Why did Toyota stop making Scions?
In 2016, Toyota announced that it would be discontinuing its Scion brand, a decision that surprised many in the automotive industry. The Scion brand, which was launched in 2003, was intended to attract younger buyers to Toyota's lineup. However, after over a decade of operation, Toyota ultimately decided to fold the Scion brand back into the Toyota brand.
Reasons for Discontinuing Scion
There were several key reasons why Toyota decided to discontinue the Scion brand:
- Declining Sales: Scion's sales had been declining for several years, with the brand's sales peaking in 2006 and then steadily declining thereafter. By 2015, Scion's sales had dropped to just over 56,000 units, a far cry from its peak of over 173,000 units in 2006.
- Changing Consumer Preferences: The target market for Scion, younger buyers, had shifted their preferences away from the small, quirky vehicles that Scion offered. Consumers were increasingly gravitating towards larger, more practical vehicles, which did not align with Scion's product lineup.
- Overlap with Toyota Brand: Many of Scion's models, such as the tC coupe and the xB hatchback, were seen as overlapping with Toyota's own product lineup, creating confusion for consumers and potentially cannibalizing Toyota's sales.
- Lack of Differentiation: Despite Scion's efforts to position itself as a distinct brand, many consumers still saw Scion as simply a sub-brand of Toyota, rather than a standalone brand with its own unique identity.
Ultimately, Toyota decided that it would be more effective to fold the Scion brand back into the Toyota brand, allowing the company to leverage the Toyota name and reputation to better appeal to younger buyers.
Transition of Scion Models to Toyota
As part of the discontinuation of the Scion brand, Toyota announced that it would be transitioning the existing Scion models to the Toyota brand. This included models such as the tC coupe, the iA sedan, and the iM hatchback, which were rebranded as Toyota models.
The transition of Scion models to Toyota was intended to provide a smoother experience for existing Scion owners, as well as to leverage the Toyota brand's reputation and distribution network to better reach younger buyers.
What are the most reliable car brands?
The Scores:
| Rank | Brand | Predicted Reliability Score (100-point scale) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subaru | 68 |
| 2 | Lexus | 65 |
| 3 | Toyota | 62 |
| 4 | Honda | 59 |
Are Scion cars reliable?
While the Scion brand may no longer be in production, it was a subsidiary of Toyota, a brand known for producing durable and reliable vehicles. This reliability has transferred well to the Scion xB, which boasts a generally solid track record of performance and minimal major issues.
What replaced the Toyota Scion?
Some Scion models gained mainstream appeal, but the brand was discontinued and absorbed back into Toyota in 2016. The Scion iM was rebranded as the rebadged Toyota Corolla iM, and evolved into the Corolla Hatchback.
Why did Toyota discontinue the Scion?
Why did Toyota dissolve Scion? Like "Project Genesis" and the Toyota Echo, Scion came off to a roaring start. It sold more than 173,000 cars in 2006, but sales tumbled by 2013 as the brand sold fewer than 69,000 cars. The trend continued in 2014 and 2015, when Scion sold only 58,000 and 56,000 cars, respectively.
Who owns Scion now?
Toyota
In 2016, the Scion brand found a new home at Toyota. While the Scion badge may have changed, our commitment remains the same – to embrace our customers' diverse interests and lifestyles, and bring great products to market to meet their needs.
Are Scions reliable cars?
The Scion xB's average reliability score is 4 out of 5, which puts it in the upper tier of used cars in terms of dependability. While the Scion brand may no longer be in production, it was a subsidiary of Toyota, a brand known for producing durable and reliable vehicles.
Why did Scion flop?
Interestingly, one of the reasons Scion failed was that their target demographic were not buying into the brand at all (for multiple reasons) but the older, middle aged people were the ones buying into it.
Will Scion ever come back?
They've simply been combined into the Toyota name and are created in Japan. Again, Scion vehicles could come back in the future. Even if they do, their primary manufacturing location will still be in Japan, as that is where the core of the company is located.
Are Scion parts still made?
It doesn't matter if your xA or iQ are no longer in production, Toyota still builds and tests OEM Scion parts. Olathe Toyota Parts Center stocks these genuine Scion parts and accessories. The Scion is a dependable vehicle, but everyday use can cause some parts to wear out.
What Scion cars is Toyota keeping?
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.
