A Brief History

Toyota launched project Genesis in 1999 to appeal to younger buyers in the United States. The advertising strategy was based on compact coupe models sold by Toyota and this included the introduction of the Toyota Echo.

The first Scion was introduced in 2002 at the New York Auto Show. The 2004 model was also revealed at the greater Los Angeles auto show and they were only available at 105 Toyota dealerships at the initial launch date.

In 2004, various Scion vehicles were available to the public and in December 2006, the next generation vehicles were launched. The company expanded to Canada in 2010 and they offered their vehicles at 45 selected dealerships throughout the country.

Popular Scion Models

The company manufactured five different car models throughout 2014, which included the second-generation tC, a three-door lift back based on the popular Toyota Avensis. They also had a second-generation xB which was a five-door box shape wagon That was based on the Toyota Corolla in the Japanese market.

The xA was rebranded as the Toyota Yaris and was manufactured alongside the Mazda 2. The iM was a concept car unveiled at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, and it's a five-door subcompact hatchback. It has a 1.5 L engine and the choice between a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission.

The iQ was also a popular model but its sales rapidly declined. This is when Toyota told dealers that they can drop the brand without penalty.

Although the company was not a well-known brand in motorsport, they did take part in numerous championships. One of these was the Formula Drift Championship in Irwindale. Here they drove the Scion Racing tC and they took pole position in 2015.

The Scion brand was short lived but made a lasting impression. They were part of the Toyota brand and delivered a few models that were quite unique and perfect for their target market. Scion aimed at providing safe cars for a younger market, and that's what they delivered.