​Project Genesis:​ In 1999 Toyota assembled a taskforce of senior executives at its Toyota USA branch to attempt to capture sales of younger first time car buyers. The team began Toyota's "Project Genesis" an initiative launched by Toyota USA to do just that. The 3 vehicles which started this project were The Toyota Echo, Toyota MR2 Spyder and the Toyota Celica. These vehicles at the time did not have much demand, and with this new initiative, Toyota HQ in Japan ordered its USA affiliate to push as many of those three vehicles as possible by marketing them as "Youthful" and "Hip". The Toyota Echo sold well with young buyers at first but eventually most sales were to older individuals. The Echo was sold internationally as the Toyota Yaris and it was eventually renamed to reflect this. The MR2 did not sell well at all because it was a 2 seater convertible which was highly impractical for younger buyers. The majority of sales were to those in the Tuner community. (This is partially why MR2s are so valuable now). The Celica was Toyota's first car which sold extremely well with younger people. Toyota sold 65,000 in the first year of Celica production in 2000, most of them to younger buyers. The project was eventually cancelled with data collected and a lesson learned Toyota decided to move on with this new information.

​Project Exodus: ​Using the information gathered from Project Genesis, Toyota decided to launch "a brand within a brand" by introducing the Scion marque. Scion vehicles were built by Toyota but marketed toward younger buyers who had never purchased a car, never owned a Toyota or needed a car cheap. Scion's vehicles were available for sale at Toyota dealerships and could also be serviced there. Scion officially launched in 2001.

Launch:​ In 2004 Scion revealed the xB and xA at the auto show in Los Angeles as initially the brand was only available in California but slowly spread to dealers in the South and East later on. By 2005 all Toyota Dealers in the US were selling Scion vehicles as well. Not much after the Scion tC was revealed as well as the second generation xB. Scion expanded into Canada by 2010.

​Reception: ​Scion was a bold move for Toyota, The xB was a major crap shoot in that it was not a car designed for the U.S. Market rather, a Japanese car made U.S. legal. It was very boxy and that is what made it popular. Because it was different it did attract younger buyers however the magic did end as the Xb was not a comfortable car to drive and was not large enough to carry the many things millennials transport. The second generation Xb was meant to fix this however sales were consistently low and most sales were actually to seniors who were attracted by its practicality and low price.

The Scion xA was not a notable car other than that it was very boring and not much different from a standard Corolla other than the hatchback design. It was replaced with the extremely similar and equally boring xD.

The Scion tC was the best selling car for the brand and 2007 was the best year, selling over 63,852 Scion tC's that year. Scion would never go on to sell more cars than that in a year. The tC was based on a European platform and solved the ride and handling problems the boxier models suffered from. This was also the model that allowed Scion's vison to be realized. The car had many aftermarket parts available and was very popular with younger buyers for this reason. However the tC even in its second and third generations the tC was not well equipped inside. Even newer models had very bland plastic covered interior which generally only came in one color,,,, black.

The only true sports car sold on the brand was the Scion FR-S which debuted in 2012. It was a rebadged version of the Jointly produced Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ. U.S. buyers of the car were forced to buy the Scion version or the more expensive premium feeling BRZ. Scion FR-S was only offered with the lowest possible options in order to keep the price low. This meant putting the Scion next to the Subaru, while looking the same were very different.

​Scion throughout its entire history has struggled with sales and has never had a car which completely filled its niche well. The tC is perhaps the closest, filling the small 2 door coupe bracket which is only served by rivals such as the Kia Forte Koupe, Honda Civic and Hyundai Genesis.

End of an Era: ​Toyota announced the end of the Scion Brand at the beginning of 2016 with Scion closing down in August. The final 2 Scion models would continue on production with Toyota badging and features along with the FR-S which finally carries the Toyota badge and its known as the Toyota 86 (which is a very important number for diehard Toyota fans). The Scion models are the Scion iM and Scion iA.

​The last new Scion models are the 2016 Scion iM and iA. The iM is essentially the Toyota Auris, a small Toyota hatchback which rides on a modified Toyota Corolla platform and is sold internationally but sells best in Europe.

The iM has an Independent rear suspension which gives an amazing ride and an interior similar to the Toyota Corolla but comes with extras as standard. Such as dual zone climate control as standard, Push button fold in mirrors, LED DRLs, Halogen Projector Headlamps, and the Scion BeSpoke touchscreen infotainment system made by Pioneer. Navigation can be added to the system for $900. 17 inch wheels standard etc. It is one of the best equipped vehicles sold for under $20,000.

The iA is actually not a Toyota. The Scion iA is actually a rebadged Mazda Demio/Mazda2. The Mazda2 is assembled in Mexico and Toyota sells the car as a slightly upscale version of the Yaris. Small cheap car sales have always been a strong selling point of the Toyota brand and the iA is part of cooperation with Mazda. The iA is also well equipped for its under $20,000 price point. It is the first and only Scion badged vehicle that is a four door sedan.

The Scion iM and iA will continue production as the Toyota Corolla iM and Toyota Yaris iA and the Scion FR-S will become the Toyota 86 for the 2017 model year. 2016 will be the last production year for the Scion tC.

Lessons Learned: ​Scion used sales and marketing techniques which were different and made the brand interesting such as the advertisements which could be found in non traditional places for car adverts such as movie theaters and video game shops. Scion models were only offered in 1 trim level. This allowed the cars to be sold at a lower price and allowed for easy buying. The only factory options Scion vehicles came with were the color and transmission. All other options could be added later or aftermarket. Toyota's average customer age was 52 while Scion's was 39 (an industry low). However it was a soulless brand. One of the first modifications made to most Scion FR-S models was a badge swap. Owners would replace the Scion badge with a Toyota badge quickly making the point the no one wanted Scion around. Its concept was unique and different and Toyota certainly gets credit for trying.