Scion today debuted for the first time its 2012 xD Release Series 4.0 (xD RS 4.0) and xB Release Series 9.0 (xB RS 9.0) models at the 2011 State Fair of Texas. The two limited production Scions will begin arriving at dealer showrooms in October. Scion is also pleased to announce that all 2012 Scion models will come standard with a new Pioneer™ audio system that features Bluetooth® hands-free, Bluetooth® streaming audio and HD Radio™ technology. Both models will be on display in the Scion booth at the State Fair of Texas until October 23.

Scion xD RS 4.0

2012 xD Release Series 4.0
The 2012 xD Release Series 4.0 (xD RS 4.0) comes exclusively in a premium Blizzard Pearl exterior paint and is upgraded with 16-inch alloy wheels that are finished in a smoked platinum color.

The xD’s Blizzard Pearl paint makes its way into the interior with color-tuned trim pieces on the center console, steering wheel and door panels. The seats are wrapped in a distinctively patterned soft-touch material and feature white stitching. Finally, the xD will include carpeted floor and cargo mats featuring the Release Series logo and white stitching around the border. Each xD RS 4.0 features an individually numbered badge.

Scion will only build 800 units of the xD RS 4.0. The limited edition model will carry a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $16,250 and $17,050 when equipped with a manual and automatic transmission respectively. The MSRP does not include a delivery, processing and handling fee of $730.

Scion xB RS 9.0

2012 xB Release Series 9.0
The 2012 xB Release Series 9.0 comes painted exclusively in Hot Lava, making sure it attracts attention wherever it goes. The xB’s hot exterior is paired with a unique honeycomb patterned lower grille that cleverly incorporates the brand name “SCION” into the mix. Upon remotely locking or unlocking the doors, the front and rear Scion badges illuminate, allowing this Release Series to be spotted easier in a parking lot at night.

The xB RS 9.0 features exclusive perforated synthetic suede front and rear seat covers that feature an embossed Scion logo and Hot Lava color-tuned highlights. The xB wears an illuminated badge that is individually numbered.

Scion will only build 1,500 units of the xB RS 9.0. The limited edition model will carry a MSRP of $18,110 and $19,060 when equipped with a manual and automatic transmission respectively. The MSRP does not include a delivery, processing and handling fee of $730.

Beginning on October 3, Zeus – our favorite God-of-the-Gods & creator of the High Voltage Scion tC RS 7.0 – returns to work twice as hard to introduce the xB RS 9.0 & xD RS 4.0 from the comfort of his ‘cradle’ in a :30 broadcast spot. Additional support by way of print, online & out-of-home also begins in early October. See the :30 spot at: http://www.scion.com/releaseseries.com.

The xD and xB Release Series models will come standard with an all-new AM/FM/CD/HD/USB 160-watt maximum output Pioneer™ audio system. New standard features for 2012 include HD Radio™ technology and Bluetooth® connectivity that allows both hands-free phone connection as well as streaming audio capability.

Both models come with the Scion Service Boost, a complimentary plan covering normal factory-scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first.

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The 2009 xD Release Series 2.0 comes exclusively in Electric Wasabi green exterior paint and is also distinguished with unique interior modifications. The xD features a touch screen Pioneer Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) head unit with flash memory, voice recognition, and Bluetooth®. For media player flexibility, the AVN unit comes with USB, SD card, and iPod® connectivity. The Pioneer AVN head unit is also satellite radio, rear view camera and HD Radio® ready and will play iPod videos when the parking brake is engaged. In addition, users can select from over 32,000 colors to customize the 5.8-inch high-resolution WVGA LCD touch-panel display. The driver can plan the perfect roadtrip at home by downloading the freeware application AVIC Feeds to a computer, making a personalized destination directory and then transferring the data to the headunit using SD card or USB memory device.

Electric Wasabi accents the xD’s interior with four-in-one interior lights, and “Release Series 2.0” door sills illuminated with white back lighting. Silver accented seat fabric and individually numbered badging add to the vehicle’s uniqueness.

Release Series wheel covers also distinguish this limited production xD. A color-keyed rear spoiler will be available as an option.

Scion will only build 1,600 units of the xD RS 2.0. The xD RS 2.0 model will carry a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,270 over the base price of the xD. The base MSRP for the standard xD with a manual transmission is $14,650, while the standard xD with an automatic transmission model carries a MSRP of $15,450. The available Electric Wasabi spoiler has a MSRP of $285, not including installation.

