Scion, Toyota’s “youth” brand, released the above teaser image Tuesday morning along with a brief press release stating their third all-new vehicle will be displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November.
Is this the Toyota CH-R in Scion drag? It very much looks to be.
After releasing the brand-new-to-America Scion iM hatchback — a rebadged version of the internationally available Toyota Auris — and Scion iA, a slightly redesigned and rebadged Mazda2 sedan, Scion has seen a significant uptick in sales over the last month after sitting behind Porsche earlier in the year. However, the fact still remains, Scion is car heavy and without a crossover or SUV in a hot high-riding hatchback market.
This is exactly what Scion needs.
Official details are extremely scarce at this point in time, though the image does match up nicely with photos of the Toyota CH-R’s rump — albeit without the CHMSL gracing the roof-mounted spoiler — so that’s where we’ll place our bets.
Here — check it out for yourself.
If Scion does get a version of the CH-R, this could also be Scion’s very first hybrid.
The Los Angeles Auto Show begins November 18th.
“YOUTH BRAND”
Soul-less, 4-cylinder powered, Front-wheel-drive, sub-$20,000 econoboxes designed for new drivers drowning in student-loan debt… barely able to make interest-only payments.
Yes. A practical, reliable, thrifty response to a market need. Problem with that? Did you think Toyota should be selling them a HELLCAT?
Except that if you want to own a new car before you’re 35 you’re probably going to be buying a ~20K car. But this is why whenever you say something I have to take it with a grain of salt.
The original xB, with its capacious, chairlike front and rear seating, easy ingress/egress, and low price, was very popular with a much older demographic than the one Toyota was aiming for. Lots of grey-haired xB drivers, none of whom bought a single aftermarket part (except maybe seat covers).
Looks like this time they’ve dipped the car in senior-repellent.
“they’ve dipped the car in senior-repellent”
Well said! Unfortunately it’s got a lot of company in that and gets more every refresh cycle for formerly arthritis-friendly vehicles.
A whole new meaning for butt-ugly.
New sedan and hatch for MY16. FR-S is getting a refresh for MY17. This thing coming as a new model in MY17 (likely). Sounds like Toyota is putting some money back into the brand.
These vehicles resemble sexually transmitted disease manifestations (I’ve seen more attractive photos of syphilis, herpes and gonorrhea symptoms) and there should be a national panel to both a) ban them from American Roadways and b) penalize Toyota (both financially and criminally) and, on a personal level, the designers who are responsible for their birth.
This is outrageous and nothing less than war waged by other means by Scion and Japan on any nation that these vehicles are exported to or sold within.
Glad to see you are alive and kicking (hard). Your posts do bring a smile to my face. I say this as someone who otherwise is boycotting Toyota until their cars become less painful to look at.
I would agree that Scion needs a small SUV.
More importantly, it took all my energy just to click on an article about a Scion. There is simply no excitment. It might be worse that reading about Buick.
I have to hand it to Toyota, they don’t give up on an idea easily. Look at full size pickups in the US. They started with the T-100 in 1993, which wound up being too small for the US market. So they learned their lesson and released the Tundra in ’99. And they kept on going with the Tundra up to today, 22 years after their first attempt.
And how long did they keep the FJ Cruiser around after it became apparent that it wouldn’t compete with the Wrangler? Scion itself, Scion has been described as “Toyota’s Geo” and it’s an apt comparison. But GM kept Geo for only 8 years from 1989 to 1997. Scion has been going on for 13 years now and Toyota obviously isn’t done trying. They are persistent if nothing else.
Sheesh. As ugly as it is impractical. Toyota should seriously consider implementing a drug-free workplace.
Ah! The solution… Toyota’s bastard love child has it!
Now yuppies in training can move all of their possessions (Random composite value-based dorm room furniture, flat panel television, and the uber-important lava lamp) in ONE trip when sofa-surfing from one place to the next.
I’ve been an adult since before the term “yuppie” was created. I’ve invariably found it’s use to be a bullhorn announcing jealously and personal failure.
Spoken like a true yuppie…..
Thanks :-D
You don’t know how much that means to the scion of an 8th-grader!
I was being somewhat facetious. But i’m not sure what you’re getting with your insult.
I wasn’t going to point out that the people who always presume their poorer counterparts are just ‘jealous’ because it’s a convenient cognitive dissonance to any actual discussion of possible issues.
I on the whole don’t care if people are rich, I care if people are twats about it and intentionally try to hold others in poverty to justify their wealth and power. But if you’re that much in love with your money, don’t worry about what the plebs say about you since we’re all so jealous….
See…now you made me strain my eyes because they rolled so hard. :(
I love how an academic/labor consultant claims to identify with the plebeians to rationalize his avarice for other people’s stuff.
Xer talks too much when he feels irrelevant.
I’m technically am a plebeian compared to what some of you claim. Far be it for me to have greater education than 99% of society but still only make slightly elevated income. I’m not jet setting around the world. I live in a modest home, I have an 7 year old car going on 8, and I’m finishing off my debts for student loans. I’m pretty much a pleb on every level.
But your claim I have avarice against your stuff is silly. That’s your cognitive dissonance screaming at you to build silly strawman arguments to hide behind. Moral hazards abound when we discuss economics since morality tends to fail miserably when confronted by behavioral economics.
RH – Or I talk just enough to make you feel uncomfortable so you have to make obnoxious statements to pretend you’re actually witty? :)
See?
Swing and miss, RH. But hey! Keep enjoying that Yuppie status. :)
Why not? Scion doesn’t exactly have brand image to worry about. I mean look at the xD. Fugly! So the new crossover can’t really hurt.
It’s a nice looking car but to be practical it needs a roofline raised atleast 3-6 inches like the concept drawings suggest. But otherwise Scion has basically just been the place where Toyota can place their more exotic models from their main lineup that don’t necessarily sell well in the US.
It’s a welcome alternative to see it get new interesting designs. The iM is a good looking car that will possibly help boost their segment share.
Nothing wrong with a student full of debts buying a USED Japanese or Korean compact car, for the daily grind.
The good ones don’t depreciate enough, you have to buy them new. But don’t worry in the new Amerika 600 credit qualifies for new cars.
This is horrifically ugly, but may be reliable. Jeep Renegade, sorta cool, but likely unreliable. Subaru Crosstrek, capable but no go to it. Soul Trail’ster, goofy toy car. Where is the reliable, OK-looking, smallish AWD for the superannuated?
You’re asking a lot, Owl.
I’d give the Soul another chance. Would putting snow tires on one not be adequate?
I’ll give the Soul a look (with eyes half closed to screen the Tonka effect). Maybe the production version will be among the visually tolerable.