Scion FR-S vs. Toyota 86: What’s Changing?
The Toyota 86 on display at the New York Auto Show
Back in February, Toyota made the announcement that its youth-oriented brand, Scion, would shut its doors for good this August, taking with it 13 years of wild and wacky vehicles. One of the vehicles that will live on in Toyota’s lineup, the Scion FR-S, is being renamed the Toyota 86, which is the name the automaker uses for this model globally. But what’s the difference between the Scion FR-S and the Toyota 86?
Buh-bye, Scion FR-S
Essentially, the two are the same car, powered by the same 2.0-liter flat-four engine. However, Toyota has tweaked the gear ratio in manual models, increasing horsepower by 5 to 205 hp total. The 2017 Toyota 86 also sees a few styling upgrades, with a larger front grille, a redesigned bumper, and LED headlamps and turn signals. Inside, the changes continue, with new “Grandlux” soft-touch material on the door trims and instrument panel surround. The 86’s seats are upholstered in a new material as well, and now offer silver stitching. To top it off, the Toyota 86 comes with a new sport steering wheel with audio control, and larger paddle shifters in automatic models.
Toyota will release the 2017 86 for sale in its US and Canadian markets this fall. Rumor has it that a restyled Subaru BRZ (which is the twin of the FR-S/86) will emerge at some point following the 86’s release, though that has yet to be confirmed by Subaru.
The 86 will be joined in Toyota’s lineup by two more existing Scion models: the iA (Yaris iA) and the iM (Corolla iM). For 2018, Toyota will add the CH-R small crossover to its (now extremely full) lineup in hopes of capturing the growing market for this segment. Meanwhile, models like the Scion tC and xB will be no more, though we’ll surely be seeing older models on our roads for years to come.
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