The Scion iM concept has made its premiere at this year’s edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show. If the car looks familiar, that’s because underneath the aggressive skin is actually the rather bland Toyota Auris five-door hatchback commercialized in Europe. Toyota slapped on the Scion badge on the model for its North American debut and the company has already announced a production version will be launched in 2015 to broaden Scion’s range which has been characterized by many as being scarce. The vehicle depicted here features what Scion calls an “incrediblue” paint with gunmetal and matte silver accents.
The Scion iM concept benefits from 19-inch forged wheels shod in performance tires while other goodies on the menu include vented front rotors, a height-adjustable racing suspension and four-piston brake calipers. It’s a mystery what relies underneath the hood but the series production model will probably feature a four-cylinder 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine which in the Toyota Corolla (US-spec) generates a modest 132 bhp (98 kW) and 170 Nm (126 lb-ft) of torque.
The production version will carry an estimated starting price of less than $20,000 for the base model without any optional equipment.
Source: Scion
