Toyota Decides To Kill The Scion Brand

Toyota says it is killing its Scion brand of cars. 

“This isn’t a step backward for Scion; it’s a leap forward for Toyota," said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor North America. 

Lentz was a founding vice president of Scion. In a news release, he said Scion allowed Toyota to fast track ideas that would have been challenging to test through the Toyota network.

The company said it established Scion as a separate brand in 2003 to attract younger customers. It said it sold more than a million Scions, with 70 percent purchased by customers new to Toyota and 50 percent were under 35 years old.

Toyota says its new vehicles have evolved enough to capture the attention of younger buyers.

As part of the brand transition, beginning in August 2016, Scion vehicles will be rebadged as Toyotas. The FR-S sports car, iA sedan and iM 5-door hatchback will become part of the Toyota family. The tC sports coupe will have a final release series edition and end production in August 2016. The C-HR, which recently debuted at the L.A. Auto Show, will be a part of the Toyota line-up, the company said.

The company said Scion owners will still be able to get service from Toyota dealerships.