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Despite slow sales, no new Scion models in near-term pipeline [w/poll]

According to a top Toyota executive, the Japanese automaker will not be introducing any fresh Scion models in the near future, Reuters reports. As of August, Scion sales for this year were down 1.6 percent from 2012 and accounted for only 0.3 percent of Toyota's overall US sales. And last month, Toyota Motor Sales USA Senior Vice President Bob Carter informed the 1,000 dealers who carry Scion that they can drop the brand without penalty.
However, never fear - Carter has assured that, while nothing new is coming for at least six months, the company is still very committed to the quirky Scion brand. Toyota launched Scion, which targets the youth market, in 2003, and sales peaked in 2006. The brand currently has five models, with the 2013 best-sellers being the FR-S sports coupe followed by the tC sedan and xB hatchback.
What do you think about Toyota's decision to hold off on introducing new or refreshed Scion models? Are they heading in the right direction, or does this spell doom for the funky Gen Y brand?

Scion grabs Franco and Urkel in Weird move to sell iM and iA

Scion is prepping the advertising campaign for the new iA and iM and as so many automakers have done before, it's recruited some celebrity talent. It's choice of actors, though, is kind of strange. First, we have Mr. James Franco, star of This Is The End and generally weird dude. He pitches both the iA and iM, playing two different roles. While in the iA, he's James Franco The Actor, while the iM sees him shift into an "experimental artist." Along with talking about how strange it is that "someone so complex" would drive a "practical" car, Scion's narrator goes as far as admitting that it's kind of weird that the budget manufacturer was even able to scoop the Hollywood talent. The second spokesman, though, is even stranger. It's none other than Jaleel White, best known as Steven Q. Urkel from 1990s sitcom Family Matters. He stars alongside, um, Urkel (not to mention a rather annoying laugh track). In a rather weird spot that highlights the dual-zone climate control, White stars alongside a wax figurine of his iconic television character, even dropping one of his famous lines at the end. And finally, while this one doesn't have a celebrity endorsement, Scion prepared a third spot to support its new iA. Featuring a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man, it's perhaps the weirdest of the three videos. We have Franco's video at the top of the page, while the Urkel/White spot and wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man clip are available below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Scion Brings the 'Weird' with James Franco and Jaleel White New Ad Campaign for Scion iA and iM Celebrates Everything Out of the Ordinary September 14, 2015 TORRANCE, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2015) – Scion has always been a little weird. With no-haggle pricing, standard premium features and cars shaped like toasters, Scion has proudly done things differently. Now, actors James Franco, Jaleel White, and an inflatable tube man take the all-new Scion iM and iA for a spin in the brand's newest ad campaign, titled "Weird, Right?" This is the largest marketing campaign for Scion since the brand's launch in 2003. The wave of weird contains three :30 TV spots.

2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]

There's not a lot of breathing room between the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ - the two rear-drive coupes are about as close to badge-engineered as the auto industry gets in this day and age. In this case, that's not a terrible thing, though, since they're both so engaging to drive, but it does make for interesting comparisons when it comes to pricing and model year updates.
Late last month, Subaru announced pricing for its 2014 BRZ, which didn't get much more than the inclusion of Aha internet radio compatibility and a $25,595 starting price - just $100 more than the 2013 model's MSRP. A modest $25 increase in destination charges ($795) means that it starts at $26,390. For its part, Scion will ask $24,600 for a base 2014 FRS, plus $755 for delivery, for a total of $25,355. That means the Subaru is more still expensive, but it has more available equipment as well.
The 2014 Scion FR-S isn't getting many tweaks, but a couple of small changes - knee pads on both the transmission tunnel and the door panels around the speaker grilles and a new standard 6.1-inch touchscreen audio system - are appreciated. (Note: 2013 model shown above).