Is Scion part of Toyota?
Yes. Scion was a distinct brand created by Toyota for the United States market, but it is no longer active as a separate marque; most of its models have been rebranded as Toyotas or discontinued since the brand was dissolved in 2016.
Scion was launched by Toyota in 2003 with the aim of appealing to a younger, North American audience and operating with its own showrooms and marketing. In 2016, Toyota announced the decision to discontinue Scion and to consolidate its lineup under the Toyota brand. Several models were transitioned to Toyota badging, while others were retired as part of the dissolution.
Background and purpose of Scion
Scion represented Toyota’s experiment in creating a separate, youth-focused brand within the U.S. market. It offered a small lineup with an emphasis on styling, customization, and a distinct dealer experience. Over the years, some models gained cult appeal, but the brand never achieved the anticipated scale in the United States, leading to the decision to fold Scion into Toyota.
Timeline of status
The Scion brand operated independently from 2003 until its closure in 2016. Following the 2016 restructuring, Scion as a stand-alone marque ceased production, and its remaining models were either renamed and introduced as Toyotas or retired from the lineup. This transition effectively ended Scion as a separate brand, though the influence of its design approach persists in Toyota’s current offerings.
Models and their fate
Below is a concise look at some of the best-known Scion models and how they were integrated into Toyota’s lineup or discontinued. The fate of each model varied by market and year, with the FR-S, iM, and iA seeing direct branding changes, while older xA/xB/xD/tC variants generally ended with the brand.
- Scion FR-S — rebranded as the Toyota 86 (Toyota GT86 in some markets) starting in 2017.
- Scion iM — renamed Toyota Corolla iM, later evolving into the Toyota Corolla Hatchback in some markets.
- Scion iA — rebranded as the Toyota Yaris (the US Yaris lineup continued under Toyota branding).
- Scion xB — production continued for a period after the brand’s inception but ended when Scion was dissolved; no direct Toyota replacement in the US lineup.
- Scion xA — discontinued with the brand’s dissolution; no direct Toyota replacement.
- Scion xD — discontinued with the brand’s dissolution; no direct Toyota replacement.
- Scion tC — discontinued with the brand’s dissolution; no direct Toyota replacement.
- Scion iQ — limited US presence and later not retained as a separate Scion model; related small-car products were folded into Toyota offerings in some markets.
Note: The rebranding and discontinuation varied by model and region. In the United States, Toyota ultimately retired the Scion name and rolled select models into Toyota showrooms, while other markets saw similar consolidations or limited continuations under different names.
Current status
Today, there is no active Scion brand selling new vehicles. The name occasionally appears in historical or used-car contexts, but ToyotaNo longer operates Scion showrooms or markets new Scion-branded cars. The legacy of Scion persists in the Toyota models that were rebranded from Scion models and in consumer nostalgia for the brand.
Summary
Scion began as a Toyota-owned brand in 2003 to attract a younger buyer base in the U.S. and Canada. It was dissolved in 2016, with most models rebranded as Toyotas (for example, FR-S to Toyota 86, iM to Corolla iM, iA to Yaris) while others were discontinued. The Scion name is no longer used for new cars, though its influence lives on in the current Toyota lineup and in automotive history.
Why did Toyota stop making Scion?
iQ sales never met expectations, and by 2014, observers were characterizing it as a "disappointment." A primary goal of the Scion brand was to introduce young first-time buyers to Toyota products, but analysts found that relatively few Scion buyers were making follow-on purchases from the more profitable Toyota and ...
Are scions as reliable as Toyotas?
Scions are Toyotas, so yes. They are reliable.
What are scions called now?
Scion Cars | Scion Lineup
Scion FR-S 2013-2016 (Rebranded as Toyota 86 for the 2017 model year.) Scion iA 2016 (Rebranded as Toyota Yaris iA for the 2017 model year.) Scion iM 2016 (Rebranded as Toyota Corolla iM for the 2017 model year.)
Who owns Scion now?
As part of the brand transition, beginning in August 2016, MY17 Scion vehicles will be rebadged as Toyotas. The FR-S sports car, iA sedan and iM 5-door hatchback will become part of the Toyota family. The tC sports coupe will have a final release series edition and end production in August 2016.
