Spy Shots: A New Scion Sedan?
Many automotive companies test cars and components for resistance to radio frequency interference not far from where I live in suburban Detroit. There are a number of radio and television broadcast antennas in the area, so it’s not uncommon to see camouflaged preproduction cars driving in the neighborhood or parked in the shadow of one of the radio or tv towers.
I was running over to my ex’s to give my younger daughter a ride to her teaching job, when I spotted this car. The driver was concerned about getting into trouble so I told him that I’d obscure his face, but I suppose he was a bit freaked out that I knew what he was doing there because he pulled away and drove around the corner. My first guess, based on the shape of the headlamp units is that it’s a sedan version of the Scion xD, which is currently sold here as a five-door (Toyota has a large R&D center in Ann Arbor and a technical center in Plymouth), though it doesn’t necessarily have to be a car intended for the U.S. continent.
Automotive suppliers with R&D facilities in southeastern Michigan will sometimes test foreign market cars in the same neighborhood. What do you think it is?
Ronnie Schreiber edits Cars In Depth, the original 3D car site.
More by Ronnie Schreiber
Latest Car Reviews
Read moreLatest Product Reviews
Read moreRecent Comments
- MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
- 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
- 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
- CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
- ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
Comments
Join the conversation
(scratches head)... Now I'm not sure what it is, but then again it's not the kind of car I'd be interested in anyway
The yellow windshield labeling indicate it's a PD fleet car via Ford. The upper left or right labeling gives it away as Ford is the only OEM dumb enough to label a preproduction build to make their future product stand out further. In this case, it looks to be a TT build of some sort.