With the Scion FR-S destined to arrive on North American soil rather soon, it’ no surprise that the sub-brand for Japanese automaker, Toyota, decided to give its website a new identity. It appears that Scion hopes to give itself a more of a “grown up” image too with the FR-S’s arrival, which will undoubtedly be the first real sports car for the young brand.

Up until now, Scion is most well-known for its quirky models that appeal to the young automotive enthusiast interesting in customizing their vehicle to match their personality. And while the tC was an attempt at making a sporty coupe, most would agree that it doesn’t have – or even come close to – the appeal that the FR-S brings. We already have no doubts that the FR-S as a car is a hit (read our review here), but it’ll be interesting to see if buyers can get over the “Scion hump” of knowing that it doesn’t boast a Toyota badge, but rather a badge that’s been heavily associated to a younger generation of car enthusiasts.

Either way, the new website is clearly an indication that Scion wants to trend away slowly from the reputation it has established over the years. Rather than a dark-themed and Flashy website, it now incorporates a friendly-on-the-eyes design with everything just a couple of clicks away. In other words, it’s function over form, much like the FR-S. It looks great, and it performs great.

At the 2012 Montreal International Auto Show, Scion brought a trio of Release Series vehicles out to display for the Canadian market. This is the first time Scion’s Release Series vehicles have ever been to a Canadian auto show.

Starting with the xB Release Series 9.0, the limited edition xB will only see 200 units in Canada with its Hot Lava exterior paint, Scion honeycomb grill, illuminated vehicle locator badges, suede-style trimmed seats, color-matched stitching, embossed seat logos and RS individually-numbered badges.

A huge contrast to the flashy and bright xB is the Blizzard Pearl xD Release Series 4.0. The frosty xD has a unique blizzard pearl finish, packs 16-inch smoked platinum wheels on each corner while the interior also gets some Pearl white matched pieces and seat surfaces. Only 100 of these will be made available in Canada with each one individually numbered and featuring RS 4.0 all-season floor mats.

Last but not least, the High Voltage Yellow tC Release Series 7.0 – that’s been made famous by the commercials – will be limited to just 175 cars in Canada. The bright yellow tC is further accented by a TRD body kit and 18-inch gloss black wheels. On the inside, there’s plenty of yellow contrast stitching and the tC features a Smart Key with push button start. And of course, there’s an RS individually-numbered illuminated badge for the vehicle.

The Release Series xB begins at $20,950, the xD 4.0 starts at $18,460 while the retina-burning tC Release Series 7.0 is $23,425.

GALLERY: Scion Release Series Vehicles

Every year at the SEMA Show, Scion always impresses with a fleet of customized models from the world’s top builders. This year will be no different, as a trio of customized iQs will face off in this year’s Tuner Challenge, while Scion will also show off a custom iQ from Cartel, a tC from Gruppe S/Dynamic Autosports, an xB from 686, and the xB from the Scion Canada Tuner Challenge.

Starting with the Tuner Challenge iQs, the three projects were built by individual tuners Michael Chang, Jon Sibal and Tatsu. Starting with Chang’s iQ creation, he opted for a widebody, race-inspired look thanks to a plethora of products from Evasive Motorsports. The entire exterior was overhauled with a custom widebody kit, full with plenty of carbon fiber components. It’ll be dropped to the ground thanks to Air Runner suspension while Wilwood big brakes and Advan Racing RT wheels will be shown off on all four corners. Inside the race theme continues with a custom 6-point roll cage, Sparco EVO seats, fuel cell and more.

Sibal’s iQ RX (pictured above) sports a matte Metallic Grey with Bronze Pearl paint further accented by a modified Veilside Premier4509 body kit. Nitrous Express gives the iQ a little more punch to help spin the 18-inch HRE 567C three-piece wheels. Once again, Air Runner Suspension gives the iQ the stance it needs to be a real attention grabber while the interior packs plenty of electronics thanks to Orion. For brakes, Sibal opted for a setup from Stop Tech while the interior gets a custom job from MVDesignz.

Last but not least, competing against Sibal and Chang will be the iQ-MR by Tatsu. The first thing to catch your eye is the unique exterior paneling from Specialty Cars that truly makes this iQ different than the rest. The MR clearly hints that this iQ isn’t what you would expect from Scion – it sports a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive setup. A fully rebuilt, high compression motor by Mavrik Motorsports has been paired to an AEM EMS and probably packs quite the naturally aspirated punch. Axis’ Sakura wheels are seen on all four corners, sitting perfectly thanks to a set of coilovers from KW Suspension. Inside, Specialty Cars continues their expertise with a custom cage, interior paneling and a ton of Sparco goods.

The pair of xBs that will be shown off are from SR Auto Group and 686 in collaboration with Spin Imaging. The unique Numeric xB by 686 features a waterproof fabric wrap with laser welded and stitched seams. The custom body kit further accents the xB’s radical styling while a set of 18-inch Motegi wheels match the exterior color scheme. Plenty of customization continues on the interior, something we expect that we’ll have to see to believe.

The Project Anarchy xB is the 2011 Scion Canadian Tuner Challenge Champion, sporting a VIP theme thanks to modified AIT Racing body parts. Seibon lends a hand with plenty of carbon fiber goods while a set of 19-inch Modulare Bespoke M23 wheels clearly sets the xB off. BC Racing coilovers gives it the perfect stance while the interior gets Reventon-inspired upholstery.

The lone tC of the show comes from Dynamic Autosports, representing Gruppe-S. Overall it’s a simple and clean project, representing something any one of their customers could replicate. A GReddy turbo kit gives the tC extra power while a set of Weds SA55 adorn each corner. A TRD big brake kit combined with KW’s 3-way coilovers gives the tC enhanced braking and handling performance. On the exterior, Seibon and APR pitch in plenty of styling upgrades while Papadakis Racing comes in with a one-piece roof – clearly a result of their drifting program.

Last but not least is the Pit Boss Cartel iQ, which is clearly influenced by Jeremy Lookofsky’s years of drag racing. The exterior has become a chop-top model with the doors chopped and capped, custom metal fabricated interior and exterior panels and a House of Colors Electric Blue paint to set it all off. Wheels are Lorenzo’s WL028 model with a staggered 18/19-inch setup. AccuAir suspension gives it plenty of adjustability while a Wilwood brake upgrade ensures it has plenty of stopping power.

AutoGuide can’t wait to check out all these crazy creations in person, as Scion never disappoints year after year.

GALLERY: Scion 2011 SEMA Lineup

GALLERY: Pit Boss Cartel iQ

GALLERY: Jon Sibal iQ RX

GALLERY: Michael Chang iQ

GALLERY: Tatsu iQ-MR

Another year and another release for Scion’s now infamous xB urban utility vehicle. Much of what we’ve come to know about the second generation xB has been left untouched for their 2012 version, except for the addition of standard Bluetooth hands-free and HD radio technology. An option for a premium audio system with 5.8-inch touchscreen and Pandora Internet Radio is also available.

MSRP for the 2012 Scion xB remains aggressive within their market as the five-speed manual retails for $16,300 while the four-speed automatic is at $17,250. Both will come standard with Bluetooth hands-free and streaming audio to complement its HD Radio technology for 2012. The standard 160-watt Pioneer audio system will allow users to wireless stream audio from their phone to the vehicle’s sound system. iPod, iPhone and other portable music players can also be connected directly to the system through the USB or AUX port.

The optional 200-watt Pioneer Premium audio system will feature everything that the standard system has but includes a 5.8-inch touchscreen and has iTunes tagging and Pandora internet radio connected through an iPhone.

Everything else is standard second generation Scion xB. It’ll still feature a 2.4L four-cylinder with 158-hp, 16-inch steel wheels with choice of wheel cover design and its iconic box shape.

GALLERY: 2012 Scion xB Audio Systems

While Scion vehicles have been available in the United States for a number of years, they have never been officially brought to Canada, despite numerous grey market imports from south of the border.

Now, Scion’s are finally available and Toyota Canada has announced pricing for the distinctively styled compacts. The 5 door xD hatchback starts at $17,200, while the xB will set you back $18,270 loonies. The tC sport coupe will start at $20,850, pricing it competitively with the Honda Civic coupe.

Scion should have a fair amount of success in the Canadian marketplace, with small vehicles being immensely popular in the land of $4/gallon gasoline. Why it’s taken Toyota so long to bring the product here is anyone’s guess.

