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Toyota to kill Scion brand [w/video]

Toyota Motor Co. said Wednesday it will kill its youth-oriented Scion brand, ending a 13-year experiment that attracted new customers but ultimately drained resources from the parent company. The FR-S sports car, iA sedan, and iM five-door hatchback will be re-badged as Toyotas starting in August for the 2017 model year, and the tC coupe will end production then. The C-HR displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show will become a Toyota vehicle when it launches. Scion's 22 dedicated team members will be given opportunities to join Toyota. Toyota says it made the decision in response to customers' needs, noting it finds younger buyers want practicality in addition to the individualistic styling and features that Scion offered. Meanwhile, Toyota's own vehicles have gotten sportier, which the company says appeals to younger buyers. Scion claimed some successes, pointing to its average customer age of 36 years old, with 70 percent of its buyers new to Toyota. Scion sold more than a million vehicles since it launched. Its best year was 2006, when it sold 173,034 vehicles. Sales declined steadily in 2007-08 and then crashed in 2009 during the recession to 57,961 units, before bottoming out in 2010 with only 45,678 sales. "This isn't a step backward for Scion; it's a leap forward for Toyota. Scion has allowed us to fast track ideas that would have been challenging to test through the Toyota network," said Jim Lentz, founding vice president of Scion and now CEO, Toyota Motor North America. "I was there when we established Scion and our goal was to make Toyota and our dealers stronger by learning how to better attract and engage young customers. I'm very proud because that's exactly what we have accomplished." While Scion never recovered from its drastic sales decline, it served as a test bed for marketing and dealer tactics that helped its parent company. Scion tried out no-haggle pricing, a streamlined option plan (some cars had only two choices: color and transmission) and a pre-paid maintenance plan. "We appreciate our 1,004 Scion dealers and the support they've given the brand," said Bob Carter, Toyota senior vice president of automotive operations. "We believe our dealers have gained valuable insights and have received a strong return on their investment.

Scion celebrates first 10 years with special edition models

As the story goes, Toyota's Scion brand was imagined up in someone's basement and then came to fruition in 2003 as a youth-oriented brand with a focus on delivering unique vehicles with an equally unique retail experience. A decade later, the brand has grown to five models, which will each be commemorated starting in June with a new Scion 10 Series edition.
In varying quantities, Scion will be offering the FR-S, tC, iQ, xB and xD with an exclusive package that will all come in the Silver Ignition exterior color. Aside from the paint, these cars will also receive Scion badges on the front and rear that are backlit with blue LEDs that illuminate when the car is unlocked. Silver seat belts and a solar-powered illuminated shift knob will help distinguish the interiors of these cars, but the iQ, xB and xD will stand out further from the outside with darker alloy wheels.
In total, just 10,000 Scion 10 Series models are planned, and each will be identifiable with a sequentially numbered badge inside the car. The redesigned 2014 tC will get the most of the special-edition models with 3,500 units, while other new models like the FR-S and iQ will be restricted to just 2,500 units and 900 units, respectively. The original Scion, the xB, will get 2,100 Scion 10 Series models, and the xD will round out the 10,000-unit run with 1,000 models being produced. Scroll down for the official press release.

Scion announces FR-S Release Series 1.0 in New York

In the market for a Scion FR-S (or Subaru BRZ), but don't want the same one your neighbor's got? Scion has good news for you. At the New York Auto Show today, the Japanese automaker has announced the availability of this FR-S Release Series 1.0.
As the first Release Series FR-S (the aging xB is debuting its tenth alongside it), this special edition has been spruced up by Toyota Racing Development with a series of visual and aerodynamic enhancements to give the FR-S a bit of extra edge. Included in the Release Series 1.0 is an upgraded aero kit, an exhaust tip for every cylinder in the engine (that makes four, folks), and a lowered suspension with TRD springs and HID headlamps. Did we mention it's all capped by Yuzu yellow paint?
Inside, you'll find black seats with T-pattern upholstery, a TRD steering wheel, shifter and cargo mat, dual-zone climate control and push-button ignition with smart key. Scion isn't saying exactly what this model will cost, but it is saying it will come in under $30,000 (before the $755 delivery charge).