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Report: Scion considering pickup truck

06/19/2007, 12:17 PM

By Nick

Scion has long said it wants to keep its model lineup simple, but that hasn’t stopped the automaker from considering adding a pickup truck to its collection, according to Popular Mechanics.

The truck would seat two, feature unibody construction, and styling inspired by the Fuse concept car (pictured), the magazine claims. Possibly called xP, the truck would be powered by a 2.4 liter engine producing around 160 horsepower. Power would go to the rear wheels, transmitted via a five-speed manual. A price tag of $12,000 is expected.

Corporate manager Steve Haag recently stated a fourth scion model — in additon to the xB, tC, and xD — is a possibility. His comments came after Toyota U.S. President Jim Press said the Scion division would probably stick with just three models.

Although a pickup truck might seem like a strange choice for the Scion brand, it would fit the company’s “boxy” image. Last summer, Automotive News said Scion has plans for even boxier designs than its existing vehicles. The 2010 tC, for example, will lose its curves in favor of a Fuse-like design.

Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported Toyota would specifically limit the number of Scion vehicles produced in order to keep sales around the 150,000 annual target. The company hopes limited volume will keep Scion “hip.”

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06/19, 12:23 PM

posted by:

928driver

A “Boxy” pickup truck. Wow, that’s a stretch. I personally do not like the boxy designs coming from Scion, but they seem to sell pretty well. In that respect, I don’t care for most of the designs coming out recently. It is too bad that the cars that have great designs these days also have great big price tags. If only the auto makers would actually listen to the consumers instead of forcing their crap down our throats and telling us that we are supposed to like it then MAYBE something decent looking would be available at an affordable price.

06/19, 12:26 PM

posted by:

jonnycat

What useless truck that would be. I guess if you hauled feathers, dreams and rainbows, it would be okay. First post bishes

06/19, 12:27 PM

posted by:

jonnycat

ahh owned myself

06/19, 12:33 PM

posted by:

Blakkarr

I’m thinking something about the size of an old Subaru Brat.

06/19, 12:46 PM

posted by:

global_lightning

Don’t screw with the tC. It’s Scion’s best selling car (outselling the xB and xA combined) for a reason. A good looking car with decent performance and fuel mileage at the perfect price. Now that the xB has the same engine, the tC should keep its curves to give buyers a real choice.
As for a pickup, this could just be an xB with an open bed. Probably not to hard to design and engineer with the new body.

06/19, 12:47 PM

posted by:

TOZO

That would be so stupid. It would be funny for Toyota to get that guy who does the voice for the new Toyota Tundra commercials to do the voice in the commercial for a crummy little pickup truck box that probably wont even be able to pull lint.

06/19, 1:35 PM

posted by:

04focus

I can see a Scion xP crashing a lot. And its nav would probably have a blue-screen background.

06/19, 1:51 PM

posted by:

maximus

HAHAHAHAHAHA ^

06/19, 2:21 PM

posted by:

rey323

Get one if you like being laughed at.

06/19, 5:31 PM

posted by:

Brendino

Dang, someone beat me to the XP joke.

So what, this’ll be an uglier Baja? Is that even possible?

deantj – Scions (xB anyways) are also for old people who see the utilitarian value in them, don’t care about style, and are price conscious. The tC’s don’t sell for anything under 17K, which isn’t exactly Aveo territory. I work at a Toyota dealership and I’ve seen a couple of 17 or 18 year olds, pretty well-to-do-looking, drive off in one. So poor doesn’t always fit.

TOZO – haha. “Most pickup trucks can haul 8000 pounds. The all-new Scion xP can haul 800. How do you like them apples?”

