[Toyota C-HR News]

Toyota is killing off Scion and transitioning the cars back under the Toyota badge. It’s been double checked by Jalopnik after they sent out a few emails and made some calls to Toyota for a confirmation.

That’s right, there won’t be any more Scions after yours. All 2017 model year Scions (iM, iA, FR-S, and the C-HR concept model) will be rebadged as Toyotas except for the tC Coupe. If you want to get your hands on one, order soon because its production is set to end this August. As for servicing, just take your Scion to any of Toyota's service departments and they will continue to service your vehicle.

Why did Toyota kill off Scion you ask?

Because Scion sales have been slumping over the years. Sure they had a great run from 2005-2008 with yearly U.S. sales numbers of over 100,000 units and at the brand’s height in 2006, 173,034 units were sold in the U.S. alone. But the momentum didn’t last and the number dramatically decreased after 2008 to around half of what it used to be. Even with the new iA and iM model release, Scion was still seeing a decline year after year. Maybe Toyota was already preparing for this with the iA when it was launched last year in Canada as a Toyota Yaris.

What we do know is that Toyota achieved what it originally set out to do with Scion, attract younger buyers and use the Scion badge to fast track and test out ideas in the real world.

Will you miss Scion?

 

[SiR]

I was surprised they did this with the new models that came out but fortunately it was just models from other brand with some small changes to make it fit the scion profile.

 

[CityWok]

Only thing I'm going to miss is the single trim option.The great thing about the iA and iM was that everything you would want is already included in one low price, giving you a larger fun fund. Not sure if Toyota is going to stick with this ordering method with the iR.

 

[Guy]

I just wonder when Toyota actually decided to kill Scion. it seems strange to come out with all these new models, and even bringing out the C-HR with a Scion badge, and then announcing that they are killing the brand. Was this the last hurrah, but it wasn't good enough to actually keep the brand alive?

 

[SiR]

I just wonder when Toyota actually decided to kill Scion. it seems strange to come out with all these new models, and even bringing out the C-HR with a Scion badge, and then announcing that they are killing the brand. Was this the last hurrah, but it wasn't good enough to actually keep the brand alive?

The low risk approach they went with in launching the iA and iM has me thinking it was a direction they seen as a possibility, but wanted to give the brand a last go. Smart move and it saved them a ton.

 

[Guy]

That makes sense. A last try but with minimal risk. That was a smart strategy for sure.

 

[SiR]

It's possible this is what they would have done even if Scion was doing well enough... why NOT bring over a compact hatch to a market with a growing need for it (the iM), and that was what I believe a great example.

 

[Guy]

I think that the issue was that young people preferred Toyota, and that fact makes it kinda unneeded at this point.

 

[TubeMan]

Scion was where Toyota went to release dramatic and out of the box vehicles. Now that it's gone we could be seeing a drastically watered down C-HR to match the rest of Toyota's lineup.

 

[SiR]

Something has me thinking they didn't understand the young demographic well enough and created Scion to act a solution to what they thought would help.

All they had to do what look at the cars the young demographic wanted which was offered during the 90's, cars that people were waiting to import once allowed. IMO all they had to do was stick with Toyota and include the GOOD elements of what happened in the 90's.

 

[TubeMan]

Which 90s Toyota cars are you referring to?

 

[SiR]

Supra, 240sx, the list goes on. Just look at what fun cars were around during those times.

 

[Guy]

Toyota SUpra should be coming back soon. SO they already have stuff in the works. I have confidence.

 

[SiR]

Toyota SUpra should be coming back soon. SO they already have stuff in the works. I have confidence.

Yeah now we're getting back to the good times, even the Corolla got some nice improvements, big step forward coming from what the last generation was about.

Inside and out, the Corolla gets the sporty image right.

 

[Guy]

I find it strange that a bunch of auto companies are making these announcements that they are going to start making vehicles that have exciting designs, passion and risk in them. As opposed to boring, design by committee vehicles. As though making interesting vehicles is some type of revelation.

The C-HR looks great from what I've seen though I do want to judge the proportions in person. I also think it will look better in a different color than grey.

 

[SiR]

If that's strange to you then ever decade cars have existed before and going forward will be weird to you

 

[Guy]

If that's strange to you then ever decade cars have existed before and going forward will be weird to you

So you are saying they always say they are going to make interesting cars and then they make cars that have very little risk in them?

 

[SiR]

What? No.

I'm saying that every decade new trends in automotive design make it to market. What was exciting the last decade might not be this one. Exciting at times can only last so long till something tops it.

 

[Guy]

So its more of a cycle where something new comes out and its really cool, and then over time it becomes more common, and continues to be more and more mundane until the cycle starts over with the advent of the next thing.

I think that is pretty true of design generally, except timeless design, like some architecture or blue jeans, etc...

 

[SiR]

Yeah there are always things from every era that ages very well, typically it's high end vehicles, vehicles lower down the scale like what we're buying here unfortunately won't likely age well as they typically do.