When was the last Scion made?
The Scion brand, Toyota's attempt to appeal to a younger demographic, came to an end in 2016 when the company announced it would discontinue the brand. The last Scion model, the iA sedan, rolled off the assembly line in August 2016, marking the end of a 13-year experiment for the Japanese automaker.
The Rise and Fall of Scion
Scion was launched in 2003 as a separate brand under Toyota, targeting younger buyers with a lineup of quirky, customizable vehicles. The brand's initial offerings, the xA hatchback and xB "box car," were well-received, and Scion quickly gained a loyal following among the youth market.
However, as the brand aged, it struggled to maintain its appeal. Scion's sales peaked in 2006 and began a steady decline in the following years. Toyota attempted to revive the brand by introducing new models like the tC coupe and iQ microcar, but these efforts failed to reignite consumer interest.
The Decision to Discontinue Scion
In 2016, Toyota announced that it would be discontinuing the Scion brand and integrating its remaining models into the Toyota lineup. The decision was driven by several factors, including the brand's declining sales, the changing preferences of younger buyers, and the increasing overlap between Scion and Toyota's own product offerings.
The last Scion model, the iA sedan, was produced in August 2016, marking the end of the brand's 13-year run. Toyota stated that it would continue to support existing Scion owners with parts and service, but the brand itself would no longer exist as a separate entity.p>
Lessons Learned from the Scion Experiment
- Appealing to a specific demographic can be challenging, as consumer preferences and trends are constantly evolving.
- Maintaining a distinct brand identity and product lineup can be difficult, especially when there is overlap with the parent company's offerings.
- Successful brand launches require sustained investment and a long-term commitment, which Toyota may have lacked with Scion.
The discontinuation of the Scion brand serves as a cautionary tale for automakers looking to target niche markets. While the concept of a youth-oriented brand had promise, Toyota's inability to maintain Scion's relevance and differentiation ultimately led to its demise.
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.)
Why did Scion fail?
Scion failed due to a combination of factors, including a misjudged target audience, a poorly received product lineup, changing market trends, and a lack of a clear brand identity, which ultimately led to declining sales and Toyota discontinuing the brand in 2016.
Product and market missteps
- Quirky and unappealing designs: While the initial designs were novel, some, like the iQ, were poorly received, and the overall lineup aged without enough exciting, new models.
- Failed to connect with the target demographic: The brand was created to appeal to a younger, Millennial audience, but it ultimately failed to connect with them, partly because many could not afford the cars and younger buyers' priorities shifted away from radical styling and towards practicality, technology, and fuel efficiency.
- Lack of SUVs and crossovers: The lineup was heavily focused on smaller cars, and as demand for SUVs and crossovers grew, Scion was not positioned to meet this trend.
- High costs of accessories: The brand's business model relied heavily on profits from accessories, but financing became difficult during the 2008 recession, impacting sales significantly.
Brand and strategy issues
- Lack of a clear identity: Scion's vehicles were essentially rebadged Toyotas, but the brand's identity was not distinct enough from its parent company. This created a confusing path for customers, and over time, some Scions simply looked like other Toyota models, which diluted the brand's purpose.
- Poor marketing: The marketing efforts failed to build a strong, lasting connection with the target youth market and did not establish a clear brand identity separate from Toyota.
- Infiltrated by older buyers: The brand's initial quirky appeal began to attract older buyers, diluting its intended purpose of capturing the youth market.
External factors
- Global recession: The 2008 recession had a significant negative impact on Scion, which was heavily reliant on younger buyers who were particularly vulnerable to the economic downturn.
- Changing consumer priorities: As time went on, younger consumers, the brand's target demographic, began to prioritize factors like technology, fuel efficiency, and practicality over the "out-of-the-box" styling and customization Scion offered.
Why did Scion get discontinued?
Toyota discontinued the Scion brand primarily due to declining sales and a failure to connect with its younger target demographic, exacerbated by a lack of compelling new models and a crowded entry-level market. The brand's original average buyer age of 35 had risen to 43 by 2011, and many of its models were perceived as being rebadged Toyotas, creating overlap with the main brand's offerings and failing to establish a distinct identity. Ultimately, Toyota decided to absorb the remaining Scion models into the Toyota lineup to simplify its brand portfolio.
- Declining sales and market relevance: Scion's sales slumped, and it failed to maintain interest from its intended young audience, whose preferences had shifted.
- Target demographic shifts: The average age of a Scion buyer increased significantly over the years, moving away from the younger demographic the brand was created to attract.
- Market overlap: Scion's vehicles, often rebadged from Toyota's international lineup, competed directly with affordable Toyota models like the Corolla, which were often more popular and outsold Scion models.
- Lack of a clear identity: The brand struggled to differentiate itself from Toyota, and its lineup lacked the standout, desirable models needed to stand out in a competitive market.
- Failure to adapt to market trends: The brand didn't have enough crossover vehicles, a key growth segment in the automotive industry.
Is Toyota bringing back the Scion?
No, the Scion brand is not coming back as an automobile marque, but Toyota has revived the Scion name for a new off-road side-by-side concept vehicle called the Scion 01. The original Scion brand was discontinued in 2016, and its models were absorbed into the Toyota marque. The new Scion concept uses a hybrid powertrain and was created as a testbed for future mobility ideas, not as a successor to the old brand.
You can watch this video to learn more about the Scion 01 concept vehicle: 40sPlanet Car NewsYouTube · Nov 4, 2025
- No, the Scion brand is not returning. Toyota officially discontinued the Scion brand in 2016, and its models were integrated into the Toyota lineup.
- The name is being used for a concept vehicle. The Scion name has been revived for a new, one-off concept vehicle called the Scion 01, which is a powerful, hybrid-powered off-road side-by-side.
- It is not a car. This is not a car or a car brand, but a powersports vehicle designed to test new concepts and technology.
- It's a way to experiment. Toyota created the Scion 01 to serve as a "laboratory" to develop and test new ideas, leveraging its expertise in hybrid powertrains and off-road vehicles.
