In exactly one week, Scion will debut two new vehicles for the first time ever. The iM and iA will be introduced at the New York International Auto Show, the major American auto show of the spring. So, what can we expect about these two new models? Read on.
The iM will be a 5-door hatchback somewhat similar to the Toyota Yaris or Matrix. It’s probably made to do battle with the Volkswagen Golf, though if you’ve seen VW’s sales number for this year—or any other year in recent memory, really—you know that that’s barely a fair fight.
If the iM looks a little familiar when you see it next week, that’s because Scion reputedly based this production model on the concept form we saw at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Because “i” is a hotly-popular naming convention (thanks a lot, BMW and Apple), Toyota wanted to make clear in its press release that the “i” is not silent, and that it stands for “intriguing individual.” The “M” stands for modern and multifaceted.
The iA is a bit more of a mystery at this point. We gather that it will be a sedan style design, which says more about the anticipated tastes of its millennial audience than anything else. Despite the endless introduction of new SUVs into the market every year, data shows that millennials appreciate the efficiency and practicality of balanced federal budgets and Japanese sedans.
The fact that the hot new Scion in 2015 is a sedan would probably shock the Scion who first appeared in 2002 with the boxy xB milktruck thing. Those were the days of boxy milktrucks popularized by the Nissan Cube. Millenials these days probably drink soy milk or organic free-range milk loaded with Omega-3s, so a vehicle that reminds them of 50s American dietary practices is out: nostalgic sedans that remind them of mom and dad’s first car are in.
The iA and iM will be officially revealed on March 31 so as to avoid April Fool’s Day debacles.
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