The Scion xD is a five-door subcompacthatchback marketed in the U.S. and Canada by Japanese manufacturer Toyota beginning with the 2008 model year — replacing the xA. The Scion xD and the second generationxB were first shown to the public on February 8, 2007 at the Chicago Auto Show. The xD appeared in Scion showrooms in mid-2007 in the USA and in 2011 for Canada. The Scion xD was discontinued in 2014, and was succeeded by the Toyota C-HR in 2017.
Features
The xD comes standard with power locks, mirrors, and windows, and 16" wheels. The vehicle also has ABS, a tire pressure monitoring system, Vehicle Stability Control with Traction Control, dual stage driver and passenger airbags, seat mounted driver and passenger side airbags, and side curtain airbags as standard features. For 2008, a choice of three new head units made by Pioneer are available. All sound systems feature six speakers and standard iPod connectivity. The base head unit has MP3, WMA, and AAC CD compatibility, and Scion's SSP equalizer presets, as well as orange lighting. The Premium head unit has all the features of the base unit, but also has a small LCD that can display pictures and movies downloaded from Pioneer's website in addition to the features on the base unit and has two different lighting schemes, blue and orange. A navigation system is also available. The SNS 100 system can play DVD movies in addition to GPS functionality and the features of the base system, aside from the backlit color choices. For 2010, a choice of two new head units made by Alpine are available. Also, the iPod connectivity has been revamped in the form of an USB port, along with an AUX jack located together, on the driver side of the vehicle. Previous model years with Pioneer had two separate inputs on both sides of the cigarette lighter/accessory plug, with the AUX jack port being on the driver side, and the iPod connectivity port located on the passenger side. The upgraded Alpine head unit features a touchscreen, and HD radio tuner, along with an optional Navigation system upgrade. For the 2011 model year, the Scion xD received a minor change to the grille, and sales began in Canada with the launch of the Scion brand there.
The xD is a second-generation Toyota Ist; the first was marketed in the US as a Scion xA. It is essentially a mildly elongated five-door Toyota Vitz. The Vitz is a three-door marketed in the US as the Yaris. Thus, the five-door Yaris was not offered in the U.S. market when the three-door and sedan were launched; however, as of 2009, the five-door Vitz is now offered in the US as the Yaris. The xD features the same sliding and reclining rear seat that is optional on the Yaris three-door. Unlike the Yaris and xA/first generation Ist, the xD's instrument gauges are located behind the steering wheel. As opposed to the Yaris and xA, the xD's speedometer and tachometer are on the same dial counter-rotating.
Release Series
Similar to other Scion models, the xD adds Release Series limited edition models for each model year. Because of the short production runs, these limited edition vehicles quickly sell out. Customers were able to pre-order at each dealership on a first-come, first-served basis. To the customer's benefit, Scion's "Pure Price" MSRP binds dealerships against market-demand vehicle mark-up.
xD RS 1.0: only available in Hot Lava Orange with 2,000 units produced.
xD RS 2.0: only available in Electric Wasabi with 1,600 units produced.
xD RS 3.0: only available in xPRESSO Brown with 1,500 units produced.
xD RS 4.0: only available in Blizzard Pearl with 800 units produced.
Reliability
According to Consumer Reports, the xD was the most reliable new automobile for 2009 in the United States, with 83 percent fewer problems than average.
Safety
Standard safety features include anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist, traction control and six airbags. The Scion xD received the top score of five stars in government crash tests for both front and rear passenger safety in a side impact collision as well as a four-star rating for driver and passenger safety in a front-end collision. The xD also received a four-star rollover rating, which means that there is an estimated 15 percent chance of rollover in a single vehicle collision. This is under the "old" system of government ranking. A new system has been devised for the 2011 model year of all vehicles. However, the closely related Toyota Urban Cruiser scored a poor 3/5 stars in the EuroNCAP tests. Starting with the 2010 model year, all xDs come standard with vehicle stability control.
Sales
In the U.S., sales of the xD fell to 9,573 in 2011 from 32,603 in 2006.
