The Scion moniker was to be discontinued in August 2016 by Toyota, the Scion brand’s parent corporation, and the majority of Scion-branded vehicles have been rebadged as Toyotas. The rear-drive FR-S, a Toyota 86 rebadged, is a two-door coupe that is capable of drifting. The iM (rebadged Corolla iM) is a respectable attempt at an inexpensive hatchback in the European design. The tiny sedan, which Mazda produced and rebadged as the Yaris iA, is fun to drive and has outstanding fuel efficiency.
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What caused Toyota to stop making Scion?
The decision to retire Scion was decided, according to a press release issued this morning, in part because the younger customers Scion was intended to draw are content purchasing Toyota cars.
Scion was established more than ten years ago with the goal of luring youthful consumers into the Toyota fold with low-cost compact vehicles and no-haggle pricing.
The brand has had trouble lately. From a high of 173,034 in 2006, Scion sold 56,167 vehicles in 2015.
The compact and ferociously angular first-generation xB was an unexpected hit for the brand at first.
However, a larger second-generation xB and a related model known as the xD did not earn favorable reviews.
Toyota let them age instead of keeping them updated, then briefly tried to revive Scion with niche models.
It introduced the (since-discontinued) iQ city car and the FR-S sports car, neither of which had the potential to generate significant sales.
Toyota gave Scion two new mainstream vehicles to market alongside the FR-S and the current tC coupe this past year.
The Mazda 2 sedan is the iA, and the iM is a Toyota Auris hatchback with a different paint job.
Although the two appeared to be exactly what Scion needed, it may have been too little, too late. In any case, they will stay in the family.
Most Scion vehicles will be rebadged as Toyotas starting in August, which makes sense given that many of them are already offered as Toyota models in other regions.
Despite the fact that the 2017 model-year FR-S, iA, and iM models were not mentioned in today’s statement, they will be offered as Toyotas.
Why did Toyota stop making Scion?
Toyota’s official justification for ending the Scion brand is that they did not feel the need for a separate brand that catered to a younger audience. Younger purchasers were drawn to Toyota as their lineup evolved over time, and many of them preferred the Toyota emblem over the Scion on their vehicles.
Simply having bad sales was a significant factor in the demise of the Scion brand. Scion was attempting something novel, and their designs had a narrower market appeal. The Toyota Corolla model sold five times as many cars as the entire Scion brand by the time it was discontinued in 2016.
Toyota experimented with Scion to see if it could design more exciting and distinctive-looking automobiles to appeal to younger consumers. It was a very significant success for them in the beginning, but as time went on, more people simply switched to buying Toyotas, and the brand lost its attractiveness.
Is Scion as reliable as Toyota?
Scion is equally as reliable as Toyota in terms of all-around dependability. The rest of the Toyota lineup also uses every component that is found in Scion vehicles. The key distinctions were that Scions often featured less opulent interiors and fewer luxury features.
The majority of the engines and transmissions used in Scion cars, like the Corolla, are used in other well-known Toyota models. As a result, Scion received excellent dependability ratings overall, and there are models remaining on the road today with over 200,000 miles on them.
Toyota’s primary objective with Scion was to appeal to younger demographics of buyers, therefore it adopted more daring style and simplified the interiors. Due to the absence of the more expensive luxury components, they were less expensive and had a more interesting appearance.
Will Toyota bring back the scion?
There is currently no new information regarding Toyota bringing the Scion brand back as of 2021. In order to maintain the line’s best-selling models on the market for potential customers once the brand was canceled in 2016, they shifted them over to Toyota.
Toyota launched Scion in 2003, and it operated for a total of 13 years. They did have some success in attracting younger customers during that time. They also had a dealership model, which was more approachable to many people because there was no haggling involved and you could simply go in and purchase the vehicle you desired.
The Scion brand was losing money as Toyota struggled to keep it afloat since they were not selling many cars toward the conclusion of their tenure. Overall, Toyota decided to discontinue the brand out of business considerations. Toyota may introduce some cars in the future that borrow styling ideas from Scion, but I do not anticipate the brand name to make a comeback.
