The words “all-new” are as overused in the car business as three particular words thrown around by adolescent hornballs trying to advance a runner in Mom and Dad’s basement. Case in point: the 2011 Scion tC. Scion says it rides on an all-new platform, but the fact that its wheelbase is unchanged says to us that someone’s just looking to turn the corner on third—let’s just call the underpinnings thoroughly revised, shall we? Also, the fact that the press release says the new tC has 16-inch brake discs at all four corners raises a red flag, if only because those are larger than basically anything else on the road. Including the Corvette ZR1’s. Including the 253-mph, 4500-pound Bugatti Veyron’s.
Nonetheless, the tC does see a round of updates for 2011, not the least of which is a revised suspension. The front suspension remains MacPherson struts, but the rear gains a control arm and sits a touch lower now. Wider 18-inch wheels are standard.
The four-cylinder beneath the tC’s hood is upgraded, too. Now displacing 2.5 liters, it has variable timing on both intake and exhaust camshafts and bumps output 19 hp higher than the engine it replaces, for a total of 180. The transmissions are both new, and include a six-speed manual (that’s one more forward gear than the previous car) and a six-speed automatic. In addition to two extra forward ratios, the automatic also adds manual control, which was absent before.
Even if it isn’t as “all-new” as advertised, the tC should continue to be the car with the youngest median buyer in the entire U.S. market, given its low price of entry and nearly endless options for factory-endorsed—and warranted—customization.
Thanks to: Car and Driver
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