Boxy Scion Receives Updates

Anthony Fontanelle
January 25, 2008

Toyota has seen its buyer base getting older and the promise of the new generation of buyers for the future. Thus, to make sure that the company will be endeared to the youth, they have created the youth division Scion.

The said marquee manufactures vehicles which have been designed to fit the needs and the wants of the youth. And the marquee's poster child is the scion xB. The said vehicle is a boxy vehicle which was not expected to become a huge hit. In fact, it was the xA, a subcompact hatchback, which was expected to become the marquee's bestseller. But today, the unique look of the xB has created a huge following.

As Toyota looks to tighten their hold on the younger generation of car buyers, they have decided to poll consumers and ask them what they would like to be changed in the xB. The automaker announced the result of their query saying that consumers want a bigger box.

Recently, The Auto Channel's Carey Russ tested the 2008 Scion xB. Russ described the new xB saying: "Chopped, channeled, and stretched. Longer, lower, wider... it's the classic custom car look, and it plays as well today on a Scion as it did 50-plus years ago on a tricked-out '49 Mercury. The xB restyling gives the car a more substantial look. A lower greenhouse and higher beltline, plus the noticeably greater length, give it the classic custom proportions, and the look is further enhanced by the more rounded lines of the hood and fenders and thick C-pillars."

As Americans want their vehicles to be roomy, the automaker has gone to great lengths to increase the room inside the vehicle. "Scion describes the xB's interior theme as 'lounge-like'," said Russ. "That may be a bit of exaggeration, but it is comfortable and not at all crowded. Head- and leg-room are first-rate for all five passengers, and a flat floor makes the center rear position reasonable. The front seats are better than expected in the xB's price class, and can be fully reclined for sleeping or cargo-carrying," he added.

Apart from being bigger, Scion also announced that their consumers want to have a more powerful xB. Thus, a new powertrain was given to the boxy vehicle. "The second-generation xB weighs over 500 pounds more than its predecessor, but the switch from a 1.5-liter, 108 horsepower engine to the larger 2.4-liter one with 158 horsepower (at 6000 rpm) and 162 lb-ft of torque (at 4000 rpm) more than compensates," said Russ.

With all those changes made to the Scion xB, it is expected to draw more attention from auto buyers better than a VW oxygen sensor.

Source:  Amazines.com