The delivery, processing and handling (DPH) fee for all Scion models is $670 and is not included in the MSRP. DPH fee for vehicles distributed by Southeast Toyota (SET) and Gulf States Toyota (GST) may vary.

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Beginning today, four self-service Zipcars — Toyota Matrix’s and two Scion xD’s — will be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will be located at the Fourth and Catherine parking lot, near the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, and at the surface parking lot at Main and William, next to Palio Restaurant. This will bring a total of 17 Zipcars to the Ann Arbor community (with 13 already located on the University of Michigan campus). All local residents 21+ can join the service, with gas, maintenance, insurance and reserved parking included in low hourly and daily rates. All University of Michigan students 18+, faculty and staff will also be able to use the four vehicles located off campus.

“Zipcars will help us to meet our goal of providing more transportation options for Ann Arbor residents,” said Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje.

Zipcar was selected as the community’s car sharing partner based on its superior technology and 10-year track record of providing cities and 120 universities with a proven, cost effective, and environmentally-friendly transportation solution. To support the local economy, Zipcar has contracted with Ann Arbor-based company Betty Brigade for cleaning services and also locally sourced the four new vehicles.

“The expansion of the University of Michigan program and partnership with the City, getDowntown and Chamber exemplifies how a community can work together to bring evolutionary solutions to the constituencies they serve,” said Matthew Malloy, vice president of global university operations. “Based on the tremendous success and member savings we are already seeing at the University of Michigan, we anticipate rapid adoption of the service in the downtown area.”

“Zipcars are a key component in transit systems of the future,” said Jesse Bernstein, Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce president. “People of all ages and livelihoods are viewing transit as part of their lives. Zipcars provide immediate access to a vehicle without the need to own one with all of the associated costs.”

Zipcar partnered with the Downtown Development Authority to provide a wealth of sustainable transportation options to downtown employees through the getDowntown Program. Having the flexibility of using a Zipcar to attend a meeting or run an errand will allow employees to bike, bus, walk and carpool to work with ease. When employees and downtown residents choose a Zipcar, they are freeing up valuable downtown parking spaces for visitors and shoppers.

Zipcar eliminates hundreds of dollars in monthly transportation costs, saving members an average of $600/month or $7,200/year when compared with car ownership — money that can be put toward other more relevant expenses such as tuition and housing.

Ann Arbor residents 21+ can now join Zipcar for $75 ($25 one-time application fee and $50 annual fee) and will gain access to Ann Arbor Zipcars starting at $8 per hour or $66 per day. As a special promotion, residents will receive $50 in driving credit when they sign up. All members will have access to Zipcar’s network of more than 5,500 vehicles throughout the UK and North America.

Along with residents who use Zipcar for their transportation needs, local Ann Arbor businesses can also take advantage of the value and convenience of the Zipcar for Business service. Joining Zipcar is a tangible way for area businesses to provide their employees with a convenient and cost-effective means to reduce their carbon footprint.

Those interested in learning more about Zipcar in Ann Arbor may visit www.zipcar.com/annarbor, and click on City Partners, for more information about membership and hourly rates.

About Zipcar

Zipcar is the world’s leading car-sharing service with more than 250,000 members and 5,500 vehicles in urban areas and at 120 college campuses throughout 28 North American states and provinces as well as in London, England. As a leader in urban transportation, Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to savvy city residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car in the city. In November 2007, Zipcar announced a merger with Washington D.C. based Flexcar, immediately expanding operations to more than 50 cities, and enabling future growth into new markets across the United States, Canada, and Europe. For more information, visit www.zipcar.com.

About the getDowntown Program

The getDowntown Program (www.getdowntown.org) encourages and assists downtown commuters in the use and development of sustainable transportation options. The Program is a partnership between the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, and the City of the Ann Arbor.

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Yes, I know that gas is now below $2 at the pump, and some statistics indicate that consumers are moving back to SUVs and trucks. But that’s misleading and likely the result of huge rebates and incentives the Big Three are offering to move that product. Most serious analysts, including one from GM I talked to, think that gas prices will go up again and that the move to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars is permanent.

Obviously, a $15 billion interim buyout is not going to reposition GM, Ford and Chrysler as green companies. Much of the money will go down a debt rathole. But with new leadership in place and a dose of reality, the carmakers may finally be moving in the right direction.

