Toyota has announced that production of its 2006 Scion xA and xB will end in December, and that the two economy cars that kicked things off for Scion will be replaced next spring by two all-new models wearing 2008 badges. That means technically speaking Scion will have but a single car available for model year 2007, the tC coupe. Scion's vice president Mark Templin gave no other information regarding the upcoming replacements, except their estimated time of arrival. The success of the Scion brand can be largely attributed to the splash made by the xA and xB when they hit U.S. shores in June of 2004. Since then Scion has sold 72,011 units of the xA and 139,091 units of the boxy xB.
[Source: Scion]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Juan @ Sep 14th 2006 7:12PM
Wow, I didn't realize they've sold twice as many xB's as xA's. I would have thought it was the other way around.
Don dada @ Sep 14th 2006 7:19PM
Wow what a bold move!
Of ocurse they sold more xB than xA. xA is made for woman. Just look at it.
sp @ Sep 14th 2006 7:29PM
well will cease the production but probably continue sales until new models arrive - both xA and xB are selling better than ever...
Bob @ Sep 14th 2006 7:29PM
I love how American guys are still afraid to drive a hatchback. Everywhere else in the world, no one cares, but here you need a trunk or you're a girl.
Ryan @ Sep 14th 2006 7:46PM
"4. I love how American guys are still afraid to drive a hatchback. Everywhere else in the world, no one cares, but here you need a trunk or you're a girl.
Posted at 7:29PM on Sep 14th 2006 by Bob 0 stars"
-I just think it is a generation thing, 18-24 males from what I have seen guys actually like the xA for the most part we never really knew what it was like to have a sedan that spanned the length of your average tract home!
-Heck in high school the GTI was one of the cooler cars you could own, I remember cramming as many people into it as possible!
Ryan @ Sep 14th 2006 7:50PM
OH I forgot:
If European people have historically seen what us Americans have had in the past for hatchbacks you guys would laugh also.
Hatchback's in the 80's: heck you were lucky if it had carpet floors and seats. My dad's first brand new car, 1981 Ford Escort had plastic seats and floor.
Now I realize that this is pretty much not the case, but with the exception of an Audi, we really don't have a "luxury" hatchback.
Euro hatchbacks look way better than American ones for the most part. The xA to me looks the most like it was plucked straight out of Europe.
Poe @ Sep 14th 2006 8:02PM
Yeah, I agree with Ryan. Pretty much all of the hatchbacks we had over here back in the late 70's/early 80's were penalty boxes. My first car was a hand-me-down 1976 VW Rabbit - absolutely stripped... bare painted steel wheels, painted steel bumpers, 4-speed manual tranny, vinyl floor and seats, no A/C, not even a RADIO (until I added one a week later). I absolutely loved it - because it was MINE. Anyway... I think that's what turned so many people off to them here... the hatchback just became the poster child for cheap, no frills transportation. As soon as you made a little money, you didn't want to be seen in a *gasp* hatchback. That said, there are some cool hatchbacks out now... Mini Cooper, GTI, etc. I'd have no problem at all driving a hatchback like those today.
Mark @ Sep 14th 2006 8:34PM
Most economy cars in the late 70's and early 80's were pretty simple products, certainly by today's standards. I think we got in the habit of associating small hatchbacks with spartan, underpowered products and when gas prices fell in the mid-80's it was "So long!" to the hatches.
And now, suddenly, they don't look so bad. Go figure.
Leather Bear @ Sep 14th 2006 8:51PM
Re #3, now that we’ve heard from the “URGH…FIRE BAD!” contingent of Autoblog posters, I’ll weigh in. I’m 55 and (except for a couple of years in a bare bones Corolla sedan) have driven nothing but smallish hatchbacks or wagons since I bought my first one back in 1972. It was a ’69 Renault 16 (arguably the first hatchback sold in the US, but I’m open to correction), a truly amazing vehicle (when it was running!). My current ride is an xA (love it!), and my hubby has recently replaced a Passat sedan with a Prius. He was initially a bit hesitant because of the hatchback/wagon “stigma” but has come around after hauling home several IKEA flatpacks that fit easily in the back of the Prius (no way in the Passat).
Leather Bear @ Sep 14th 2006 8:53PM
OOPS! I meant #2
Mike @ Sep 14th 2006 9:29PM
xB for teh win!
But, incase you guys haven't seen the concept models, go check them out on Scion's website. One looks alot like the xB and another looks alot more sporty.
Dinger @ Sep 14th 2006 9:44PM
Leather Bear,
Okay. I made that up.
Andy @ Sep 14th 2006 10:16PM
Judging from the current crop of foreign "restyled" cars, I expect the new Scions to be identical to the previous.
Teve Torbes @ Sep 14th 2006 10:48PM
Toyota should kill off the Scion brand in December too, slap Toyota badges on those cars and hope we forget the stupidity that is the 'Scion' brand.
DPC car videos @ Sep 14th 2006 11:23PM
The XB is still going very strong, I don't see what Scion is doing.
FGT @ Sep 15th 2006 12:21AM
I see xB's everywhere...with the older couples driving them instead of the targeted gen-y.
JGN @ Sep 15th 2006 1:13AM
I'm interested in what they will be replaced by. No doubt it will cost the same or less, and be better than the products that are being phased out. I have always liked the Xb, but I like the Tacoma and FJ a little bit more.
michael @ Sep 15th 2006 1:18AM
cool news hopefully they'll put that new scion tb concept into production, water it down just a bit though. http://www.autoblog.com/2005/03/24/scion-t2b-concept/ or better yet do the japanese version the bB http://cars.ign.com/articles/678/678549p1.html, i wonder what will replace the xa
JapH8r @ Sep 15th 2006 7:21AM
You realize why they did this ... they ran out of shipping crates for their fugly models.
Barney @ Sep 15th 2006 8:40AM
I bought a brand new 1975 "Gremlin". Another econo car and the hatch was just a flat rear windshield. My first view of a hatchback was a Triumph. I fell in love with that car. As Poe said NA hatchbacks were pretty low on the car chain. Anyone remember the Chevette Scooter?