What was the Toyota Scion’s successor?
Toyota once owned the Scion brand, which debuted in 2003. The Scion brand focused on affordable, eye-catching, and distinctive sport compact cars, and used a straightforward “pure price” sales concept that avoided traditional trim levels and dealer haggling. Each vehicle was offered in a single trim with a non-negotiable base price, while buyers could choose from a variety of dealer-installed options to customize their cars. [1] The term Scion, which translates to “the heir of a family,” applies to both the brand’s automobiles and the people who own them. [3] Scion predominantly used guerilla and viral marketing strategies to appeal to millennials.
In June 2003, a few California Toyota dealers hosted a soft launch of the brand in the US. By February 2004, the brand had gone national.
[3] With the sale of 173,034 units, sales reached their pinnacle. [1] 2010 saw Scion’s entry into Canada. However, as sales declined following the financial crisis of 20072008, Toyota’s early proposalsshort product cycles and aggressive pricing predicated on low dealer marginsbecame more and more untenable. [4] At the beginning of the 2017 model year, in August 2016, Toyota ended the Scion brand. The cars were either rebranded as Toyotas or were no longer produced. [5]
Toyota still offers Scion support?
The defunct Scion brand, which was split off as a distinct portfolio of vehicles in 2003 but suffered in recent years, was officially discontinued by Toyota on Wednesday.
Owners and customers will have many questions after Toyota’s shocking news this week that it will discontinue Scion. We’ll try to respond to a few.
The tC coupe will no longer be produced, but Toyota will rebrand three other Scion vehiclesthe FR-S coupe, iA sedan, and iM hatchbackas Toyota models, according to Scion spokesperson Nancy Hubbell. (The iQ microcar and the xB hatchback were already phased out after 2015).
Sorry. The Toyota iM will replace the Scion iM, and so on for the other models. According to Hubbell, the manufacturer intends to maintain the identities to protect brand equity.
Even then, it most likely won’t be enough to keep you awake at night. When a brand, rather than just a car, is discontinued, it often results in a faster depreciation, according to our analysis of canceled vehicles from the previous year. However, parent companies rarely use the refugees as new models. Usually, if a retired vehicle continues to exist under a different name, it already existed (e.g., the Mercury Milan and the Ford Fusion).
The Saturn Vue SUV, which GM terminated along with the whole brand in late 2009, serves as the most recent example. The Chevrolet Captiva Sport, which is solely available to fleets, replaced the Vue after a one-year absence. (Saturn, as well as Chevrolet, are GM brands.)
For SUVs that are three years old, the Vue and Captiva Sport, we looked at the typical used listing costs. In the middle of 2013, we looked at 2010 Vue listings, and in the middle of 2015, at 2012 Captiva Sport listings. The Captiva Sport listings had an average price of $16,057 while the Vue listings were $16,523. There are various restrictions: The Captiva Sport’s fleet-only status undoubtedly had an impact on its resale value, and the sample size of the Vue postings was limited. But at the very least, the results imply that there may not be much, if any, difference in resale value between a Scion car and its Toyota-rebadged equivalent.
Toyota claims that Scion owners can keep getting their vehicles serviced at Toyota dealerships.
Even so, the program is now known by a new name. In addition to 24-hour roadside assistance for two years regardless of mileage, Scion’s free Scion Service Boost program includes regular factory maintenance for the first two years or 25,000 miles (whichever comes first). These words correspond to Toyota’s free ToyotaCare program. According to Hubbell, Scion owners would still enjoy the benefits of their Scion Service Boost program through ToyotaCare.
Maybe at some point. Hubbell stated that Toyota will keep the mono-spec trim levels and limited option packages for all three vehicles in 2017, but the company will “consider what to do” in 2018 and beyond. Therefore, hold wait if you truly wanted an iM with leather seats or a sunrooftwo extras that aren’t now available. It may certainly occur.
Yes. Hubbell affirmed that Scion’s no-bargaining pricing policy, known as Pure Price, will not be applied to the three vehicles once Scion switches to Toyota. Of course, your local dealer will determine the terms of any agreements.