The car I’m driving is the Scion XD, yours in loaded form for just $17,358. What are the American competitors? I like the Saturn Astra, and the Ford Focus has some virtues, but it’s hard to identify many other credible entries. (The Pontiac Solstice is a good car, but not really a flag-waving North American.) This is a category where Detroit needs to excel. Other Asian entries include the Mazda3, Kia Rio5, Nissan Versa, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Yaris and Corolla, really the list goes on and on.

I don’t always like Japanese car styling: Honda messed up the back end of the new Fit, for example. The Scion xB looked better in its first incarnation, but the xD is cool-looking and modern in a youthful way. That younger market segment is clearly in the sights, because the car comes standard with both an aux-in for a media player and a connector that both plays and recharges an iPod.

The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine produces a modest 128 horsepower, but it’s enough to move this little car with spirit, even when the gears are stirred through a four-speed automatic transmission. The direct benefit is 26 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway.

This is a very good, practical small car. The controls are well laid-out, the back seat happily seats three, the cargo area is adaptable and sizable, and visibility is excellent all around. The level of safety equipment, which includes standard ABS brakes with electronic force distribution, side-curtain airbags, active front headrests, a tire pressure monitoring system and even a first aid kit, impresses me. Clearly, here’s a standard to match for our on-the-brink automakers.

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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.

Pulawski of Chicago said she filled out a tax form and received the $1,000 in gas cards immediately. Then she asked about her car.

She said an Auto Show employee, Erik Higgins, wrote his name and phone number on a piece of paper and told her to call him in a few days.

She called, but Higgins said he didn’t yet have all the details. He forwarded her to a Toyota representative, who was equally scarce with details.

Over the next several weeks, Pulawski placed calls to local and national Toyota representatives but could get nothing in writing.

By mid-March, Pulawski still had no car. Worse yet, she couldn’t seem to get a straight answer. No one, she said, could tell her when the car would arrive, how much it was worth, what her financial liability would be, or what paperwork she had to sign.

“Now, I know there’s the world’s smallest violin playing somewhere for my quandary (after all, I supposedly won a car) but I didn’t know it would be a full-time job to track this down,” Pulawski wrote in her e-mail to What’s Your Problem?

“I mean, if you award a big prize, don’t you think there would be a standard information sheet for the prize winners?”

The Problem Solver called Higgins, who is a spokesman for the Auto Show and the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, on March 12. He said the Auto Show should have given Pulawski a copy of Toyota’s standard agreement for vehicle donations the night she won. He called the lack of paperwork an oversight.

The agreement would have told Pulawski there is a waiting period before a winner can take delivery.

Toyota spokesman John McCandless said the car company waits until a winner has been identified before building a vehicle that will be donated for charity. Since Scions are manufactured in Japan, it can take months for a car to be delivered, McCandless said. The car is scheduled to arrive in Chicago later this month.

After the Problem Sovler’s inquiry, Toyota officials offered Pulawski use of a loaner Scion until her car arrived. She declined. Pulawski said what she wanted more than anything was paperwork and answers.

“I’m a lawyer by training so I’m used to getting things in writing,” she said. “I’m finding it a bit strange that something so big a deal would be so wheeler-dealer, loosey-goosey.”

Days later, Toyota officials presented Pulawski with all the paperwork, and spelled out her responsibilities in accepting the car. Pulawski said she will have to pay about $2,500 in taxes and fees to take ownership of the Scion, which retails for roughly $15,000.

Monday, Pulawski said she will pony up the cash and take the car when it arrives, then likely sell it on craigstlist.com. She’ll use the profits to take a vacation with her boyfriend, Ken Skupien, who bought the raffle ticket for her.

“Instead of saying I won a car, I’ll walk around saying I won a vacation,” Pulawski said.

Or maybe not.

Pulawski said it will take several weeks for the car’s title to clear, giving her a chance to drive it before putting it up for sale. She hasn’t completely ruled out making her new Scion a permanent addition.

“We might fall in love with it and keep it,” she said.

Whatever she decides to do with it, she wants to ensure her boyfriend wins too. Pulawski said that although Skupien bought the ticket for her, he has insisted she is the winner. Including him in prize, Pulawski said, is a no-brainer.

“Whatever we do,” she said, “it must benefit both of us.”

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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.

But we’re talking about Scion, the brand for you!

Cars For The Hip Hop Culture

Three Scion models are currently available for sale, the xB — the boxy crossover-type vehicle that defies easy categorization, the sporty tC coupe, and the xD, the four-door compact hatchback which is the subject of this review. Both the xB and xD are new for the 2008 model year, rides which were designed with you in mind.

