Toyota to discontinue the Scion youth-oriented brand

Scion no more: Scion's last concept vehicle shown off at the Detroit Auto Show - Photo By Gadjo Sevilla

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Scion, the Toyota sub-brand designed to attract younger buyers will be discontinued. Toyota said it will rebadge three of its 2017 model-year Scions as Toyotas, beginning in August. One model, the tC coupe, will no longer be produced as of that month. Scion debuted in the US in 2003 and was a targeted towards first-time buyers and students.

The brand was built on the foundations of Toyota vehicles but offered customization in terms of colour and materials, quirky vehicle styles and youthful advertising campaigns. Scion only came to Canada in 2010, Toyota is scrapping the brand in response to customer needs.

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SlideShow: Hyundai Veloster Turbo 2014

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

I just picked up the above Vitamin C coloured Hyundai Veloster Turbo 2014. This sleek and well-appointed three-door hatchback sports a 201hp powered by 1.6 Liter turbocharged four cylinder engine, a 6-speed Automatic with SHIFTRONIC Manual Shift Mode with Paddle Shifters. A brief test drive earlier today revelaled a sporty but restrained performance, responsive braking system and all the tech you'd need in a car of this class including a multi-functional 7-inch touchscreen that easily interfaces with smartphones, has built in SatNav and iPhone integration with voice recognition. Some of the features that caught my eye were the panoramic sunroof, firm heated leather seats, spaceship-like instrument cluster and proximity-enabled start button. I have the chance to test this car out for a week and hope to put it through its paces as my daily driver as well as enjoy what it has to offer. Stay tuned for my full review right here.

Motoring: Scion Announces Three Finalists For First Ever Tuner Challenge

Scion, Toyota's hip and highly modifiable range of sporty vehicles which came to Canada this year announces the three finalists for its first ever Canadian Scion Tuner Challenge. Now the real battle begins. Each team has received a brand new Scion xD, xB or tC and has been given three months to create the ultimate Scion show car - armed with $10,000 and access to the full line-up of Scion Authorized Accessories and the TRD catalogue.

At stake is an entry at the ultimate tuner show, SEMA, in Las Vegas. Interested Canadians can track each team’s build online, and compete for prizes throughout the competition – including a trip for two to Vegas to join the winning team at the show! Hit jump to meet the teams.

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Motoring: Scion Canada confirms 40 more dealerships by next Spring

They're cute, quirky and targeted to the youth market but we're pretty sure a lot of people are going to be wanting a Scion and now they'll have more places to get them. Scion confirmed plans to expand its presence in Canada in 2011 with the rollout of 40 Phase II dealers in 30 more markets across Canada next spring.

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