2008 Scion xD

[Flybrian]

Scion Stages World Premier Of All-New 2008 xD At 2007 Chicago Auto Show

February 8, 2007 – Chicago - Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., revealed the all-new 2008 xD five-door subcompact at a press conference today at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show.

"The xD is a clever new take on the five-door urban subcompact, with style and flair to match its efficiency and utility," said Mark Templin, Scion vice president. "The xD's aggressive styling is wrapped in a small, agile package, while its interior offers impressive details and a spacious cabin."

New Scion Style

The xD's futuristic exterior characterizes it as a Scion with its simple surfaces and sharp lines that flow from front to rear. Its urban personality is communicated by its wide stance, thick muscular body, accentuated wheel flares and large tires. Other styling cues that set the xD apart include a long and narrow back window, and the Scion family traits—horizontal headlamps, an integrated rectangular lower and upper grille, and turn signals built into the side mirrors.

Good Handling

Engineers designed the xD with a short, wide frame in mind for better handling and comfort. In addition, the xD features an L-arm type MacPherson strut in the front and torsion beam suspension in the rear for increased stability and a pleasing ride.

The xD's powerful stance sits on 16-inch steel wheels and 195/60 R16 tires. Customers will be able to choose from three all-new standard wheel covers which will also be shared with the all-new xB. The xD features front ventilated disc and rear drum brakes.

Clean and Modern Interior

Designers focused on a clean, comfortable and futuristic interior style. The simple dash features an instrument panel located directly in front of the driver while the center cluster—digital clock and HVAC and audio controls—flows down the center. The xD's unique, radar-like speedometer and tachometer have been consolidated into one circular gauge centered on the instrument panel. Indicator lamps, LCD fuel gauge and odometer flank the centralized gauge.

The xD features front bucket seats and 60/40 fold flat rear seats for a level cargo space. The rear seats were designed for comfort and utility as they can slide forward and back up to six inches for additional leg room and cargo area. In addition, they can recline ten degrees and be adjusted into five different positions.

Storage and cargo space is aplenty in the xD. Up front, the xD has a storage tray located beneath the steering wheel, a small box in the front of the center console for holding portable music players or cell phones, an upper and lower glove box, and driver's side change box. A hidden storage space is located below the rear cargo area.

Upgraded Audio System

The xD's standard 160-watt maximum output Pioneer audio system is focused on youth lifestyle as it features iPod connectivity and a mini-jack port located beneath the HVAC controls for easy access. This standard head unit integrates track, artist and album information from the iPod into a one-line display on the head unit's screen. Connectivity is achieved by simply plugging the iPod into a port via a connector cable, providing outstanding sound quality through the car's stereo system and constant power to the iPod. Music is controlled through the head unit and the steering wheel audio control buttons. The mini-jack port allows users to listen to their portable music collection through the xD's Pioneer speakers.

Since many Scion customers add in-car entertainment systems to their vehicle, the xD will come standard with rear head unit outputs allowing for the addition of external amps to boost power to the front and rear speakers, and subwoofers. All head unit features remain unchanged if this feature is used.

The xD's optional premium audio system adds one more feature to the standard head unit, the ability to download "skins" to play on the LCD faceplate. Customers can download images, four-second video clips and eight-second movies from Pioneer's website. In addition, Pioneer software allows customers to burn their own images and movies onto a CD and upload them onto the available head unit.

Both the standard and premium head units retain key Scion audio system features such as Scion Sound Processing (SSP) where listeners can choose from three pre-set equalizer settings, satellite radio compatibility, a user-customizable welcome screen, MP3 and WMA capability, Automatic Sound Leveling (ASL) and Sound Retouch Technology (SRT), which provides clearer CD sound quality. Both systems will also feature six speakers: two tweeters and speakers in each door panel.

Driving Performance

The xD is powered by the lively 1.8 L four-cylinder engine with dual Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) that puts out 128 horsepower. Customers have the choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission. This 2ZR-FE engine features a roller rocker system and light weight piston for better fuel economy and a piston cooling oil jet for better efficiency.

Standard Features

The xD comes mono spec like all Scion vehicles. Customers need to choose exterior color and transmission type, while the only factory option is Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control (TRAC). The xD comes with generous and upscale standard features including power steering, windows, door locks and mirrors; remote keyless entry; air conditioning; four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA); driver and front passenger dual stage airbags; front seat-mounted side airbags; front and rear side curtain airbags; first-aid kit; a tire pressure monitor system and tilt steering wheel with audio controls.

All Scion models come with complimentary factory-recommended maintenance services at the first 5,000 mile and 10,000 mile intervals, to be performed by an authorized Scion or Toyota dealership.

Color Palette

The xD will have high-quality dark charcoal interior fabric and will be available in six exterior colors, Super White, Silver Streak Mica, Black Sand Pearl, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Barcelona Red Metallic and Nautical Blue Metallic.

Warranty

All Scion models feature a 36-month/36,000 mile basic new-vehicle limited

warranty that applies to all components other than normal wear and maintenance items.