The xD is the product of consumer feedback and it is the input of young people which has determined what features are included with this model including:

• Your choice of three wheel cover designs.

• 60/40-split folding, reclining and sliding rear seat.

• Under-floor storage in the cargo area.

• Auxiliary audio inputs and iPod jacks.

• Front sport bucket seats with fabric upholstery.

• Pioneer 160-watt maximum output AM/FM/CD head unit (MP3/WMA and satellite-tuner capable) with iPod compatibility, six speakers, Scion Sound Processing, a user-customizable welcome screen, and Sound Retouch digital equalization for clearer MP3/WMA-CD sound.

• Power door locks, outside mirrors, and windows with one-touch auto down on driver’s side.

Air conditioning, cruise control, chrome exhaust tip, ABS, brake assist, and side mirror turn indicators are some of the other standard items with the xD, a surprisingly generous package of amenities not normally found in a car of this class. Clearly, Scion packaged the car just the way most drivers want it to come.

Affordable and Economical

What good is getting a new car if you can’t afford to drive it? With gas prices hovering at $3.30 per gallon, even the most fuel efficient car can be costly. Fortunately, at $15,170 for a xD with a manual transmission ($15,970 with an automatic) the well equipped Scion won’t bust most budgets. With EPA fuel numbers of 27 city and 33 highway, the xD also saves on gasoline.

Best Value In Class?

With its broad list of standard amenities, good fuel economy numbers, and low standard price, the Scion xD could be the best value in its class. Add in your own bling and you’ll have a ride that gets noticed without devastating your bottomline.

Scion photos copyright Toyota Motor Sales, USA

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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.

Although it has the underbelly of a Toyota Yaris, it has more power, thanks to a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine with 128 horsepower and 125 foot-pounds of torque (the 1.5-liter engine in the Yaris only has 106 horsepower).

The engine may be small, but it is eager to do its job. It easily got me into I-84 traffic at 65 mph, although I could have used a little more heft with tractor trailers and sport utilities bearing down on me.

The xD is boxy like its xB sibling, but is more than a foot shorter, at 154.7 inches, somewhat lighter (2,668 pounds, compared with the xB’s 3,020 pounds) and a lot smaller inside.

I could fit into the xD in my leather winter coat, but it just felt more comfortable to throw it into the back seat because front shoulder room is only 51.9 inches.

Front leg room is 40.3 inches, so I had enough space there, although some drivers with longer legs say they have problems.

In the back seat, three passengers — not bulky football players, of course — get to cozily share 50.7 inches of shoulder room, and the rear leg room is a basically standard 33.9 inches.

With the xD, the engineers tried a new speedometer/tachometer combination that puts both in the same circle with a slim slice for the tach, a design that appeals to me.

The electric power steering was handy because it enabled me to do some sprightly jockeying around to get into my driveway.

The shorter wheelbase, 96.9 inches, made me feel the highway bumps intensely, and we have not had any of the spring frost heaves yet.

There is not a whole lot of space to spare in the xD, so the fuel tank is limited to 11.1 gallons, which could conceivably cost $40 if gasoline prices keep climbing. That’s why the fuel consumption of 33 mpg on the highway for the front-wheel-drive xD with the five-speed manual transmission is so pleasing to the purse. A four-speed automatic transmission is available.

This is a hatchback that can be personalized to the hilt with different shift knobs, mood lighting inside in different colors, a rear spoiler, alloy wheels and a touch-screen navigation system, a rarity in a vehicle of this size.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the Scion xD is $15,170, and the dealer invoice is $14,442, both of which include the delivery charge of $620. (The auto transporters should really give Toyota a discount on moving these subcompact xDs to the dealers because they weigh less than a ton and a half soaking wet.)

The xD is all-new, so there has not been some tough bargaining yet. Edmunds.com’s True Market Value guide average selling price in this region is the same as the asking price.

Scion xD
STATISTICS
•Engine: 1.8-liter I-4, 128 hp
•Transmission: manual 5-speed
•Specifications: curb weight, 2,668 pounds, length, 154.7 inches
•EPA mileage: 33 mph highway, 27 mpg city
•Base price: $15,170

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Summary:

The 2008 xD represents not only a pleasant, but practical addition to the Scion stable. It is not only fun to drive, with nimble handling characteristics, but is very functional as well. It is capable of serving as an ideal vehicle for single individuals, regardless of age, or small families, delivering more than adequate transportation, complete with comfort.

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