2013 New York Auto Show - 2014 Scion tC and Scion 10 Series Debut
Doug Murtha, Scion Vice President
Good morning and thank you all for joining us here in New York.
As many of you know, for as long as Scion has been around, the New York Auto Show has been an important venue for us. It was here in 2002 that Toyota unveiled the first concept vehicle destined for Scion – the bbX – while at the same time announcing the birth of the Scion brand. New York was also the site for reveals of influential concepts like the t2B, Fuse, and FR-S, as well as production versions of tC and iQ.
With the importance of the New York show to Scion, I really can't think of a better place to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of our brand.
Scion's mission from the beginning has been to attract new, younger buyers to Toyota through distinctively designed vehicles and a unique purchase and ownership experience. Ten years in, we have definitely delivered on that mission.
Since the introduction of Scion, 75% of our owners are new to the Toyota family. Over the course of our history, Scion's median driver age has averaged 11 years younger than the industry average. Even the drivers of FR-S – priced in the mid-$20's – have held steady at only 31 years of age.
Thanks to our unique purchase process and groundbreaking engagement marketing efforts at both local and national levels, we continue to enjoy one of the most active relationships with our owner body of any make in the business. And true to our internal goal of experimentation, Scion has remained a laboratory for new methods in the vehicle purchase process, distribution, and communications; from early entry into digital publishing to more recent initiatives like our Motivate new business mentoring program.
Now we recognize we're still a relative newcomer to the automotive market, and we haven't lost focus on the future, but we do believe we have a lot to celebrate from our first 10 years in business, and that's exactly what we intend to do.
With commemoration in mind, Scion is introducing a limited edition version of every vehicle in our lineup. We're calling them the Scion 10 Series, and I think you're going to like what you see. Let's have a look.
All Scion 10 Series models will be painted in this exclusive premium color we call Silver Ignition. Each of the models will feature an LED Scion locator badge that lights up when you unlock your car, silver seat belts, a solar-powered illuminated shift knob, sequentially numbered interior badge, and my personal favorite: this cool new Scion 10 Series logo on the dash.
When you first enter the car, the Scion name illuminates before fading to reveal the number 10. xB, iQ, and xD also feature unique alloy wheels in a graphite finish, while FR-S adds HID headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights, dual automatic climate control, and a smart key with push-button-start ignition. We plan to build about 10,000 units in total and they'll be available in dealerships starting this June.
So by now, you might have noticed something missing. And not just any something – our volume leader: tC. Not only is tC Scion's most popular car, it has the youngest median age drivers in the industry at just 28 years old. That's why we put a little something extra into it.
Saving the best for last, allow me to introduce the NEW 2014 Scion tC.
The new front face features angular headlamps with a much more aggressive look. The all-new hood extends lower toward a more muscular bumper and emphasizes totally new upper and lower grille treatments, as well as new LED accent lighting.
On the side, tC will sport a new, standard 18-inch alloy wheel that carries the aggressive character and look of the face to the profile of the car. The new wheels feature a premium dark gray paint, contrasted by eye-catching machined-spoke surfaces.
Continuing the theme to the rear, a more distinctive and aggressive bumper features an expanded black-out section and FR-S style lower center accent trim, complemented by the new, more advanced look of the LED tail lamps.
The new tC boasts two new paint colors: Absolutely Red and Blue Streak Metallic, along with a host of interior enhancements like upgraded materials, brighter accents, auto-off headlamps, and auto-up and down driver's window.
The new tC will be the first in the Scion family to feature an all-new Standard Display Audio system featuring a 6.1 inch LCD touchscreen. The new system comes with features that Scion drivers expect like Bluetooth®, HD RadioTM Technology, ÚSB connectivity, and steering-wheel audio controls. This system will also be featured on each of the Scion 10 Series models.
Once it makes its way to the rest of the lineup later this year, Scion will be the first non-luxury brand to feature a touchscreen display audio system as standard equipment across its entire lineup.
The base audio system will be joined by an all-new optional BeSpoke Premium Audio system featuring AhaTM. When connected to a compatible smart phone through Aha, users can access 30,000 free audio stations, including Scion's own signature station featuring 17 of our own music channels. In addition to audiobook stations, sports, news, and entertainment, Aha utilizes location–based services like Yelp and TripAdvisor, along with popular social media applications. The BeSpoke premium system also includes full navigation all at a great value for consumers.
Moving back behind the wheel, drivers will experience an FR-S inspired 6-speed automatic transmission with up and downshifts nearly twice as fast as today. tC will also add Dynamic Rev Management technology that matches engine revs with gear ratios to limit driveline shock. To further elevate the fun factor, we've increased body rigidity through additional spot welds, retuned electronic power steering, optimized shock damping, and modified hardware for the stabilizer bars and suspension.
All together these changes combine to deliver more fun and engagement that you'll have to drive to experience.
The new tC will begin arriving at dealerships around June of this year.
As you can see there is a lot to look forward to from Scion this year, from the five Scion 10 Series models, to the new 2014 tC, all with a host of changes and new content that are sure to be a hit with Scion's creative set of new car buyers.
I want to thank you again for spending time with us today. Photographers are welcome to come up to take the first pictures of all the models we have on display.
Thanks again.
Source - Scion
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