Scion tC takes step forward but forgets basics

Remember back in 2003 and 2004 when Toyota introduced the U.S. market to its cool, new whiz kid, the Scion brand?Back then Scion was squarely aimed at the emerging Generation Y drivers that wanted peppy, pretty models that were wired for high-tech connectivity. Brand managers said their hope was that no-haggle deals and low-cost quality products would drive word-of-mouth and boost sales.

Checking in a few years later, the strategy was working, with the company on target to sell about 150,000 cars in the U.S. in 2006; about 80 percent of Scion buyers at that time were new to the Toyota brand, said Steve Haag, then corporate manager of Toyota’s Scion division in Torrance, Calif.