limited-production model called the “10 Series“.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
