-J-P-L-

Remember when Toyota launched Scion, they said that they would be short lived models replaced quicker than normal? What happened? I know, because of sheer economics, that Toyota wouldn't have been able to fulfill this "pledge" of replacing these models every 3 years or 4 years tops. Especially on low volume sellers. So why did the say it?

So here we are looking at the 7 year old, largely unchanged, Scion xD and xB. So the reverse has happened, these Scions are being stretched much longer than the average car. Typically, only P/U trucks go this long.

Anyone else curious about this?

Chuy250

iTrader: (3)

Now that you mentioned it I am curious

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Honestly who cares much about Scion, the main focus needs to be Toyota and Lexus vehicles

Harbinger

Toyota has the perfect opportunity to use Scion as their guinea pig brand by introducing ideas in this line 1st (FRS) and then bringing in the big boys (supra) based on customer response. They were one of, if not the 1st stateside to bring about the cubist microvan with the xB, so why not breathe new life into it with a hybrid model? The tC can become the 4 door FRS, the xD can become a 3 cyl turbodiesel or stripped prius C, and the iQ can rot with the Smart lineup. This is all a pipedream, as Toyota may just kill off the whole Scion line and rebadge the FRS.

spwolf

Probably coming soon? Their Japanese versions have not been updated either.

-J-P-L-

Sure, Toyota and Lexus are the priority but Scion can't be ignored. I still think Scion brings some interesting choices to the market. All unique, rather than rebadged Toyota's.

Yeah, I even looked up the JDM versions to see if they were still in current form. I'm sure 2015 will be the year we see the new models. Just don't know why Toyota pushed them this long.

bruce van

Scion shot themselves in the foot by having disastrous re-designs of the xB, xA, and tC. All of the original designs were so much better looking.

Add to that the other car companies have come out with youth oriented cars like the Soul and Juke.

-J-P-L-

The xD looks 10X better than the xA. I love the xD. The 2nd gen xB also looks way better than the 1st.

To each his own I guess.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

All of their models though, I can see as being Toyota's which I'd prefer. I honestly don't like the FR-S because I think it should have been reimagined as the 86 as it is overseas. xD and xB could easily be a Matrix, tC could be a Celica or Solara successor, and the iQ sounds right at home as Toyota iQ

No one really buys them now, no one gets excited, the initial stigma for a younger demographic has warn off and the products are stale. They are competent cars but none of them succeed really vs their competitors which "do it better" in their respective categories.

Aron9000

My whole big hangup with Scion is that it seems like "Madman" Madison Avenue hubris. IMO Scion was a mistake, I'm 29 right now, and would never buy a new Scion. I don't like being told what is "hip/cool" by my parents generation who are running Toyota.

Granted the 1st gen Xb was pretty radical when it came out, but an $18,000 box on wheels is not what I would consider cool or even remotely affordable when I was 21-22, in college, single, no obligations. You wanted that discontinued, badboy Camaro Z28, with the LS1 v8 and t-tops, which is what I tooled around in. The car was cheap, insurance was murdeous lol.

Getting back on Scion, all of their other models that have proceeded the 1st gen Xb are what I'd call "average" at best, except for the RWD FR-S. Once again, I'd buy the Subie BRZ version, just because of my ill will of Scion as a brand. If they marketed that car as the "Toyota Celica" I'd buy that in a heartbeat. The Celica, despite being FWD, was always a cool looking, sporty, great handling car IMO, even if the performance ran on the low side of the scoville spectrum(ie it was slow).

It was a mistake for Toyota to not brand the FR-S as the Toyota Celica. The Celica is a car people my age(28-38) cut their teeth on. It might have been their first car, that junky old car they had in college, that new, radical 2000 model Celica rich boys and girls got in high school, that pos RWD 1983 model they lusted after and are now turning into a drift machine. Or hell my co-worker has a fautlessly reliable, faded to pink but was red 1990 Celica with 270k miles. Runs perfectly.

IMO there is a lot of good will in that nameplate.

pbm317

Scion has stated that their new products are behind, and are still a ways off. I don't think Scion is a complete flop, as it still has one of/if not the youngest average driver age of the industry. I'm sure Toyota as a whole had a backlog of projects that got jammed up during the recalls and earthquakes, etc. Scion products appear to have been at the bottom of that priority list.


This would have been a HUGE mistake to brand it as a Celica. While the Celica name does have a good reputation, it wouldn't have been right. I'm glad it's the GT86/FR-S. I have no problem with it being a Scion here.

gengar

Yeah, I agree with this completely. I really don't like the fluff marketing nonsense that focuses on specific demographics because it also serves to alienate people who aren't in that demographic. For example, I really like the FT-86 platform but I'd never buy the FRS precisely because it's branded a Scion and because they forced it downmarket. I'd definitely buy one if it were a Toyota. I'm probably going to pick the FT-86 up in the next few months and it's going to have to be a BRZ.

As a side note, while I don't believe the FRS should have been branded as a Celica, just calling it the Toyota 86 or GT86 would have been much better, along with aligning it with the standard Toyota features and options offered on the 86/GT86 elsewhere

Fizzboy7

There are a ton of young folks out there who want to be trendy and find something to belong to. Hence, many of Scion's early models caught on like wildfire. The same can be said for many cheap and trendy cars, like the first New Beetle, the Fiat brand, Dodge Neon, Kia rodent box, Mini Cooper, et al. All those were born as the next big thing cool people needed to have.... and all sold extremely well initially. The problem with such marketing, as Scion is seeing, is trends change fast and what is hot today is dead tomorrow. This is exactly the position Scion has been stuck in since the first tC and xD. Most often, it's nearly impossible to recreate a smash hit and keep enthusiasm cooking as others come along with clever marketing and the next thing. The FRS is a fine car, but it's sporting pretenses have nothing to do with what Scion has stood for thus far. So now they've thrown customers a curveball, which doesn't help the brand find roots. For that reason, I'll agree it should not have been branded as a Scion. It would make more sense to stick to creative, cute, and extroverted designs for the high school and college night scene kids.

spwolf

p.s. all that "short lived" models was BS from the media. I was saying that long time ago when those statements started to appear.

Apparently, Scion is happy enough with their sales, mostly due to FRS (i guess), because most buyers are new to Toyota and most later upgrade to other Toyota, which was goal initially.

With Yen down again, maybe it starts making financial sense again.

S2000toIS350

I like Aron's points plus I am so old that I can remember when the Celica was RWD ( for 2 generations I think here)