MINICAR
INVASION: With gasoline prices at near-record levels,
it's no surprise that Toyota is likely to launch in the United States
as early as spring 2006 a small car based on the Vitz.
The Vitz is priced in Japan at $10,800 to $13,500. 2006 xB "OUTSTANDING":
" While its iconoclastic appearance and youthful option set clearly
skew the xB toward Gen Y consumers, its outstanding total value story
resonates with buyers of all ages," says Automobile
magazine. RUMOR QUASHED: Toyota president
Katsuaki Watanabe recently dismissed reports that Scion vehicles will
start to be built in North America, according to Edmunds.com.
HIP TO BE xB: A group of
16- to 22-year-olds surveyed by CNW rated the xB the "least stodgy
vehicle" on the market, The
Detroit News reports.HOT SELLERS: Among the
vehicles that look like sales winners for the first half of 2005 are Toyota
Prius hybrid, the Toyota Scion line and the redesigned Toyota Avalon,
according to Forbes
magazine.
WHEELS FOR GRADS: "For
many, graduating from college and getting that first "real"
job is celebrated by buying a cool car," said Karl Brauer, Edmunds.com
Editor in Chief. Edmunds.com's
picks include two Scions. MARK YOUR
CALENDARS: Show off your Scion and enter to win one of
30 available Scion VIP packages during Hot Imports Nights Boston
at Bayside
Expo Center. Click here
for more information.
t2B TO DEBUT: Scion will
unveil an all-new concept vehicle, the t2B, at the 2005
New York International Auto Show. The press conference will be held at
the Special Events Hall downstairs in the Javits Convention Center at
8:30 am EST. EXPOSE YOURSELF: Hook up
with other Scion Owners in Daytona Beach, Fla., on March 26, for Scion
Exposed. Featuring: tC hot laps, music, food, project cars, best-in-show
competition, etc. More information at www.scion.com/exposed/.
AUTOMOTIVE 'GRAND SLAM': The Scion tC — the third car under the Scion brand — "won’t
disappoint those looking to fill their garage with a well-built
product that has a little extra savvy beneath the sheet
metal," says the Portland
Tribune.
SALES RECORD: Toyota Motor
Corp. is poised to become the first non-U.S. automaker to sell more than
2 million cars and trucks in a year in the USA as new models steal buyers
from Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp, the Sun-Sentinel
reported Jan. 1.
LIMITED EDITION xB:
AYellow
xB is being introduced by Scion this
March. Only 2,500 units of the xB Release Series 2.0 will be available
at Scion dealers nationwide.
SIZE MATTERS IF YOU'RE A CAR: With high gas prices driving
small-car sales, automakers are getting ready to import another round
of small cars into the USA. Small cars are expected from Mercedes, BMW,
Ford Motor and Smart, according to USA
Today. So far, sales of Toyota's edgy Scion line have beaten expectations.
"It's not the most profitable segment, but we know how to capture
the younger buyer," Jim Farley, vice president of
Scion, told USA Today.STEP UP TO THE BAR: PC users can
download a free Web tool bar application that can be
their "backstage pass to new Scion tC content, special events and
free stuff." To download the tool bar, go to wanttc.com. SIMPLY THE BEST: The xA
is "the best car for city driving that Motor Mouth has tested in
years," The
Boston Herald's Eric Convey wrote on Aug. 14, 2004.
Among the $14,000 xA's best touches: the "coolest" gauges, excellent
climate controls, electric windows, a ride that feels like that of the
$21,000 Toyota Prius... Scion starts
selling the limited-edition "Absolutely Red" Scion xA
Release Series 1.0 later in August. Only 1,550
will ever exist, so you have to act fast if you want one.
TOYOTA, SCION TOP QUALITY SURVEY: Among the 32 vehicles that top Consumer Reports' New Car Preview 2005,
29 were built by Japanese companies. Toyota Motor Corp. led the pack with
16 models spread over its Toyota, Scion and Lexus brands.
...
tC MAKES THE CUT: The tC
has made the list of 15 candidates for North American Car and Truck of
the Year, according to The
Chicago Tribune. Each year a panel of 50 automotive journalists
sit down with a list of all the cars and trucks to pick out the best.
Voting is in December, after which a final three in each category are
named, and the winners are announced at the Detroit Auto Show in January.ALL ROADS LEAD TO PHILLY:
The biggest Scion event on the east coast yet is set to happen on Oct
10, 2004, at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. Check out the website.
Its a free event and open to all. A free Scion (and Toyota) car show (with
trophies, prizes, and cash), Go-karts, music, manufacturer displays, urban
artists, and more will make a great way to end the first Scion summer. MORE RAVES ABOUT TC: "Refined"
and "stylish" are just some of the adjectives that Chicago
Sun-Times auto writer Dan Jedlicka uses to describes the tC... Ron
Kiino of Car
and Driver says the tC's features "should frighten the competition."SCION'S 'YOOT' FACTOR: All three Scions made the list of Top 10 Cars for Drivers Under
25, as identified by Edmunds.com.
The list identifies "cars that are safe, fun to drive, look cool
and are reasonably priced," Edmunds.com says.
WHY JOCKS LOVE THE tC:
Turns out Jim Farley, the vice president of Scion who
was in charge of developing the tC, is a triathlete. Here's more..
ON A ROLL: From August
2003 to August 2004, Scion gained the second most market share of any
carmakers, from from 0.11% to 0.88%, according to just-auto.com.
Looks like Scion is on target to meet its goal of selling 100,000 cars
annually. Scion sold 6,300 tC coupes in July, its first month on the market,
and 5,800 xBs, which was its best month in the market. "After what
happened with the tC in July, I'd have to say we could sell 125,000 cars
and still will be short of vehicles," Brian Bolain,
Scion national sales manager, told the Chicago
Tribune.
SALES FORECAST: Toyota
Motor Corp.'s Scion raised its 2005 U.S. sales forecast to 140,000 vehicles
as the two-year-old brand, added to draw younger buyers, accounts for
most of the automaker's growth, Bloomberg.com
reported.
tC
PRICING: The MSRP for the Scion tC will be $16,200
with a manual transmission and $17,000 with an automatic transmission,
reflecting a 1.3 and 1.2 percent increase, respectively. More
information ...2005 CRASH TESTS: The Highway
Safety Admnistration completed crash
tests and rollover ratings for passenger cars for the 2005 model year.
The cars tested included the Scion tC.
TOPS
FOR ROAD TRIPS: The Scion xA is on AAA's
list of "top
vehicles for summer road trips." The Scion xA "is the perfect
car. It is small in size and has a surprisingly roomy interior. It is
also lightweight and has a fuel economy of 32/37 mpg," according
to AAA.
xB's BIG BROTHER: “The t2B is a design exercise
that combines the attitude of the xB, with the comfort and sophistication
of the tC," says Jim Farley, vice president of Scion.
Check out Allscion's photos of the t2B and others from the 2005
New York car show ...
VEGAS IS SCION COUNTRY: As these photos show, Scions
were everywhere during the just-concluded SEMA
trade show in Las Vegas...
MINICAR
INVASION:
tC
PRICING:
xB's BIG BROTHER:
