Scion xB History
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The small, slab-sided Scion xB subcompact “box” was really the car that launched Scion, Toyota’s youth brand for the U.S. market only, in 2004. The brand targeted Generation Y buyers (born from 1980 to 1994) as a way to address the gradual aging of Toyota’s core buyers. To the company’s surprise, the xB outsold the more conventional Scion xA five-door hatchback by almost two to one, and it quickly became the vehicle buyers envisioned when hearing “Scion.” Over time, its success spawned a wave of boxy imitators in different sizes, including the Honda Element, Nissan Cube, and Kia Soul, though its market competition was more likely subcompact hatchbacks from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai.
The first generation xB sold from 2004 to 2006 was based on the Toyota bB, a Japanese-market model using Toyota Echo/Yaris mechanicals that the company did not expect to export to the States. It came in only one body style, with a plethora of options. But its quirky looks quickly garnered attention for Scion, and buyers loved its combination of interior space and small on-road footprint. The 108-horsepower, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (offered with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission) was hardly a road rocket, but that wasn’t what the xB was all about. Instead, buyers could customize the xB using not only an extensive array of factory options, but an even longer list of dealer-installed accessories that meant no two xB models were ever quite identical.
The second generation, launched for the 2007 model year and lightly revised for 2011, gained a size—moving from subcompact to compact—and lost some of the distinctiveness of its progenitor. It was a foot longer and fully 600 pounds heavier, and its 158-hp, 2.4-liter engine was significantly larger and more powerful to handle the bigger, heavier body. Fuel economy also declined as well. The array of optional equipment and dealer accessories stayed as long as ever, though. The revised xB hasn’t achieved the buzz and cool factor of the early xB, nor have its sales reached the same levels. Some enthusiasts suggest that one day the first generation cars will be prized by collectors for their quirkiness.
Scion has produced at least one “Release series” special model of the xB every year since 2004, with unique paint in bright colors and matching interior trim, plus combinations of options and accessories to set them apart. Each Release series model carries a badge showing its limited-edition serial number.
