When Toyota first introduced the Scion marque in 2003, it had one primary goal – sell cars to the younger generation. Its cars were cheaper and available in fun colors with fun names like “High Voltage Yellow” and “xPRESSO.” When I was a kid in the early 2000s, I often dreamed of one day owning a tC in Black Cherry Pearl and enjoyed lovingly calling xBs “toaster cars.” Over half of new Scions sold were to people under 35, and the tC boasted the youngest average buyer age in the entire industry at a sprightly 29. Their sales numbers peaked in 2006, but dropped nearly 75% by 2010. After sustained financial struggle, Toyota retired the marque in 2016. But now, a decade later, everyone’s favorite toaster brand is seemingly back.
Toyota brand Scion is back and it's going to sell a kei truck in America
Toyota's Scion is back and this time it's weird. The new Scion is going to sell a Kei truck in America, plus a bike and a hybrid side-by-side

Key takeaways
Toyota is reviving the Scion brand as a 'freedom lab' and will sell the KEI-01, a rebadged kei truck, in America.
- Scion was retired in 2016 but is now revived as a 'freedom lab' for mobility experimentation.
- The KEI-01 is a rebadged Toyota Pixis with a 660cc engine and low-speed capabilities.
- It will be produced in Indiana but is not suitable as a daily driver due to speed restrictions.
Summarised automatically by AI from the original article by Hacker News. AI can make mistakes, so check the original for details.
Story details
- Published
- By
- NaOH
- Section
- Car News
- Length
- 824 words · about 4 min read
- Format
- Article
- Original
- theautopian.com ↗
Related reporting
3 stories on this topic from 3 sources, oldest first.
- Paul Tan's Automotive News Toyota remains the most valuable auto brand in 2026 – Mercedes-Benz ahead of BMW, Ferrari leads Porsche
- Hacker News Toyota brand Scion is back and it's going to sell a kei truck in America (this story)



