The winds of change are blowing at Scion, as a recent report from Wards Auto indicates the youth-focused brand is killing of the boxy xB and small four-door hatchback xD. Vice President Jack Hollis, the corporate face of Scion said there were no plans to replace either car. This is a shocking revelation for the xB, which until 2011 was Scion’s best selling car since coming to America in 2004. The first generation xB was a success for its huge funk factor that made it endearing to the finicky youth market Scion was chasing. In 2008 Scion introduced the second generation xB, which was larger, less boxy, more powerful and much heavier than the outgoing car.  In Scion’s attempt to mainstream the xB to a broader audience, they killed the cool factor and sales dropped like a rock.

The demise of the xD comes as less a surprise. Introduced as a 2008 model in the US, the xD offered more contemporary styling than Toyota’s Yaris, but few seemed to notice or care. It didn’t help that Scion barely promoted or marketed the car in any meaningful way, so it’s no wonder the average subcompact car buyer knew the car even existed. With sales stuck around 10,000 cars a year for the past two years, the xD likely won’t be missed.

So that leaves Scion in a very different position in terms of product from when they first launched in America, and just recently in Canada. We have the front-drive sport coupe tC, the pint-sized iQ, and Scion’s anticipated rear-wheel drive sport coupe, the FR-S. An ultra-tiny subcompact and two sport coupes sound like a pretty thin product portfolio, so Scion’s decision to kill off both cars with four doors at once seems to make less sense, as they have now eliminated every family seeking Toyota reliability in a more interesting wrapper, as well as any first time buyer wanting a car to road trip with his buddies.  It is especially sloppy product planning for Canada. You can’t enter a market trying to establish a brand identity and within two years kill off two of the three cars you introduced yourself as. There is a gaping hole being left in Scion’s product line, and Jack Hollis’ assertion of no direct replacement leaves me with serious doubts about the future or relevance of Scion.

Filed under: Podcasts, BMW, Infiniti, Lamborghini, Mini, Scion, Beijing Motor Show, Diesel

Lamborghini Urus, Beijing Motor Show, Scion xB and xD dropped, diesel vehicle sales up



Episode #279 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Chris, Dan, and Chris Paukert are joined by the phenomenon that is Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics to chat about the Lamborghini Urus, the Beijing Motor Show, the end of the Scion xB and xD, and the uptick in diesel vehicle sales. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #279:

• Lamborghini Urus
• Beijing Motor Show
• Scion xD, xB dropped
• Diesel sales up 35 percent

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Infiniti G37XS Coupe
2012 BMW 328i
Long-Term 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman


Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Chris Paukert

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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #279

Autoblog Podcast #279 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Scion

In an effort to keep its aging xD hatchback a little fresher, Scion has created the limited-edition xD Release Series 3.0 for the 2011 model year. Only 1,500 examples of the RS 3.0 will be built with pricing set at $17,625 (including the $720 destination charge) for cars equipped with a five-speed manual transmission. Opting for the four-speed automatic will set you back an additional $800.

The new brown paint color - xPRESSO - isn't available on any other model in the Scion lineup, and the diminutive xD wears it quite well. From there, Scion adds a four-piece body kit encompassing chunky front and rear lower lips, side skirts and B-pillar appliques finished in a carbon fiber material. Because of the limited production, Scion has also added an individually numbered stainless steel badge, telling owners which of the 1,500 cars they have.

With hot new B-segment offerings like the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 on the market, Scion's attempt to jazz up the xD is a necessary move, but with a fully loaded price of $18,425, it may prove to be a rather tough sell. Cars will hit dealerships later this month, and you can read the full details in Scion's official press blast after the jump.



[Source: Scion]

Continue reading Scion releases yet another special edition, this time xD Release Series 3.0

Scion releases yet another special edition, this time xD Release Series 3.0 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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