Scion’s stagnant lineup is about to get an injection of fresh metal, and among the new products is what the company is calling its first sedan. (There's also the new iM hatchback.) The thing about the iA is that it isn’t really a Scion, or even a Toyota for that matter. It’s quite literally a 2016 Mazda 2 sedan—a body style of the 2 we won’t get here—inside and out. The only differences are the badges, the carp-like front fascia, the headlamps, and some minor differences in the taillamp innards. That’s it.
You may remember that the next Toyota Yaris will be based on the Mazda 2 and that the cars will be built alongside one another at Mazda’s Salamanca, Mexico, plant starting later this year. We also knew that the Toyota would use the 2’s Skyactiv engine, but the iA's arrival shows even more depth to the collaboration, as the Scion is a Mazda through and through, right down to its body panels, instruments, steering wheel, and seat fabrics.
As you’d expect, then, the sole engine for the iA is Mazda’s 1.5-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder, although it won’t wear Skyactiv branding under the Scion’s hood. With direct injection and a 12.0:1 compression ratio, the powerplant produces 106 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 103 lb-ft of torque at 4000 revs; it will be offered with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. That’s hardly hellacious power, but it shouldn’t have much trouble moving the iA, given Scion’s claimed curb weights of 2385 pounds for the manual model and 2416 for the automatic. Even better for small-car buyers is the car’s impressive estimated fuel economy: 31/41 mpg city/highway for the manual, 33/42 for the automatic.
With one configuration and an expected MSRP of about $16,000, according to Scion, the iA won’t be underequipped, either. Standard goodies include 16-inch aluminum wheels, turn-signal repeaters in the side mirrors, and a forward-collision warning system. The interior is loaded up with cruise control, air conditioning, keyless entry, push-button ignition, a backup camera, and—in a fun twist for Scion sales training—Mazda’s seven-inch infotainment system screen and knob interface. Being a Scion, a full raft of dealer-installed accessories will be available, too.
Perhaps best of all is that we’ve been told by Scion that the tuning of the iA’s front-strut/rear-torsion-beam suspension and electronic power steering will be no different from the Mazda’s, which means the iA probably won’t be awful to drive. We won’t know until we get behind the wheel, of course, but we are optimistic given Mazda’s latest string of products.
With Mazda not offering a 2 sedan in the U.S. (it will have the 2-based CX-3 crossover) and Scion not selling an iA hatchback, the brands seem to be betting that hatch and sedan buyers are so different that no one will notice they’re the same car.
