2005 Scion Xb Base Wagon 5-door 1.5l on 2040-cars

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Scion xB death sentence uncertain, minor updates announced

The last time we discussed the Scion xB and xD, in April of this year, it was to announce a report that both models were being killed. The vice president of the brand had said, "We don't have plans for a direct xB or xD replacement," but no date was given for the termination. Turns out rumors of their deaths have been greatly exaggerated: as part of a Toyota press release that summarized feature and pricing changes for 2013, the Scion xB was included.
The 2013 hatchback (above) gets a new front bumper and lower fascia with LED lighting, and the rear end gets a black diffuser. Stingray Metallic and Elusive Blue Metallic exterior hues will disappear, Absolutely Red and Nautical Blue Metallic will take their places. Inside will be light bronze metallic and chrome accents, as well as new seat fabric and the availability of the BeSpoke Premium Audio. It increases in price by $500, the manual costing $16,800, the automatic $17,750.
The xD (inset) has been left off the list and the Scion website it still hawking the 2012 car. But 2013 xD pricing and new features were announced earlier this year, the MSRP rising by $125 to $16,500. New equipment and options includes smoked headlight covers, more airbags and a two-tone paint job.

Scion tC Release Series 10.0 is a limited-edition sayonara

We wish Scion could have gone out with a bang. But nope, it's yet another of the brand's Release Series models. The long-running group of special editions has been hit-or-miss over the years, but seemed to find its grove with its most recent FR-S Release Series 1.0 and 2.0. This is not an FR-S Release Series, though. It's a tC. You know, the only model that won't survive the Scion brand's death. Maybe we're being mean. Scion has made some decent tweaks for its Release Series 10.0, including TRD-branded lowering springs and a TRD exhaust. The Ken Miura body kit is a highlight too, and while Toyota has slathered its Barcelona Red on plenty of vehicles, we think this Scion is the best application of the shade. Other aesthetic changes, like the black badges, gloss-black wheels, and red contrast stitching could have been kitschy, but they actually kind of work. Like all Release Series models, this special tC will be limited to just 1,200 units. Prices start at $23,985 for the manual transmission model or $25,135 for the auto-equipped car. We've got a round of live images of the new tC Release Series 10.0 from the New York Auto Show up top. Be sure to take a look – it's the last new Scion you'll ever see. Scion-ara Celebration at New York International Auto Show Includes JDM-inspired tC Coupe and Classic Concepts TORRANCE, Calif. (March 16, 2016) – Scion is not going away quietly. With a final Kei Miura-inspired tC Release Series 10.0, a display of some of its most impressive project cars, and cool swag, the Scion by Toyota booth is sure to be a flurry of activity at the New York International Auto Show, March 25 – April 3, 2016. It's only fitting that Scion closes its auto show history at New York since that's where it all began. Fourteen years ago Scion debuted its first concept vehicles and announced the new youth division for Toyota that would be a laboratory for experimentation and introduce new products and processes. That commitment to innovation carries through to the debut of Scion's final Release Series vehicle for the tC sports coupe, Scion's most popular car. Thanks to a partnership with Kei Miura, known for his JDM aerodynamic designs, the final edition MY16 tC Release Series 10.0 will leave quite an impression with enhanced performance, and aggressive exterior and interior features.

Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race Scion FR-S [w/video]

Toyota has been hosting its Pro/Celebrity race at the Toyota Grand Prix on Long Beach since 1977. The charity event, which has raised millions of dollars over the years, traditionally pits Hollywood celebrities against professional athletes (including race car drivers) on the full Grand Prix course in modified street vehicles. The short, sprint-style race is popular with the crowds as the amateur drivers race uninhibited - the result is an action-packed race with plenty of excitement and automotive... er... carnage.
Over the decades, the drivers have raced a variety of Toyota products including last year's front-wheel-drive Scion tC. But this year, Toyota announced at the Chicago Auto Show that the new rear-wheel-drive Scion FR-S would be stepping up to the plate. The good news only became better when Toyota Motorsports invited us out to Southern California's Willow Springs Raceway (the same circuit where the drivers train and practice) to be one of the first behind the wheel.
Driving Notes: