Scion xA

A brand of cars produced by Toyota, Scion was introduced in an attempt of appealing to the younger generation with a much more affordable options. Pronounced sign-on, Scion is defined as 'a descendant or offspring'. Toyota Project Genesis was a failed attempt to bring younger shoppers to the Toyota lineup in the U.S. and was replaced with the Scion in 2003, the entry-level brand for Toyota. On March 27, 2002 the Scion was debuted at the New York Auto Show with the bbX concept, based on the Toyota bB. On January 2, 2003 the 2004 and xB were introduced at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, and were eventually available only in a select 105 Toyota dealerships in California after June 6, 2003. The brand was introduced to the South, the Southeast, and the East Coast in February the following year, and eventually nationwide by June of 2004 wit the release of the 2005 tC.

Introduced in 2004, the Scion xA (chassis code: NCP61) was a five-door hatchback subcompact car based heavily on the first generation Toyota Vitz hatchback. The xA was built on the same platform s the Toyota Platz sedan and was an export model of the Japanese Domestic Market Toyota ist. One of the first two models introduced to the North American market under the Scion brand, the xA was basically the American equivalent to the Japanese Toyota ist which had been introduced in Japan in 2001. For the U.S. market the xA was largely unmodified though it equipment changes were made to conform to USDOT safety and emissions standards and it was also converted to left-hand-drive.

In June of 2003 the xA was launched in the California market exclusively for several months as the entry-level model in the lineup. This method was to control dealership quality control to enhance demand throughout the country. A 1.5 L DOHC I4 engine that produced 108 hp at 6000 rpm and had 105 lb/ft of torque at 4200 rpm powered the 11.9-gallon xA. The xA had an estimated 32.38 EPA for both manual and automatic transmission. It had a top speed of 110 mph and could reach the quarter mile in 16.7 seconds at 81.13 mph and could reach 0-60mph in 8.8 seconds. The Scion brand was launched in the east coast at the south in September of 2003, and the rest of the country by June of 2004. Integrated into Toyota dealerships, Scion dealerships featured separate showrooms with modern flatscreen displays. The 2004 Scion xA had a base price of $12,965.

The xA rode on a 93.3-inch wheelbase, the same dimensions as the Echo. With compact seating for five, the xA had an available 12 cubic feet of cargo space. For the U.S. version, the xA received extra steel reinforcement, tighter suspensions, more sound-damping material and more standard accessories. Standard equipment included four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and standard power windows and locks. Other standard options included a Pioneer single-disc CD player with six speakers and a first-aid kit.

In 2006 the Scion xA underwent a minor update that included revised bumpers and side skirts that gave a new grownup look. Other changes this year included new turn signals added to the side mirrors and audio controls newly located on the steering wheel. This year's renovations made the xA the first production car to feature an optional iPod input with head unit display. The exterior offered a fresh variety of colors; Salsa Red Pearl replacing Black Cherry Pearl and Phantom Gray Pearl replaced by Flint Mica. Also new this year was a more user-friendly head unit.

In December of 2006 importation of the xA ended and the xD replaced became the replacement for the xA. In August of 2007, the xD was delivered to US dealerships as a 2008 model.

To help stir up interest in the brand, Scion introduced a very exciting limited edition vehicle in 2004 pre-packaged with exclusive accessories in very limited quantities. These limited editions were introduced in flamboyant colors like bright blue, green, yellow and red. Each model of the Release Series line of the xA featured a plaque mounted inside the car stating the edition number. Every release had their own special and unique color not found on any other xA; the RS1.0 was painted Absolutely Red, the RS2.0 was Spectra Blue Mica and the RS3.0 was Stingray Metallic.

Due to their very limited production numbers and most dealerships only receiving two or three of each RS models, these limited edition models were extremely rare and dealership preordering available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Dealerships are unable to mark-up the vehicles thanks to Scion's 'Pure Price' MSRP. The Release Series cars fetch a very nice premium today thanks to their rarity and good selection of packaged options.

The 2005 xA RS 1.0 was offered only in Absolutely Red and came with a sports grille, color-keyed rear spoiler, VSC (vehicle stability control) and a power moonroof, all as standard. Only 1,550 units were produced during its short lifespan. Only 1,700 xA RS 2.0 editions were produced in 2005, only available in Spectra Blue Mica. With only 2,100 units produced, the xA RS 3.0 was only offered in Stingray Metallic light blue.

The Scion xA was priced comparably with the Kia Rio and Spectra, Saturn Ion, Hyundai Accent and the Toyota Echo and Tacoma, but none of these models featured AC, a CD player or anti-lock brakes as standard equipment. The xA had 38 different customization accessories that ranged from interior mood-lighting strips to a $49 faux carbon-fiber shift knob.

Sources:
http://www.scionlife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47017
http://www.scionlife.com/scion/xa/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scion_xA
http://david-ernst.com/projects/scion/index.html

By Jessica Donaldson