Toyota axes Scion brand, all models to become Toyota



Scion, an offshoot brand from Toyota that is targeted for the younger demographic in North America and Canada, will meet its demise following Toyota’s announcement to scrap its youth-oriented brand. By August 2016, all existing Scion models will be carrying Toyota emblems.

Several Scion models that will been given a second chance as Toyota cars including the FR-S (Toyota GT86) sports car, iA sedan (based on Mazda 2) and iM 5-door hatchback (Toyota Auris, as pictured below). However, the ageing tC sports coupe will have its last walk till August, and will subsequently be removed from the lineup. Also to note, all existing Scion customers will transition their service and repairs to Toyota dealerships.

scion-Im
Scion iM, based on the Toyota Auris

The reason behind this is due to the shifting needs of customers, and Toyota vehicles have evolved to feature the dynamic styling and handling that appeals to the young. In other words, the young at heart of today can just settle with modern Toyotas, thus rendering the Scion brand a little redundant to say the least.

Scion was founded in 2002 as part of Toyota’s efforts to attract the hip and trendy demographic. Over the years, Scion rebadged a string of cool and funky cars from the Toyota group, all while pricing them rather affordably too.

Some of the most popular Scion cars include the xB (based on the Toyota bB/Daihatsu Materia), iQ (based on the Toyota iQ), xA (based on the Toyota isT) and the FR-S.

Though sales have steadily declined over the past decade, the Scion FR-S springboard sales figures and put the brand right back into the limelight. This trend encouraged Toyota to ink a deal with Mada to rebadge the 2 sedan as Scion iA, and made only for the North American market. The brand sold more than a million Scions, and nearly 70 percent of them were purchased by customers new to Toyota and just over 50 percent were under the age of 35.