The Toyota Zelas is the name given from 2011 to the Scion tC in the Middle East, China and South America. The tC was a compact coupe built by Toyota under its Scion brand from 2004 to 2016 in two generations, and it was Scion’s best-selling model, accounting for almost 40 per cent of the brand’s sales.
Toyota Zelas at a glance
| Maker | Toyota, sold as the Scion tC in North America |
|---|---|
| Production | 2004–2016 |
| Markets | United States and Canada as Scion; Middle East, China and South America as Toyota Zelas |
| Class | Compact coupe |
| First generation | ANT10, 2004–2010 |
| Second generation | AGT20, 2011–2016 |
| Engines | 2.4-litre 2AZ-FE, then 2.5-litre 2AR-FE |
| Power | 161 hp, then 180 hp |
| Chassis | Avensis-based, MacPherson struts and double wishbones |
| Name | Zelas from zelante, Italian for zealous |
| Built in | Japan |
The Zelas is the export name of the Scion tC and is described in the English Wikipedia article on the tC; photographs of the Scion version show the same car.
History of the Toyota Zelas
First generation (AT10; 2004)
Toyota showed the production tC at the North American International Auto Show in January 2004, with sales from May 2004 as a 2005 model. It was intended as a spiritual successor to the Celica and aimed at Millennial buyers, so Toyota loaded it with standard equipment: power windows, cruise control, air conditioning, keyless entry, mirror-mounted indicators, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, a 160-watt Pioneer stereo, 17-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic moonroof. It shared its chassis with the Avensis, with MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the rear, and used a pure “monospec” pricing style, with a base price of US$17,670 for the 2009 manual. A bare-bones Spec Package with steel wheels and a fixed glass roof served the tuner market until 2009. A 2007 refresh brought a revised grille and new lamps.
Second generation (AT20; 2010)
The replacement debuted at the New York International Auto Show in April 2010 and reached American dealers in October 2010. It gained a 2.5-litre 2AR-FE engine from the Camry with 180 hp and 236 N·m, kept the Avensis-derived chassis in its third-generation form, and toned down the look of the 2006 Scion Fuse concept while adopting blacked-out A-pillars. It continued with high safety scores, an all-glass roof and a roomy interior. From 2011 the car was sold as the Toyota Zelas in the Middle East, China and South America, a name derived from zelante, Italian for passionate or zealous.
The first generation in detail
The first tC used a 2.4-litre twin-cam four with VVT-i, 161 hp and 220 N·m, with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic; a TRD supercharger took it to about 200 hp. It reached 60 mph in 7.4 seconds and weighed around 1,320 kg. Sales peaked at 79,125 cars in 2006 before falling to 15,204 in 2010, and both generations were built in Japan. Production ended in 2016 with the closure of the Scion brand.
Design and features
- Scion’s best-seller: almost 40 per cent of the brand’s total sales.
- Avensis chassis: MacPherson struts and double wishbones.
- Generous equipment: a panoramic roof, 17-inch alloys and a Pioneer stereo as standard.
- Two engines: 2.4-litre then 2.5-litre four-cylinders.
Toyota Zelas versions
- tC (2004): first generation with the 2.4-litre engine.
- Spec Package: stripped tuner version, 2004–2009.
- 2008 refresh: new grille and lamps.
- tC (2010): second generation with the 2.5-litre engine.
- Zelas (2011): the Toyota-badged version for the Middle East, China and South America.
The Zelas is the export form of the Scion tC, which shares its chassis with the Avensis and follows the spirit of the Celica. More cars are in the Toyota collection.
Sources
- Scion tC, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, Zelas name
