2011 Scion xD ReviewIf you’re under 35, nonconformist, and preferably a trendsetter, you may read on. At least, that’s what’s insinuated in a Toyota Canada press release dated October 28, describing the target market of the new brand, Scion.
Scion is the youngest of Toyota’s three brands. Introduced in the US in 2003, 16 years after Lexus, its mission is to rejuvenate the image of the Japanese automaker and attract younger North American buyers to its dealerships. The think tank that came up with it dubbed the project “Genesis.” That says it all. Even before the first cars were delivered to Canadian dealerships in September, Scion had already been associated with its target market, having been linked with such events as the CSCS Xtreme Tuner Challenge and the 2010 ImportFest, with Montreal’s Piknik Electronik and Vancouver’s Shine Night Club. To better appreciate the diminutive xD I recently tested, after the first few instants on board I spontaneously cranked up the volume of the stereo system as high as it would go and let the rhythms of Don Rimini, Dada Life and Pets on Prozac take me away. Dude. In fact, Céline Dion would have done just as nicely. After all, the xD is nothing more than a subcompact hatchback like so many others. Its colour palette even features a few insipidly named Toyota Camry hues: Alpine White, Classic Silver, Magnetic Grey and Barcelona Red. If you’re looking to set a trend, look elsewhere. Just your regular subcompact car The xD is sized like a Mazda2, give or take a few millimetres. It can act as a substitute for all those superminis currently on offer, to whit, the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Aveo5, Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio5, and the rest. This comparison stands until pricing enters the mix. Yes, the base price of the little Scion is quite a bit higher than that of its rivals. I’m talking a $3,000 difference here. The xD is even a few hundred dollars more expensive than the Fiesta, a supermini known for its high base price (which Ford justifies by its longer list of equipment). In this regard, the xD and Fiesta are indeed alike. Both have inherited air conditioning, power windows, remote access, a rear windshield wiper, traction control and ABS right off the bat, as well as a full suite of airbags. The difference? The xD gets a tilting steering wheel, while the Fiesta’s is also telescopic.
Funny, seeing as how the Scion shares the same platform as the Yaris. It is, however, powered by a Corolla/Matrix engine, a 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder mill producing 128 hp. Its ever-so-slightly more potent than the Fiesta’s 1.6-litre number, to compensate for the Scion’s extra weight. The engine drives the front wheels by way of a 5-speed, manual transmission. The autobox offered by Scion, for a $900 premium, only features four gears. It really doesn’t stand this so-called trendy car well, especially compared to the Fit and Fiesta, whose automatic transmissions use 5 and 6 gears, respectively. This autobox surely won’t be much of an asset where performance is concerned. Our tester, which happened to feature it, needed 9.8 seconds to make the 0-100 km/h dash, and at the end of our trial period had consumed 9.5 litres per 100 km on average. Ok, ok. Maybe Pets on Prozac was a little “too” motivating… That number could well have hovered around 8 L / 100 km with a little effort on my part. Which would make more sense, as the automaker touts an official average of 6.8 L / 100 km (as tested in a lab…). Cute little runabout Now, don’t go thinking I’m biased against the xD. On the contrary, I think it has a cute little face. For a young couple living in the city, it’s attractive both in terms of size and design. Inside, we’re treated to extremely form-fitting bucket seats that create an excellent driving position. In back, head-, leg- and footroom is suitable for children or small adults. The 60/40 split rear seats are even mounted on rails, making for an eminently adaptable cargo area. After all, it does boast the smallest loading capacity of its class. With the rear seats folded down, the xD offers all of 691 litres of space. That’s 5% less than the Yaris, 28% less than the Fiesta and 57% less than the Fit! Be that as it may, when you compare the xD to a small car, like a 4-door Yaris, its cargo area has an infinitely practical quality that is cruelly lacking in every subcompact sedan out there.
Unfortunately, our tester had a dark side. To demonstrate the personalization potential offered by Scion, the car had been kitted out with $3,470 worth of gear – tagged on to the suggested retail price ($19,625). Plus, you had to factor in the (unspecified) installation fees! Although, among the “trendy” accessories were elegant, 18-inch TRD alloy wheels shod in Z-rated tires. They replaced the standard 16-inch wheels. Also on board were a low-slung, stiff suspension, Alpine Premium stereo with touch screen and TRD sport exhaust system.
So much money for so little driving enjoyment! The suspension and tires transformed this little machine into a recalcitrant rodeo bull, while the music-lover’s dream of a stereo system tried valiantly to drown out the howling exhaust note. Without these accessories, as costly as they are useless, I would no doubt have appreciated the xD more. In fact, it could very well have been branded a Toyota and named Ist, like in Asia, or Urban Cruiser, like in Europe. I would’ve had no problem with that. After all, if it were just a simple Toyota, the buyer wouldn’t have to finance the implantation of a new brand, created simply to stroke a few egos… |
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