Toyota admits, somewhat sheepishly, that it's lost touch with the offspring of its faithful. They know Toyota makes good cars but fear they don't look good driving around in one, that the image leaves something to be desired.
Scion is Toyota's response, a car the company hopes a younger set of buyers won't shrug off as their parent's Camry, or Corolla, for that matter.
To this end, Toyota is seeking to feed what it sees as an insatiable appetite for personalized transport, cars that may start out looking alike but end up accessorized to reflect their owner's unique personality. Oh yeah, they also have to live up to Toyota's quality, durability, and reliability standards.
The Scion xA does all that. Solid construction, quiet operation, comfortable accommodations and low maintenance costs are all Toyota traditions. Spice and pizzaz haven't been. The Scion will test Toyota on the latter.