Scion confirms 2010 Canadian launch

Scion has been on sale in the United States since 2003 but only now has Toyota confirmed the youth brand for the Canadian market. Set to launch north of the border in 2010, three models will initially be available: the tC compact sports coupe, the boxy xB and the xD five-door hatchback.

The cars will be sold through select Toyota dealers but will have their own separate “store within a store” to help differentiate them from their more mundane Toyota corporate cousins. The first stores will appear in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, however Scion will be available in other urban centers in Canada soon after the initial launch.

Scion was virtually an instant success when it launched in the U.S., bringing in thousands of new customers including many first-time car buyers. Furthermore, close to 70% of Scion buyers were new to the Toyota family, and this trend is expected to be repeated in Canada.

Originally targeted at the youth market and intended to have an ever-changing line of new models, Scion’s sales have dropped substantially in recent months and the brand has been criticized for offering only a limited range of similarly styled models. There’s a strong possibility however that Toyota’s recently launched iQ minicar could make it to North America by the end of the decade as a Scion, and this could potentially inject some life into the brand.