Scion has taken the covers off the 2011 tC today at the New York Auto Show. The current tC has been in production for the last five years and has finally been redesigned for the second generation.

The 2011 Scion tC is somewhat similar to the outgoing model. The overall shape is unchanged, but new design details accentuate its youthful, sporty character. Squared-off features and a lowered stance yield an aggressive look that today's automakers strive for. What really caught our eye was the enlarged Hofmeister kink on the beltline of the coupe.

The redesigned Scion tC has a 106.3'' wheelbase, is 174'' long, 55.7'' high, and 70.7'' wide. Only the width varies from its predecessor, increasing 1.6'' from before.

Scion went upmarket when it went shopping for the interior materials, improving surface finish. Fit and finish also improve, minimizing the feeling that you're driving a car that starts under $20,000.

The 2011 tC ditches its old 2.4L I-4 engine and swaps it with the slightly larger 2.5L. The new powerplant utilizes variable valve technology for optimal combustion characteristics and the extra deciliter of displacement equates to a 180 horsepower and a torque figure that increases by 11 lb-ft.

The added power commutes to the wheels via a brand new six-speed manual transmission. This is one more speed on top of the bygone five-speed which should allow for lower engine speed while highway cruising. This in turn establishes higher gas mileage figures. A new six-speed automatic is available as well.

The 2011 Scion tC should be a lot more fun to drive thanks to a wider stance and the shockingly huge 16'' rotors at each corner of the car. A new performance-tuned steering system beats the Corolla system in the current model.

This revamp doesn't come with any sort of radical changes, but Scion asks, why should it? The brand offers an altogether new car even though the changes are subtle by themselves. These new bits stand only to improve an already successful car. The tC comes to showrooms this fall as a 2011 model.

Source: Scion