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Scion press release here: http://pressroom.scion.com/
And WSJ article here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/toyota-ending-scion-brand-1454511571
I don't have any particular love or affiliation with Scion. Being (ahem) over 40, and not part of their target demographic, that being, young recently graduating Millennial buyers seeking their first new car purchase. (Although the ironic truth is that the median Scion buyer was actually 49). But I do own a Scion FR-S, used exclusively as a weekend and track day car.
I remember when I bought the car in June of 2013, I had a TRD exhaust and Motegi wheels installed as dealer options, and the car was sitting outside idling when I arrived. A delivery driver for Toyota in his late 20s and at least 10 years my junior, was walking by and we were both looking at the car, me knowing I was going to be driving away in it, he obviously having no idea. He looked at me, sneered, and grumbled, it must be nice to have rich parents.
It's probably the only time I ever felt somewhat awkward about buying a Scion.
There's no doubt that the Scion brand has been failing. The recession and overwhelming levels of student loan debt saw to that. And while their initial offerings, especially the original TC, were a bit interesting a decade ago, I found their more recent cars (The FRS aside) to be rather bland. I think Toyota had already given up on them years ago and it's more of a mercy killing. Their current line up consists almost exclusively of re-branded models. And none of them are stand outs.
It's interesting to hear them put a positive spin into the press release, knowing that a lot of sales people, mechanics and staff from their independent dealerships will be losing their jobs. And the franchise owners are going to take a real hosing.
I'm somewhat relieved that the FRS will now continue (in 2017) as a Toyota model, sold at Toyota dealerships. In my opinion, it probably should have been badged as a GT86 and sold as a Toyota from the beginning, as it is around the rest of the world.
So we can now add Scion to the list of Pontiac, Saturn, Saab, etc.
And WSJ article here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/toyota-ending-scion-brand-1454511571
I don't have any particular love or affiliation with Scion. Being (ahem) over 40, and not part of their target demographic, that being, young recently graduating Millennial buyers seeking their first new car purchase. (Although the ironic truth is that the median Scion buyer was actually 49). But I do own a Scion FR-S, used exclusively as a weekend and track day car.
I remember when I bought the car in June of 2013, I had a TRD exhaust and Motegi wheels installed as dealer options, and the car was sitting outside idling when I arrived. A delivery driver for Toyota in his late 20s and at least 10 years my junior, was walking by and we were both looking at the car, me knowing I was going to be driving away in it, he obviously having no idea. He looked at me, sneered, and grumbled, it must be nice to have rich parents.
It's probably the only time I ever felt somewhat awkward about buying a Scion.There's no doubt that the Scion brand has been failing. The recession and overwhelming levels of student loan debt saw to that. And while their initial offerings, especially the original TC, were a bit interesting a decade ago, I found their more recent cars (The FRS aside) to be rather bland. I think Toyota had already given up on them years ago and it's more of a mercy killing. Their current line up consists almost exclusively of re-branded models. And none of them are stand outs.
It's interesting to hear them put a positive spin into the press release, knowing that a lot of sales people, mechanics and staff from their independent dealerships will be losing their jobs. And the franchise owners are going to take a real hosing.
I'm somewhat relieved that the FRS will now continue (in 2017) as a Toyota model, sold at Toyota dealerships. In my opinion, it probably should have been badged as a GT86 and sold as a Toyota from the beginning, as it is around the rest of the world.
So we can now add Scion to the list of Pontiac, Saturn, Saab, etc.
