“This isn’t a step backward for Scion; it’s a leap forward for Toyota”, said Jim Lentz, now the CEO of Toyota Motor North America (he was formerly a founding VP of Scion).
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Either way, soon we’ll find out if Toyota’s plan to use Scion to induct young shoppers into the fold actually worked. About 70% of Scions were purchased by customers new to Toyota, and 50% of buyers were under 35 years old. “At the same time, new Toyota vehicles have evolved to feature the dynamic styling and handling young people desire”. The Scion iA, iM, FR-S, and the upcoming C-HR will be rebadged as Toyotas, while the tC will cease production in August.
Luckily, Toyota is doing exactly that: Taking Scion’s FR-S sports auto, the iA sedan and the iM hatchback. It also means that the upcoming subcompact crossover previewed recently by the Scion C-HR concept will also be a Toyota. Despite a small spike in 2012, sales were only 56,167 in 2015, despite the two new models, which typically boost a brand’s overall sales.
With an annual sales target of 100,000 cars, Scion managed to deliver fewer than 60,000 a year ago.
Scion sold more than 1 million vehicles since its debut in 2003, but its 2015 sales totals were less than a third of its 2006 peak. He said while Gen Xers wouldn’t touch the same brand their parents and grandparents liked, Millennials see Toyota more favorably than they did Scion. Those Corollas were literally next to the Scion tC and other small cars inside Toyota dealerships. The company will rebrand the vehicles with the Toyota badge.
The boxy Scion xB, one of its more notable vehicles and a genuine hit with the intended demographic, was initially based on the Japanese-market Toyota bB, then the Toyota Rumion for its second generation (which continues to be sold here as the Toyota Rukus).
It’s also true, though, that some viewed Scion as a lesser version of Toyota. According to the company, the average age of Scion owners is 39.
Scion recruited a fair number of artists to make art cars.
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New, he said, the addition on the Scion models will broaden the entire lineup. Toyota says it already told the Scion and Toyota dealer councils, and they both supported the decision. It seemed Scion never quite lived up to its full potential as a brand for the kids, and that’s kind of a shame.
