Scion Scion tC Convertible: First Look at the Youth Brand's Future Drop Top

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Just the Facts:

• Scion could launch a tC convertible in 2012.
• The new drop top would be based on the redesigned 2011 tC coupe.
• It would be the first convertible for the Scion division.

TORRANCE, California — After a product drought that has lasted too long to be considered cool, Scion unveiled a redesigned tC coupe last month at the 2010 New York Auto Show. It's the first time the brand-leading coupe has been revamped since its 2004 launch. Now sources tell Inside Line that the tC lineup could expand to include a convertible model in 2012.

Should the car make it to production, it would not only be Scion's first convertible, it would also be the only drop top sold at Toyota/Scion stores, as the Camry Solara went out of production recently.

The future Scion tC convertible is expected to share the 2011 tC coupe's new 180-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed sequential-shift automatic, both of which are new for 2011. Those engines, of course, power the four-seater's front wheels.

As Scion's most popular model, the tC coupe already has 30 percent of the Toyota sub-brand's sales under its low beltline. In convertible form, the tC coupe would be the car to help Scion recover its lost youth-oriented appeal. The entry-level convertible market isn't exactly rife with options, and the tC convertible is bound to be nicely packaged with a power-operated soft top, as Scion has a history of giving its buyers a lot for a little.

With the base-level 2010 tC coupe priced at just over $17,000, the tC convertible is expected to cost under $20,000, significantly undercutting other youthful drop tops including the Ford Mustang, Mini Cooper and Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder.

Inside Line says: Scion suffered its lowest market share since 2004 last month, and it's obvious that the once-youth-oriented brand needs more than a small shot of cool injected into its struggling lineup. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor

- Scion tC Convertible: First Look at the Youth Brand's Future Drop Top