Toyota Canada to Discontinue Importing Celica Sports Coupe by the End of 2005 Model Year

Toyota Canada Follows U.S. Lead in Dropping Celica but Doesn't Offer Scion tC Replacement

It's a sad day for sports car fans in Canada, as Toyota Canada (Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc.) has just announced

Following the U.S. division's lead, Toyota Canada has announced the Celica coupe will be discontinued by the end of the 2005 model year. (Photo: Toyota Canada)

that its Celica coupe (and MR2 roadster) will be discontinued by the end of the 2005 model year.

What seems odd at first is Toyota Canada's decision to follow the U.S. division's lead in deleting the venerable model from its 2006 lineup. The move makes more sense in the U.S. market, which will soon make available a Celica replacement in its new 2005 Scion tC, but Toyota Canada doesn't offer the youth oriented Scion brand at all.

Instead, the Canadian division chose to import the Yaris 3- and 5-door subcompact as the Toyota Echo Hatchback, which has proven to be a smart decision in it own

Without a 2-seat coupe in the lineup, is Toyota purposefully moving away from attracting younger buyers? (Photo: Toyota Canada)

right. Toyota Canada offers nothing to pull in young buyers similar to those buying up the boxy Scion xB in the U.S., and now no "halo" sports coupe like the tC.

Is this a sign that the most financially successful automaker in the country is moving away from attracting young buyers? Recent introductions of new youth-oriented models like the Echo Hatchback, Corolla XRS and Matrix XRS would say this is not true, however, all of the Japanese automaker's new Canadian offerings are packaged to allow acceptance by singles and families alike. The Celica, due to its 2-seat configuration, either targeted young singles or empty-nesters.