INSIDE LINE

Scion xB

Coverage

  • 2012 Scion xB RS 9.0 and Scion xD RS 4.0 Priced

    News

    2012 Scion xB RS 9.0 and Scion xD RS 4.0 Priced

    13 Ratings | 16 Comments

    Just the Facts: The base 2012 Scion xB RS 9.0 with a five-speed manual transmission starts at $18,840, while the base 2012 Scion xD RS 4.0 starts at $16,980.. . .

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  • 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 Priced

    News

    2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 Priced

    22 Ratings | 5 Comments

    Just the Facts: 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 is on display at the L.A. auto show. The base 2011 Scion xB Release Series 8.0 starts at $19,125. It arrives. . .

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  • Scion xB Stretch Limo Set for 2010 SEMA Show Debut

    News

    Scion xB Stretch Limo Set for 2010 SEMA Show Debut

    7 Ratings | 8 Comments

    Just the Facts: A Scion xB stretch limo leads a long list of customized Scion vehicles into the 2010 SEMA Show. tC, xB and xD models will all be on display.. . .

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  • U.S. Military Teams Design Scion xBs for 2010 SEMA Show

    News

    U.S. Military Teams Design Scion xBs for 2010 SEMA Show

    6 Ratings | 9 Comments

    Just the Facts: Scion's Battle of the Builds has teams of servicemen and women customizing xBs. The winner was an entry from a U.S. Navy team. The vehicle. . .

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  • Scion xB Design Challenge, Just for Military Service Members

    News

    Scion xB Design Challenge, Just for Military Service Members

    2 Ratings | 3 Comments

    Just the Facts: Battle of the Builds contest lets active service members use their technical training to customize a Scion xB. Finalists are being handed a. . .

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  • 2011 Scion xB Priced

    News

    2011 Scion xB Priced

    6 Ratings | 6 Comments

    Just the Facts: Toyota announces pricing on its face-lifted 2011 Scion xB. 2011 models are priced $150 above the outgoing 2010 models. The 2011 xB gets a. . .

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  • 2010 Scion xB Release Series 7.0: 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show

    News

    2010 Scion xB Release Series 7.0: 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show

    4 Ratings | 3 Comments

    LOS ANGELES ? Scion said its 2010 xB Release Series 7.0, which is debuting at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show , will range in price from $18,990 for the manual-transmission. . .

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  • Scion: What's New for 2010?

    Features

    Scion: What's New for 2010?

    5 Ratings | 1 Comment

    2010 Scion tC : For 2010, the tC gets one new exterior color, Nautical Blue Metallic which replaces Blue Ribbon Metallic. 2010 Scion xB : The 2010 xB has. . .

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  • Scion's 2009 SEMA Auto Show Appearance Includes Kitchen Sink

    News

    Scion's 2009 SEMA Auto Show Appearance Includes Kitchen Sink

    4 Ratings | 0 Comments

    LAS VEGAS ? Scion strutted into the 2009 SEMA Auto Show with at least seven powerhouse offerings, including a Kogi xD Mobile Kitchen by MV Designz that includes. . .

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  • Toyota Recalls 2010 Tundra, 2009 Scion xB and Six Other Vehicles

    News

    Toyota Recalls 2010 Tundra, 2009 Scion xB and Six Other Vehicles

    0 Ratings | 1 Comment

    WASHINGTON ? Toyota is recalling 1,348 vehicles, including the 2010 Toyota Tundra , the 2009 Toyota Yaris , Tacoma, Sienna, RAV4 and Highlander and the 2009. . .

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  • Scion Holds the Line on 2010 xB Pricing

    News

    Scion Holds the Line on 2010 xB Pricing

    0 Ratings | 0 Comments

    TORRANCE, California ? It's Scion's version of a recession special. The Toyota youth brand announced that the 2010 xB will not see a price increase when it arrives. . .

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  • Scion Announces Pricing on 2009 xB Release Series 6.0

    News

    Scion Announces Pricing on 2009 xB Release Series 6.0

    1 Rating | 0 Comments

    TORRANCE, California ? Scion on Wednesday said its limited-production 2009 xB Release Series 6.0 will start at $18,163 for the manual-transmission model. Pricing. . .

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Overview

No car anywhere has ever been boxier than the Scion xB. From bolt-upright nose to vertical windshield, slab sides and flat tail, the five-door xB is relentlessly boxlike. Even its name is but a vowel away from being "box" spelled backward. When all of history is finally written, the Scion xB will go down as the box that history was buried in.

The Scion xB was one of the first two products from Toyota's youth-oriented brand extension Scion. The entire point of Scion was to give Toyota dealers a second marketing channel through which they could target younger buyers who might otherwise be uninterested in a vehicle from the conservative Toyota. Though there would be no separate Scion dealers, the marketing of the vehicles would be separate and every Scion vehicle would be branded as such without any badges indicating it's a Toyota. The first Scions went on sale during 2003, with the 2004 Scion xB small wagon joined by the similarly sized 2004 xA five-door hatchback.

The first Scion xB was based on the Toyota bB wagon that had been on sale in Japan since the year 2000. Built on a simple front-drive chassis, the xB was powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine making just 103 horsepower. The transmission choices were either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The boxlike dimensions of the xB may not have been chic (except ironically), but they paid off in exceptional roominess for a car so dinky. Both drivers and passengers sat almost bolt upright in the Scion xB to take advantage of its relatively tall roof.

Though Scion and the Scion xB were targeted at youth buyers, the sheer practicality of the xB made it surprisingly popular among older demographics, while the Scion xB's determinedly anti-style style gave it a hip, ironic appeal with youngsters. In sum, the first Scion xB was for everyone.

A second-generation Scion xB appeared for the 2008 model year and it was larger than the first, with a 2.4-liter engine in its nose. Optimized for the American market, the second Scion xB has proven popular not just with consumers but as a taxicab in some resort communities.

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