Toyota surprised the automotive world by unveiling a side-by-side concept at this year’s SEMA show.
The Scion 01, as it was named, drew attention particularly for how far along it already was.
While most concepts presented by manufacturers are nowhere near production-ready, Toyota’s side-by-side was ready to be driven.
According to Ride Apart, the concept is powered by a turbo Tacoma engine producing around 300 horsepower.
The chassis appears to be Toyota’s work, but the stretched wheelbase seems to have been borrowed from a Polaris RZR.
The Scion 01 was officially introduced during a Toyota desert event, where it could be showcased to guests in all its glory.
“Like, why not have a commercially-grade automotive powertrain [in a UTV] with a real transmission that will go 100,000 miles,” said Don Federico, chief engineer of the Toyota Scion 01 Concept, to The Drive.
“Every time I go to my uncle’s cabin up in northern Michigan, it’s like you get there on a Friday and then spend until Saturday afternoon trying to get everything running and other stuff. And you spend half your fun time fixing things, and that’s what you don’t want to do.”
While it’s true that most side-by-sides on the market aren’t exactly synonymous with reliability, it remains to be seen how (and if) Toyota will truly break that paradigm when the Scion 01 reaches dealerships.
Photo: Toyota. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
