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Review: 2008 Scion xB

In the latter part of the 1990s, Toyota realized it had a problem on its hands. Although its sales had been climbing steadily for years, the average age of its customers was also climbing. That's fine in the short term, but over the long haul if a company isn't attracting some younger clientele into its showrooms, sales will eventually begin to dry up. After several years of unsuccessfully trying to attract more youthful customers with cars like the Echo, the Japanese behemoth tried a new tack in early 2003. That was when Toyota announced a new brand called Scion that would be targeted ... Read More

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    Scion xB
    Report: Scion changing as brand buyers get older
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    Toyota may seek to reposition Scion in the wake of slower sales, according to Automotive News. It's been 10 years since the Japanese automaker unveiled its youth-oriented brand, and Toyota recognizes that the original target demographic has officially grown up. After concluding a nine-month review of the Scion brand, the parent company has decided to move ...

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    Scion xB
    Report: Scion xB, xD models getting the axe
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    Scion has long been labeled as a "youth brand," so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to read word of parent Toyota turning over the marque's aging nameplates so quickly. According to Ward's Auto, Scion is set to kill off its xB and xD models – the first a onetime icon for the brand, the latter an econobox that never truly caught on with buyers (not ...

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    Scion xB
    Official: Scion prices 2012 xB and XD Release Series models
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    Scion has released a volley of information on the company's latest Release Series models. The 2012 xD Release Series 4.0 will come to dealers dipped in an exclusive Premium Blizzard Pearl paint with 16-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment. Inside, color-matched trim panels along the center console, steering wheel and doors echo the exterior scheme, and ...

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    Scion xB
    Pandora integration comes to the 2012 Scion xB
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    The 2012 Scion xB will begin rolling into dealerships next month, and while there's not much in the way of upgrades to the exterior, interior or powertrain, two new stereo options are included in the boxy package. The standard xB's Pioneer head unit is now equipped with HD Radio, allowing stations to broadcast multiple audio feeds over one frequency. If ...

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    Scion xB
    Video: Scion commissions video game-inspired xB
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    In late 2009, Scion turned over one of its xB box-wagons to Giant Robot magazine publisher Eric Nakamura, and the result is way cooler than any Release Series Scion xB the company has ever turned out. After all, how could you possibly not love a customized car that was inspired by Japan's Nintendo Famicon Gaming System and its eight bits of raw ...

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    Scion xB
    LA 2010: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 dabbles in Voodoo
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    Just as the sun always sets in the west, we can always count on a limited-edition Scion xB to pop up at a North American auto show. This year, that honor falls on the 2010 LA Auto Show and the Scion in question is the 2011 xB Release Series 8.0. Surprise! Standing out on the show floor thanks to its brilliant VooDoo Blue paint job, the 2011 Scion xB ...

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    Scion xB
    Consumer Reports picks best cars for teens and seniors
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    The car-savy folk over at Consumer Reports have released a new list of its best picks for vehicles suited for teens and seniors. The group suggests parents looking to send their teens off to school with a newer vehicle should try to avoid the common misstep of assuming that a larger SUV is safer than its smaller, more efficient counterparts. Instead of ...

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    Scion xB
    Scion xB restyled and repriced for 2011
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    The Scion brand's poster car, the boxy xB, gets a freshened face for the 2011 model year, as well as some minor interior upgrades. Overall, the exterior changes give the econobox a more aggressive appearance – a good thing, since the second-generation xB wasn't appealing to the young, hipster crowd nearly as much as the automaker would have hoped. ...

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    Scion xB
    Report: Scion to get stronger Stateside focus, two new models
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    Despite the fact that Scion is a uniquely American invention for Toyota, only one of its current models – the rapidly aging tC coupe – was actually designed here in the States. Perhaps it shouldn't come as too big a surprise, then, that U.S. Scion sales are down by 49-percent compared to 2008 levels. According to Automotive News, Yoshi ...

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    Scion xB
    LA 2009: Scion xB Release Series 7.0 limited to 2,000 copies
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    Just yesterday we shared with you some pics of and specs on the latest Scion Release Series, the xB 7.0. It's a tradition of sorts for Scion to come out with a new Release at the LA Auto Show. For this go-around, Scion seems to have been indulging in some fermented grapes, as the bloody thing is painted Murasaki! That would be purple for those of us not ...

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