Toyota to release ft as new scion tc?

[Tanuki]

So I was just talking to a Toyota rep who is saying that te ft will be a lot more similar to the scion fuse and will be sold as the new scion tc. I don't know how reliable his word is but he seemed very sure of himself. He said a lot of dealers actually complained about how the ft concept looked compared to the fuse ( in my opinion it is much worse than the ft). Anyways he says the official photos and specs should be out in feb/ march with a release of the car early summer.

Once again this is from a toyota rep so who knows how reliable the info is. I am a bit skeptical they would redirect he concept less than a month after tokyo auto shows unvailing.

[S2KtoFT86]

So is he saying that specs on the Fuse will be released around March and then the car over the summer, or the FT?

[YourFearlessLeader]

The Fuse will be a seperate car. There is going to be a tC replacement, but it will not be called the tC. Similiar to what they did with the xA/xD.

I expect the FT to come out as a Scion, however, I do not see it replacing the tC.

[White Comet]

Shouldn't this have been added to the already existing thread?

[OldSkoolToys]

The more I think about it the more I just know Toyota of America is going to release the FT as a Scion. The eco-friendly / generic family market is what has made Toyota the largest automaker in the world, and I don't see them trying to 'shift' their image away from that; not in today's economy and political environment. People have to remember that even if this car is badged as a Toyota in Japan, that doesn't mean it will be badged as a Toyota over here.

From a pure business standpoint (marketing, sales, etc.) it makes much more sense for a brand new car, re-creating a market segment on its own, that shifts away from the modern day thinking of "go green, hybrid cars, practical, etc." to be badged under a segment that is known for releasing 'edgy' cars that don't fit the norm. Scion's are not high volume cars, and the FT will be exactly that: low-volume.

You just put all the pieces together, then add in a dash of "oh yeah, this is Toyota of America, not Japan, and this car doesn't fit with Toyota's marketing scheme" and you ultimately have to conclude that this car will be a Scion. I'm not completely positive on it, since I don't work at Toyota, but it makes out to be a logical decision.

If the tC is being scrapped (name and all) for another car, then the FT could easily be the "tC's replacement". Think about it. The tC is the closest car in the Scion lineup in terms of sportyness (using that term loosely) and price-range.

[S2KtoFT86]

Originally Posted by OldSkoolToys

The more I think about it the more I just know Toyota of America is going to release the FT as a Scion. The eco-friendly / generic family market is what has made Toyota the largest automaker in the world, and I don't see them trying to 'shift' their image away from that; not in today's economy and political environment. People have to remember that even if this car is badged as a Toyota in Japan, that doesn't mean it will be badged as a Toyota over here.

From a pure business standpoint (marketing, sales, etc.) it makes much more sense for a brand new car, re-creating a market segment on its own, that shifts away from the modern day thinking of "go green, hybrid cars, practical, etc." to be badged under a segment that is known for releasing 'edgy' cars that don't fit the norm. Scion's are not high volume cars, and the FT will be exactly that: low-volume.

You just put all the pieces together, then add in a dash of "oh yeah, this is Toyota of America, not Japan, and this car doesn't fit with Toyota's marketing scheme" and you ultimately have to conclude that this car will be a Scion. I'm not completely positive on it, since I don't work at Toyota, but it makes out to be a logical decision.

If the tC is being scrapped (name and all) for another car, then the FT could easily be the "tC's replacement". Think about it. The tC is the closest car in the Scion lineup in terms of sportyness (using that term loosely) and price-range.

Well said, and I'm sure that alot of folks will either shave this thing completely or just rebadge it a Toyota if it is released as a Scion.

[Siriusly.Andrew]

Lord knows I'm getting a Toyota badge for mine. though clean is a nice look too...

[S2KtoFT86]

Hell, I'm gonna shave mine no matter what name it has. It could even be a Honda.

[scape]

a ban on the word scion in this forum would be great...

[Ricepuddin]

By rep i assume you mean sales guy at the dealership. Which equates to knowing little more then the general public.... i use to sell VW's and everything i learned was off VWVortex.

I hope for a Toyota, but i would not be surprised to see a scion logo on it.

[Tanuki]

By rep I mean official rep not a dealership employee

[S2KtoFT86]

Originally Posted by scape

a ban on the word scion in this forum would be great...

[zigzagz94]

Originally Posted by Tanuki

Anyways he says the official photos and specs should be out in feb/ march with a release of the car early summer.

I'm confused. Did he tell you that the FT-86 was going to be released summer 2010? Or did he tell you that the Scion Fuse-like car would be released summer 2010?

Because the Scion Fuse concept was a Front wheel drive car with a 160hp inline 4 cyl engine. There is no way, at this point in the project, they are going to change the FT-86 to make it anything like the Fuse. I could however see them bringing out a FF Scion Fuse type car to replace the Tc.

[Tanuki]

yeah i asked a few times to make sure and he told me they were bringing styling points from the fuse to the ft and the concept of the ft is pretty far off what they are anticipating. I still dont believe him, but he is a credible source.

thats all.