The Scion brand was created, owned, and manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation. Launched in 2003 specifically for the North American market, Scion was Toyota's experiment to attract a younger demographic with affordable, uniquely styled vehicles and a no-haggle pricing strategy. The brand was eventually discontinued in 2016, and its models were either phased out or absorbed into the Toyota lineup.
Scion's entire existence was as a subsidiary of Toyota. The idea was to create a "halo brand" that could bring new, first-time buyers into the Toyota family without the perceived stodginess of the main Toyota badge. Models like the iconic xB and sporty tC became cult favorites. However, by the mid-2010s, Toyota successfully began attracting younger buyers with more stylish models like the Corolla and Camry, making the separate Scion brand redundant.
When Scion was phased out, its remaining models were rebadged as Toyotas. For example, the Scion FR-S became the Toyota 86, and the Scion iA became the Toyota Yaris iA. This transition ensured that popular vehicles remained available to consumers, just under the parent company's primary brand.
| Scion Model | Final Model Year | Fate after Scion Discontinuation |
|---|
| xD | 2014 | Discontinued entirely |
| xB | 2015 | Discontinued entirely |
| tC | 2016 | Discontinued entirely |
| iQ | 2015 | Discontinued entirely |
| FR-S | 2016 | Rebadged as Toyota 86 |
| iA | 2016 | Rebadged as Toyota Yaris iA |
| iM | 2016 | Rebadged as Toyota Corolla iM |