[Source: Toyota]

Hit the jump to see the official press release

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Summer vacation may be coming to a close, but that means it’s time for a whole new season of bringing your kids to school, piano lessons and football tryouts. Consumer Reports has put together a list of new cars that are great for transporting the family around, all ranging in price from just under $20,000 to just under $40,000. They all gained good scores in road tests, and have good seating and cargo arrangements.

They’re listed after the jump, listed in order by price, along with a brief description on why they ranked well:
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Kia‘s Soul compact car has a commanding lead over the Nissan Cube and Scion xB, outselling the Cube by a near 2:1 margin. But Kia is hesitant to expand the Soul’s lineup by spinning off variants of the boxy small car in the quest to increase sales.

Speaking to Ward’s Auto, Orth Hedrick,  director of product planning at Kia, the Soul “tends to be a niche vehicle.”  “There is very high appeal to a very narrow group of buyers.”

Kia introduced the Soul’ter convertible concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but so far there has been little push to build it. Structural changes as well as design considerations would necessitate a substantial investment that would be hard to justify.

On the other hand, Kia’s 88% rise in the geographic market that covers New York City and Boston is largely attributed to the Soul, and Hedrick knows this well. “We’re very fortunate the product is relevant in all parts of the country, but clearly the Northeast is a success for us,” he said.

The Soul is due for a re-fresh in 2012.

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Along with three xB Tuner Challenge Cars, Scion will be bringing a trio of additional custom creations to the 2009 SEMA Show. The three cars include a tC, xB and xD, created by Cartel Customs, Five Axis Design and 0-60 Magazine.

First up is the Cartel Customs tC,which promises to follow in the tread patterns of the open-top 2007 Ruthless Cartel xD and 2008 Drag Cartel Rockstar xB. Cartel Customs (aka Drag Cartel) owner Jeremy Lookofsky says the tC will complete his company’s Cartel Open Air Collection.

Next up is Troy Sumitomo and his Five Axis crew, which aim to recreate the xB DJ with this second generation of the Scion box. The last xB DJ used a first generation with speakers and a DJ booth that emerged from the back of the car. We’ll have to wait for SEMA to see what Five Axis has in store for 2009.

Completing the trio is an xD by 0-60 Magazine, which built a Lexus IS-F for SEMA in 2008. Working with Sparco, this xD will get a rally car makeover that is sure to impress.

We’ll be sure to bring you photos of all three cars with our live coverage of the 2009 SEMA Show staring November 3rd.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: SEMA Show 2009 Scion Cars

[Source: HelloScion]

At this year’s SEMA Show Scion will once again be showcasing the creative energies of three companies in its Tuner Car Challenge. Like last year, the Scion xB is the canvas of choice, for the tuners, artists and marketing experts to express themselves.

This year, the list of those involved includes Bowls LA (an upscale lifestyle boutique), Peter Colello and Mummbles Marketing, and Eneri Abillar with Leigh Guarnieri from BRS Autodesign.

Each team was given the keys to a new Scion xB, with the winner being awarded $10,000 at the SEMA Show.

First up is the Bowls entry, which takes cues from the Japanese El Camino - a 1970 Toyota Crown pickup. It is intended to give a feeling of 1970s California and will come with a matching bike in the back.

The Mummbles Marketing car is a more conventional tuner car with a widebody kit, carbon fiber components, a turbo kit and.. of course… a big stereo kit. Collelo has already produced several show cars including a 2002 Toyota Celica GT, a 2001 Ford Focus ZTS and helped with a Scion xA for the 2006 Tuner Challenge.

The third entry is the bright orange xB from Eneri Abillar. He didn’t give any hints on what the finished product will be like (other than the rendering) but we might be able to take some cues from his career as a designer who merges street culture and high style.

All three cars will be on display at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV from Tuesday November 3rd to Friday November 6th.

GALLERY: 2009 Scion xB Tuner Challenge

[Source: HelloScion]

Looking a lot like a Scion xB, the Kia Soul will be aimed at the same consumer and has a lot to offer, including all those crazy options and trim levels. The Soul is based on the Kia Rio platform and will come with two engine options, a 122hp 1.6L four-cylinder and a larger and more powerful 142hp 2.0L four-cylinder. The smaller engine is available with only a five-speed manual (finally a car for the economy minded), while the 2.0L model can be had with an optional four-speed auto. (Apparently a six-speed is in the works).

Official press release after the jump:
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