You got it right. The C-HR is still in development, most likely as a subcompact SUV. But it will be a Toyota.
Has anyone driven a Toyota Scion?
The Scion tC is a sporty, two-door compact car with a reliability rating of 4 out of 5, which is above average. The Scion tC is essentially a Toyota with a separate logo under the hood. This is mostly because Toyota owns Scion, and the Toyota base and engine are used in the Scion tC.
Who acquired Scion?
A few old Scion vehicles are still available on the market with new names, even if the legendary xB was completely phased out. Toyota rebadged two of its current models as Scion automobiles in an effort to increase the smaller company’s sales. Versions of the Yaris and Corolla, respectively, were called the Scion iA and iM.
The Toyota 86 was given the old moniker of Scion FR-S. The vehicle received a new body and improved suspension for 2017. The 86 is one of the most reasonably priced sports cars on the market as of 2020.
Is Toyota the owner of Subaru?
The major shareholder and owner of 20% of the business is Toyota. As part of this agreement, Subaru has access to steel and other raw materials produced by the Toyota supplier network.
Subaru produces fewer vehicles than other of the major players because it only has two manufacturing facilities, compared to Toyota’s several facilities around the globe. Both the original plant and the second plant are in Lafayette, Indiana. The first facility is in Gunma, Japan.
In 2017, Subaru underwent a $400 million expansion of the factory after announcing plans to do so. When the Indiana factory manufactured its four millionth vehicle in 2019, it marked a significant accomplishment.
The headquarters of Subaru North American production is Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), a division of Subaru Corporation. In addition to the $400 million expansion indicated above, SIA invested $140.2 million in new machinery and equipment and made upgrades to boost its production capacity by roughly 100,000 units yearly to meet the rising demand for Subaru automobiles in North America.
Subaru BRZ vs. Scion FR-S: Which is superior?
There are some cars that, when compared to others, we generally agree are essentially the same. This occurs with cars that have a lot in common, appear alike, or have comparable attributes. When discussing vehicles like the Toyota Supra and how closely connected it is to the BMW Z4, we take a hard look at all of the components that were developed in conjunction with one another. It’s difficult to tell if a car has any distinctions when compared to another when we look at models like the BRZ and FRS.
BRZ and FRS Styling
The Subaru BRZ and Scion FRS look a lot alike from a visual standpoint. In fact, based just on the emblem, you may be tempted to confuse them if you didn’t know any better. Due to their identical headlamp designs, the BRZ and FRS can be difficult to tell apart in low light or at night. They don’t have identical front bumpers, but they aren’t far enough apart either. In fact, their front bumpers are so same that it appears as though they are various trim levels of the same vehicle.
Similar, though not identical, body lines extend from the sporty front ends of the BRZ and FRS over the rear of the vehicle and into the trunk. Both vehicles also come with nearly identical stock wheels, but due to their incredible customizability, many owners choose to replace them with aftermarket ones. Similar to the headlights, the car’s rear taillights are also quite similar, so if it were becoming dark outside, you probably couldn’t tell if you were approaching a BRZ or an FRS.
Additionally, they have identical rear bumpers, diffusers, exhaust tips, and trunk lids. The Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ appear to be identical twins from all angles, including the front, side, and back views. The emblem positioning on the trunk lid was moved by Subaru and Scion in the belief that we wouldn’t notice the alteration.
Okay, so they do have some differences
It is true that there are certain mechanical distinctions between the Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ. For instance, the BRZ handles bumps more smoothly than the FRS because its suspension is softer. The FRS, on the other hand, has a firmer suspension, making road imperfections more noticeable. Both vehicles’ chassis share a similar design and are produced at the same plant.
At least the interiors are undoubtedly different, you could be thinking. Sort of. The interiors appear to be identical since they have the same steering wheels and a comparable dashboard and center console design. Although the materials used on the dashboard and center console can differ in color options, the size of the climate control knobs, and the way the radio operates, they are otherwise relatively similar.
The Subaru BRZ and Scion FRS are essentially two distinct trim levels of the same vehicle. It is actually difficult to distinguish between the two since there are so few distinctions between them and those that do exist are so negligible.