Remembering Scion

A selection of Scions at the 2009 Boston Auto Show

I remember when I saw my first Scion on the road.  The model in question was an xB, and my initial reaction was something along the lines of, "What on earth is that?"  A boxy car was not a complete revelation at the time.  In 2003, Honda was also selling its Element small SUV; but this car took the straight edged two-box concept to a new level.  My first close look at one revealed this new mystery car to be a Scion, a name I had never heard before.  Some research on my part revealed that this was an entirely new brand created by Toyota in an effort to appeal to a younger demographic.


Today I learned that as of August 2016, the Scion brand will cease to operate.  All existing and upcoming products will be folded into the Toyota lineup.  Scion's demise was predicted by many pundits in the automotive industry, citing slumping sales and middling products, but the official announcement still comes as a shock.


The business plan for Scion was shrewd.  Scion dealers promised a haggle-free buying process for budget minded young car purchasers.  Many models were offered in one specification with a wide variety of aftermarket accessories available for those looking to personalize their car.  At first, the brand was successful.  Scion customers were indeed younger than average.  Even today, the average age of a Scion buyer is 36.  The tC coupe average buyer age is 29, and half of iA sedan and iM hatchback buyers are under 35. 


Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz looks at the whole situation positively.  "This isn't a step backward for Scion, it's a leap forward for Toyota.  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."


Lentz has a point.  Scion, for its part, made Toyota relevant again.  Over 70 percent of Scion customers were new to the Toyota family.  At the time of the Scion's introduction, Toyota was a dowdy purveyor of soulless appliances.  The Supra was a distant memory, and the Celica and MR2 Spyder were on their way out.  In recent years, however, Toyota has given its cars sportier appearances with the J-Playful design language, and invested heavily in marketing cars like the Yaris and Corolla to younger audiences.  Bob Carter, senior vice president of operations for Toyota Motor Sales told Automotive News today that the time was right to close Scion.  "Today, youth buyers are in a completely different position than they were 13 years ago."  He acknowledges that Toyota has now become an aspirational brand for many, meaning that the reason for Scion to exist doesn't apply anymore.


The consolidation of Scion will have little impact from a consumer standpoint.  The iA, iM, and FR-S will wear Toyota badges for the 2017 model year, and the tC was on the chopping block after 2016 anyway.  The upcoming C-HR compact crossover will be sold as a Toyota, too.  What will be interesting to see is whether the model names themselves will change as well.  The iM is badged as a Toyota Auris in overseas markets, and the FR-S is also known as the Toyota GT86.  People could probably care less about the Auris, but I'm sure the prospect of the return of the legendary 86 name will have a good number of fanboys squealing.