Bye, Bye, xB: Scion’s Boxy Hatch to Bow Out

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The first-generation xB was the car that launched the Scion brand with a major bang back in 2003 (with an assist from the xA), but it faltered with a 2008 redesign and was never able to regain its momentum. Now Wards Auto is reporting that Scion vice president Doug Murtha has confirmed the model will be dropped at the end of this year.

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The original xB, which was a rebadged JDM Toyota bB, was the original ultra-hip, ultra-square “urban utility vehicle” that set the tone for the concert-throwing youth division. Alas, the model literally lost its edginess with a bloated redesign that rounded off the cube and added some 600 pounds. Competitors arrived in the square space, in the form of cars like the Nissan Cube (too weird: 3785 sales in 2014 before being killed for 2015) and the Kia Soul (just weird enough: 145,316 sales last year). Meanwile, xB sales sank to 16,583.

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When it was cool: the original Scion xB.

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• Scion Updates the FR-S Again for 2016
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• 2016 Scion iM First Drive: iMeh
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• Scion xB Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Photos, Reviews, and More
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The xB follows the xD out the door as Scion renews its lineup. It’s introducing two new mainstay models, the iA sedan (which is based on the Mazda 2) and the iM hatchback. The latter would seem to the be xB replacement, but Scion would rather you not think of it that way.

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from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1Hqovgt