Scion News, Updates & Info

Thirty-six outstanding vehicle interiors representing 13 manufacturers will compete for top honors in the 9th annual “Ward’s Interior of the Year” awards. Sponsored by Ward’s AutoWorld magazine, the prestigious competition is part of annual Auto Interiors Show scheduled for June 4-5 at Detroit’s Cobo Center.

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When her ticket was called, Christina Pulawski was stunned. She had attended the Chicago Auto Show’s charity event for years, but never dreamed she would win any of the raffle items—much less a new car and $1,000 worth of gas.

Before she could get her bearings that February evening, she was whisked up on the McCormick Place stage.

Photographers snapped her picture. Someone handed her a ridiculously large novelty Shell gas card, and an equally large piece of paper emblazoned with “Scion xD,” commemorating the car, made by a division of Toyota, that she had just won.

The auto show fired off a press release announcing Pulawski was among the event’s big winners.

Amid the surprise and all the excitement that followed, Pulawski noticed something was missing: her car.

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March 28th, 2008 | by Matthew C. Keegan |

If you are in college or are a recent graduate, then you are just the type of consumer Scion wants — young, energetic, and full of fresh ideas.

Scion is the “youth brand” for Toyota, a line of vehicles inspired and designed by young people in a bid by Toyota to capture new consumers. The thinking here is that if you like Scion, then you’ll move up to Toyota when you have been working for a few years or have started a family. Lexus is for people who have arrived and desire high-end, refined driving.

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LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwire - March 26, 2008) - The cheapest car to buy doesn’t necessarily come with the cheapest insurance rate, according to a new analysis by the Automobile Club of Southern California comparing car prices with estimated insurance premiums from its insurance affiliate.

The analysis, conducted by the Auto Club’s Automotive Research Center, lists the ten least expensive and ten most expensive new cars to insure with an MSRP of under $50,000 as well as SUVs, pickup trucks and minivans. The least expensive car to insure was the 2007 Toyota Scion xD, which lists for $14,000 and has a total premium of $1,104. The most expensive vehicle is the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette, listing at $44,170 and insuring for $2,039.

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Toyota’s cool, quirky Scion youth brand may still be hip but is no longer hot.

Sales, year-on-year, have dropped for 16 straight months. Since August, monthly sales have declined from each previous month, even though dealers have had two redesigned models in their showrooms during that period.

The first-generation Scions were hits right out of the box in 2003 and 2004. But generation two has struggled. All of which begs the question: Is this a brand built to last?

The changeover of two of Scion’s three models–the boxy xB and the xD hatchback–dragged on for months and helped depress sales 24.8 percent in 2007 to 130,181 units. But even with new vehicles, Scion can’t seem to pull out of its slump.

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The D in the new 2008 Scion xD could well stand for different, and that is the edge Toyota is seeking with its offspring brand aimed at younger buyers.

The Scion’s option gurus were well in tune, it appears; the xD that I drove had a dedicated connector that could charge an iPod battery, using Apple’s own cables, while personal iTunes were funneled into the hatchback’s audio system.

The xD gets great mileage: 33 mpg on the highway, based on EPA estimates, and 27 mpg on city streets. It uses regular gasoline.

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If you want to see the new 2009 Toyota Urban Cruiser in person you can either hop on a plane next month and head to the Geneva Motor Show — or you can just take a look at these spy photos of the new ‘yota driving about sans camouflage on the snowy Swedish roads. Just like the press shot of the new Urban small-uv we’ve already seen from Toyota, these clear-as-day photos show us the Urban Cruiser will basically be a re-designed US-Spec Scion xD.

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Toyota is considering adding two more smaller vehicles to its lineup including the A-Bat concept pickup and the Urban Cruiser (left).

Soon to be announced at the Geneva Motor Show, the Urban Cruiser is essentially a lifted Scion xD, as if Scion’s didn’t come with enough wheel gap as-is. Apparently the goal is to help lower the brand’s overall emissions rating.

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This is something to look forward to at the next big event with Scion in attendance. Five Axis has modified this Scion xD into one of those toy grabbing cranes you find in arcades! It’s loaded with plush tC, xB and xD replicas! Unlike the games in the arcades that steal your money, this one is free and is supposedly easy to win.

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xB RS 5.0
Exterior Color: Gold Rush Metallic (0580)
MSRP: $2400
Volume: 2500
Production Months: Jan.-Feb.
Release Date: Detroit Autoshow Jan. 13th
Details: Sunroof, Kenstyle bodykit, Color-tuned interior, RS badge, RS wheel covers

tC RS 4.0
Exterior Color: Galactic Gray Mica (01E9)
MSRP: $2500
Volume: 2300
Production Months: Feb.-Mar.
Release Date: Chicago Autoshow Feb. 6th
Details: DAMD bodykit and grill, Alcantara grill, Leather wrap steering wheel, Custom RS shift knob, RS badge

xD RS 1.0
Exterior Color: Hot Lava (04R8 )
MSRP: $2200
Volume: 2000
Production Months: May-June
Release Date: TBD
Details: DAMD bodykit and grill, Color-tuned interior, Rear spoiler, TRD Lowering Springs, RS badge, RS wheel covers