L@@k 2005 Toyota Scion Xb Black & Black Save!!!!!! on 2040-cars

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Scion was Toyota's lost generation

Toyota's top North American leader was succinct in explaining the reasons for killing Scion. "It's the right decision at the right time," Jim Lentz said. It's hard to disagree. In a strong market that saw 17.5 million sales last year, Scion volume dipped three percent. Its product lineup has withered for years, which is always a telltale sign a brand doesn't have the full support of its owner. Though enthusiasts love the FR-S sports car, it's the fruit of a joint project with Subaru that also produced the BRZ. Scion's coolest car has a twin sold by one of its rivals. After the FR-S launched in 2012, Scion got nothing – squat – in the way of new products until the iA and iM arrived late last year, IHS senior analyst Stephanie Brinley noted. "[Scion] was not successful in building a visual brand identity or product personality," she said. Lentz, Scion's first vice president and now CEO of Toyota's North American division, admitted the market has changed. "Younger customers have a different mindset," he said. In the early oughts, a brand that catered to a youthful demographic made some sense, and this is one front where Toyota can declare victory. Seventy percent of Scion's buyers were new to Toyota, and the average age was 36 years old. The problem is, not enough of them buy Scions anymore. Scion hit a highwater sales mark of 173,034 vehicles in 2006 and hasn't come close to reaching that since. The recession hurt Scion, too. It bottomed out in 2010 with just 45,678 sales, a time when the rest of the industry was beginning to recover. There was a brief uptick (73,507) in 2012, but Scion failed to capitalize on that momentum and sales fell for three more years. Toyota is calling Scion's pending death a "transition" back to the main company. Sure, most of the cars will be rebadged Toyotas, like the FR-S, iA, and iM. The C-HR, an attractive future crossover that would have given Scion a boost, will go into production as a Toyota. But make no mistake: This is a failure. Toyota is closing a brand in the same way General Motors scrapped Oldsmobile, Ford shuttered Mercury, and Chrysler dropped Plymouth. Those brands languished for years. Toyota moved quicker to put the fork in Scion, which prevented it from becoming a long-term drain on the parent company. Lentz was dead on. It's the right time. News & Analysis News: Sergio Marchionne is against a Ferrari SUV Analysis: His exact words were, "you have to shoot me first," Bloomberg reported.

2013 Scion FR-S

The New Poster Child For Cheap Thrills
Let me tell you about a man named Larry. Larry works for a company called STI Fleet Services, one of a few companies that are responsible for the cleaning, prepping, maintaining, scheduling, delivering and picking up of the cars we test on a weekly basis, not to mention a whole slew of other duties. STI and its competitors are the silent heroes of this whole automotive journalism biz. Larry is one of the guys responsible for a lot of the grunt work - he's been delivering cars to me for nearly seven years now, and because of that, we've developed a bit of a rapport. Now that I think about it, my history with Larry goes back farther than several of my friendships, as well as every romantic relationship I've ever had... combined.
With that much history behind us, Larry knows my taste in cars pretty well. And even though he doesn't voice his own opinions about what's being delivered to me, Larry silently knows when he's about to hand me keys to something truly special. When Larry arrived at my door with a bright red 2013 Scion FR-S, I tried to play it cool. But Larry knows me better than that.

Scion previews new iA sedan, iM hatch ahead of New York debut

Scion is preparing to revitalize its lineup with the debut of not one, but two new models at the upcoming New York Auto Show next month. That much we already knew, but now Toyota's more youthful counterpart has revealed teaser images of both. In one corner will be the Scion iM, a hatchback previewed in concept form at the 2014 LA Auto Show and based closely on the European-market Toyota Auris. In the other will be the Scion iA, which will be the brand's first proper sedan with an actual trunk instead of a liftgate. Though we'd generally call hatchbacks more practical than trunked sedans, Scion says the four-door iA will be more practical than the iM hatchback, and will be more aggressively styled as well. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out additional details, but Scion promises to reveal both at the end of this month before they make their live debuts in Manhattan. Related Video: Scion's Double-Take at New York International Auto Show World Debuts of Scion iM 5-door hatchback and Scion iA sedan March 18, 2015 TORRANCE, Calif., March 18, 2015 – One look at Scion won't be enough for guests attending the New York International Auto Show. It will take two looks (or more) to see the World Debuts from Scion. Both the Scion iM and the newly named Scion iA will be revealed on the eve of the show, March 31, 2015. The Scion iM is a 5-door hatchback that combines maximum versatility with a sporty design and a fun-to-drive experience. Meanwhile the Scion iA sedan is designed to appeal to young people who need a little more practicality, but still want engaging styling and outstanding driving dynamics. The "i" in the models' names can stand for intriguing, individual, and easy on customers' income. The "M" reflects the hatchback's modern style and multi-faceted uses. Meanwhile the "A" for the sedan denotes the accommodating trunk and the aggressive styling. "We've been eagerly waiting for this moment and are excited to introduce our new Scions in New York," said Scion Group Vice President Doug Murtha. "Both the iM and the iA are tremendous additions to our line-up and will appeal to young people with different perspectives and needs. These cars represent the evolution of Scion and are kicking off a new wave of momentum for the brand." About Scion Scion continues to be the test laboratory division for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. From its start in 2003, Scion's goal was to offer products and processes that stand apart from the crowd.