Toyota had hinted broadly something was in the works, but now it’s official: the Scion brand is returning, nearly a decade after disappearing from the North American landscape in 2016. But this time, the focus will be completely different. Forget urban coupes like the tC. Instead, the new Scion division will serve as an experimental laboratory for Toyota and focus on alternative mobility, with a strong emphasis on the off-road segment.
It was already pretty clear last November this was coming, when Toyota showed the Scion 01 concept at the 2025 SEMA show.
Scion becomes a test bed for Toyota
During a recent media event, Don Federico, chief engineer for the Scion 01 concept, explained the vision behind the brand’s rebirth in an interview with Road & Track. He said that Scion fits directly into the philosophy championed for several years by Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, that of transforming the group to make it much more than “just” a maker of cars.
The Scion 01 concept: a Toyota side-by-side
The Scion 01 illustrates that philosophy pretty clearly. The off-road side-by-side vehicle is powered by the 4-cylinder turbocharged hybrid engine used in the Toyota Tacoma. The choice of that combo confirms that Scion will also serve as a technological showcase to test existing powertrains in new vehicle formats.
No tC
While the first concept is clearly oriented towards adventure, Federico said that Scion won’t be limited solely to that niche. On the other hand, he cut short any nostalgic speculation and made clear no one should not expect the return of the Scion tC or other models from the past.
Behind the talk of mobility, Toyota wants to establish a flexible satellite brand that is less restrictive than Toyota or Lexus. Such a brand would be a laboratory for the testing of thinking-outside-the-box concepts, recreational vehicles and potentially new electrified off-road solutions. In the latter two cases, no doubt Toyota wants to tap into the healthy American appetite for such vehicles.