Additional 60-month warranties cover the powertrain for 60,000 miles and corrosion with no mileage limitation.

2008 SCION xD PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS

DIMENSIONS (inches)

Overall length: 154.7

Overall width: 67.9

Overall height: 60.0

Wheelbase: 96.9

ENGINE

Type: 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder, DOHC 16-valve EFI with VVT-i

Bore and Stroke: 3.17 x 3.48 inches

Displacement: 1,798 cc

Compression Ratio: 10.0:1

Horsepower: 128 hp @ 6,000 rpm

Torque: 125 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm

TIRES AND WHEELS

Wheel Size: 16 x 6 inches

Tire Size: 195/60 R16

[bowtie_dude]

Note to Toyota: We're not in Japan, please take your fugly, tiny box-mobiles back to the streets of Tokyo.

[loki]

looks closer to suzuki styling

[Detroit-diesel]

They added 2 doors to an xA and that makes it better?

No that just makes it easier for the middle class white kids to get in and out in their ghetto gear.

[AxelTheRed]

Every time Scion releases a new car, the more I think its just a big prank Toyota is playing on us. Like they had a bet that they could sell America the most butt ugly cars imaginable and we'd eat 'em up because they're from Japan.

[thegriffon]

They added 2 doors to an xA and that makes it better?

No that just makes it easier for the middle class white kids to get in and out in their ghetto gear.

Err, no, same number of doors. Reminds me of the 5-door Aveo. Not too bad on the outside, but like the new xB a horrendously bad interior.

[Intrepidation]

I like it, especially the funky interior. It has one major problem that no one at Toyota apparently realized though...

[FAPTurbo]

XD!!!

[Satty]

They added 2 doors to an xA and that makes it better?

No that just makes it easier for the middle class white kids to get in and out in their ghetto gear.

Um...the xA is 4-door (5 if you count the hatch) and the xD doesn't appear to be 6 or 7 door.

Its kind of a lateral, visually, from the xA, neither is particularly attractive, but I dont find either hideous.

[Sixty8panther]

Inverted C-pillars are cool on 1960s Mopars, but if they're 20" thick

and on a hatchback econobox it's prettty lame. That dashboard is

ATROCIOUS the the shifter looks quite a bit "Fisher Price"!

Still it's better looking than the xA, from every angle.

[Dsuupr]

Hold it, hold it now. If toyota is introducing wide rear pillars than it must be the in thing in car saftey. Just ask toyota Reports, toyota Trend or toyota Track.

[aaaantoine]

...

XD =

[Cory Wolfe]

Like the xB... It's not bad, but not good either. The interior isn't as bad as the xB's, but still pretty bad.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

The interior is okay. I like the guage layout.

The exterior is worse than anything anyone has ever produced. That includes the Sebring, Compass, and Aztek. What was Toyota thinking? The xA wasn't a beauty queen, but at least it didn't look like a mutant sand person.

[PurdueGuy]

I somewhat liked the look of the xA, but this thing is horrible.

[Drew Dowdell]

four-speed automatic transmission

[sciguy_0504]

I'm not a fan of the exterior (wide D-pillars and Down Syndrome front end are nasty) but the interior looks pretty good. I like the IP.

[Sixty8panther]

Hold it, hold it now. If toyota is introducing wide rear pillars than it must be the in thing in car saftey. Just ask toyota Reports, toyota Trend or toyota Track.

Bigger blind spots = more accidents = more OEM parts sales = bigger profits!

[MyerShift]

Nasty. I prefer the xA. This looks like the "Better-double-the-brown-paper-bag Camry Ugly"

It's terrible.

[VenSeattle]

I think the interior looks cheap, especially the stereo controls. They look like they were just plugged into the dashboard. The head unit doesn't even have the same shiny plastic as the surround. GM gets blasted for this and Toyota doesn't?

Sorry, regardless if GM uses their corporate stereo in several vehicles, GM's radio looks better. (And yes, it's the same radio that's in the xB... so it's plug and play, just like people criticize GM)

[RBB]

Bigger blind spots = more accidents = more OEM parts sales = bigger profits!

So you're saying it's now easier to plow it into Fly's car?

-RBB

[AM6_Cutlass]

So, does this replace the xA, or is it an additional model? I think the front end looks the most Toyota-like of the Scions to date.

[Flybrian]

So, does this replace the xA, or is it an additional model? I think the front end looks the most Toyota-like of the Scions to date.

Replaces the xA.

Maybe its just me, but these cars seem a whole lot less unique than the original xA or xB. The new xD seems like a heavily-resurfaced Yaris 5-door and the xB a taller, boxier version of the xD. I understand that is what these are, but are they really supposed to be? You couldn't tell the previous xA and xB were related offhand and no way in hell you imagined those had Echo underpinnings. And whatever you say about them, they stood out. Now, these look so...conventional. Even the 'wild' xB looks like an old 5-door Golf.

It seems like Scion more and more is just a way for Toyota to market cheap, inferior models without tarnishing the Toyota name.