06/19, 6:21 PM

posted by:

autonutt

Everyone complains that the compact pickup market has all but been abandoned, save for the Ford Ranger.. now these same people are complaining that a compact Scion pickup would be ridiculous! Having owned a unibody 48-hp diesel VW Rabbit Pickup in the early 1980s, I can vouch for the usefulness of this type of vehicle for people that don’t need a HD work truck or tow family-size trailers. It ran for over 300K miles, got 45 HWY MPG all day long and had enough torque to pass multivalve sport compacts on the Grapevine. Now that the majority of Tacomas are V8, 4-door, 5-passenger affairs, I’m sure Toyota dealers wouldn’t mind a smaller truck to drive niche sales to people who really don’t need all that “utility” (since most Tacomas never see work duty and rarely carry more than 1 passenger!).

06/19, 6:24 PM

posted by:

autonutt

Oh, and note to Toyota: Don’t get too brave in restyling the next tC.. many of its buyers aren’t conquested from another maker.. in fact, two or three people I’ve talked to bought their tC because it was the only real replacement for their existing Paseos and Celicas in the Toyota lineup!

06/19, 7:08 PM

posted by:

illwill

what a slow ass news day…

06/19, 8:28 PM

posted by:

0GSharK6

True Brendino, but the tC is also not competing with Aveo.. I’d say it’s competing with the 4-banger Tiburon/Eclipse models, which both sell within that tC price range.

And who cares what it hauls? Toyota isn’t going to make this thing for someone who actually wants to get out and do work. It’s the image.. kind of like the xB. I bet since a lot of suburban “urban” people like the Chevy “box” cars, maybe when they buy new, they’ll buy a new box. I’ve seen a few Scions ghetto fabulous around here.. sad as that is.. but I think that might have somewhat been Toyota’s aim.. to woo different/diverse crowds.

06/19, 10:52 PM

posted by:

Ian

if it works… more power to em

06/20, 12:24 AM

posted by:

Hyperion

Wow… I wonder if this means they’ll build a front-drive pickup truck.

Gee I can’t wait…

06/20, 4:57 AM

posted by:

010111

how about making a RWD *car* while they are at it? just a suggestion…

06/20, 9:19 AM

posted by:

Hyperion

010111, that would just make way too much sense for Toyota.

06/20, 3:50 PM

posted by:

jackjimturkey

A guy I worked with in Nebraska wanted a front-wheel drive pickup. Maybe this will be it.

06/20, 4:10 PM

posted by:

NationsKappatol

man, I hate that company (Toyota) but they are on to something. I am sure that this will be a great vehicle for small flower shops, and stores that do light deliveries. Also, at 12K, it can be about image. Who cares? The car doesn’t cost anything.

THis is an old rumor. When I sold Toyota/Scions, we all figured that Scion would get a small truck, since the Tacoma got so much bigger.

06/20, 6:17 PM

posted by:

Brendino

autonutt – Good points, but the Tacoma doesn’t offer a V8. The 6 is enough to really zoom. And they do sell small variants, there’s a single bench-seat 4×2 that starts at around 14K I think. Pretty small.

06/20, 9:07 PM

posted by:

GMCsyclone#478

thanks, deantj. i won’t bug you anymore.

06/20, 9:16 PM

posted by:

GMCsyclone#478

wait deantj, one last bugging.. sorry for my post above. im only human and got so angry.

06/20, 11:00 PM

posted by:

deantj

Aw ****, don’t make me feel bad…I’m sorry man, I don’t even know who you are. That’s a classy response to a childish rant, kudos. I apologize for offending you, you’re levelheaded and cool.

Sorry about that. Friends?

06/20, 11:20 PM

posted by:

GMCsyclone#478

friends. and believe it or not the syclone was the **** in its day

06/21, 6:51 AM

posted by:

purdue

Al Gore must be proud of the interweb thingy he invented.

06/24, 1:28 PM

posted by:

Hyperion

I’d love to see another GMC Syclone with a similar iron-block turbo V-6. That was one great truck.

06/30, 12:22 AM

posted by:

GMCsyclone#478

Hyperion, you might enjoy this article:
http://www.icehouse.net/winkle/Typhoon/sycloneroadtest.htm

 
 
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