Toyota Kinda Sorta Brings Back Scion

The Scion brand was invented by Toyota for the North American market in a bid to cater to young drivers. Unfortunately, the effort failed and the marque was dissolved in 2016. Well, the name is back and has been applied to an absolutely mental side-by-side concept Toyota sent to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show.

Dubbed the “Scion 01 Concept,” the SxS (or SSV if you prefer) is an off-road monster boasting 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. That makes it immensely powerful for a side-by-side vehicle. For the sake of comparison, the turbocharged three-cylinder fitted to the hardcore Can-Am Maverick R only makes about 240 horsepower and you’ll be hard pressed to find a faster SxS from any factory.

“The Scion 01 Concept is about taking what we do best at Toyota and blending it with the passions that drive us,” stated Don Federico, chief engineer and vice president of Vehicle Performance Development. “It’s the intersection of advanced performance and our deep enthusiasm for adventure. By bringing those worlds together in a side-by-side format, we’re exploring how Toyota performance can live in entirely new spaces — and inspire a new generation of enthusiasts to get out and go.”

It’s an interesting choice. The original Scion brand, created in 2003, offered jazzed-up small cars with loads of available parts straight from the manufacturer. Toyota was operating under the knowledge that automotive customization had become incredibly popular among younger drivers and decided to build small, affordable options targeting the demographic.

Scion failed for a multitude of reasons. Nobody had ever heard of the brand before and it was frequently compared to General Motors’ ailing Saturn due to both companies boasting no-haggle pricing while attempting to frame themselves as “different.” But what ultimately did Scion in was the 2008 financial crisis and the fact that the brand didn’t offer cars that were particularly sporty until the FR-S (Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ) debuted.

Toyota had arguably missed its window with the brand. The import tuning scene was dying down and too many Scion’s customers were slightly older than desired — buying the cars because they were cheap and fuel efficient.

This is not the case with the Scion 01 Concept, as there is nothing even remotely economical about the offroader. But it’s hard to imagine Toyota selling the vehicle with the presently equipped powertrain.

Toyota said the engine is actually a hybridized turbo unit derived from its truck lineup. That makes us think it’s probably the 2.4-liter four-cylinder found in the current Land Cruiser (as well as select variants of the Tacoma and 4Runner).

It’s a big engine to put into a side-by-side. Still, the Scion 01 isn’t exactly diminutive in the general. The entire project appears to have been a challenge thrown at engineers to build a hardcore recreational vehicle with serious off-road chops using nothing but parts pulled from other Toyota models. This has resulted in components from mainstream passenger models being paired with parts from racy GR models.

Due to its overall size, hardcore roof rack, and liberal use of MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) panels, the Scion 01 looks more like something Toyota is trying to shop around as a prospective military vehicle than a model intended to be sold to the general public. However, the automaker said the concept was assembled primarily to appeal to thrill-seeking enthusiasts and off-road motorsport.

From Toyota:

Purpose-built from the ground up, the concept can tackle a variety of challenging off-roading scenarios including high-speed racing, rugged trail running, and technical rock crawling. With exceptional suspension articulation, balanced track width, and a nimble footprint for tight trails, the Scion 01 Concept aims to surpass current SXS products in power, capability, and range.

In a nod to Toyota’s commitment to safety and durability, the concept also incorporates a first-of-its-kind FIA-compliant cage, developed directly by Toyota and compatible with SCORE and FIA racing standards. Complementing this race-ready structure, the concept leverages proven Toyota driveline, suspension, and brake components — strategically selected for reliability in extreme conditions.

It’s presently just a concept vehicle and we cannot say if it will ever be more than an engineering exercise thrown at Toyota’s US-based CALTY design team. However, it always felt a little odd that the Japanese company never ventured back into the realm of powersports. After all, Honda offers a slew of interesting non-car vehicles and receives an endless stream of praise for doing so.

But Honda also already has loads of competition coming from Japan on that front, with Toyota applying even more pressure in terms of automotive sales. Maybe Toyota feels that there’s no more room when Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and a cadre of Western brands already dominate the space.

The company hasn’t said much on the matter. Officially, the Scion 01 exists to prove that Toyota’s “hybrid technology can elevate performance, efficiency, and adventure — giving enthusiasts new ways to explore while supporting Toyota’s broader vision for a sustainable, performance-driven future.”

If the inclusion of the term “sustainable” didn’t tip you off, that’s just corporate slop talk to fill up the bottom of the press release. However, we certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Toyota throw its hat into the ring.

[Images: Toyota]

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