2013 Scion FR-S To Hit U.S. Showrooms in Spring With Under-$30,000 Price Tag almost the same as the 86 price tag is lower, safety feature rating for FR-S and BRZ top ......
Just the Facts: •Scion took the wraps off the 2013 FR-S on Wednesday, saying that it is moving up the on-sale date in the U.S. to the spring and promising that the brand's new "halo" car would be priced under $30,000.
•The FR-S is the U.S.-bound companion of the new Toyota 86 sport coupe.
•Subaru co-developed the car in Japan with Toyota and has its own version, the Subaru BRZ.
LOS ANGELES — Scion took the wraps off the 2013 FR-S on Wednesday, saying that it is moving up the on-sale date in the U.S. to the spring and promising that the brand's new "halo" car would be priced under $30,000.
Formal pricing will be announced later.
The FR-S is the U.S.-bound companion of the new Toyota 86 sport coupe. Subaru co-developed the car in Japan with Toyota and has its own version, the Subaru BRZ. The Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ debuted this week at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show.
The FR-S — short for Front-engine, Rear-drive, Sport — gets a 197-horsepower 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder direct-injection boxer engine. The flat-4 is linked to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The EPA has not yet posted fuel-economy numbers on the FR-S.
While vehicle weight was not provided in the preliminary specifications, Scion said it made a special effort to reduce weight. This was accomplished by using a solid roof instead of a sunroof, opting for a rigid trunk instead of a hatchback and using an aluminum hood. The FR-S gets standard 17-inch wheels and a tuned suspension.
Inspired by Toyota's AE86 generation of the Corolla, the FR-S gets an "86" piston emblem on the front fenders — another link to its sister car, the Toyota 86.
The cabin features a 2+2 seating configuration and a large center-mounted tachometer.
Inside Line says: Scion is hoping that its new "halo" car will bring buyers into its showrooms and boost sales on everything in the lineup.