
The Scion iM and iA are two vehicles that have a lot of pressure on them. The fate of an entire automotive brand restly almost entirely on their shoulders.
Scion sales have been sliding (or free falling) for the past while. The Scion iM and iA are tasked with revitalizing the brand, and bringing it back from the brink of collapse.
Neither vehicle is unique to Scion though. The iM is a rebadged Toyota Auris (the same platform as the Toyota Corolla and the Lexus CT200h.) The iA is a rebadged Mazda2. These vehicles have already seen moderate success on the market, so the real test for Scion will be if it can sell a proven product with a Scion badge on it.
The Scion brand's reputation is a bit of a mixed bag right now. On one hand Scion has gotten some good press from the iM and iA concepts. Forbes recently mentioned both vehicles as two of the "Hottest New Cars for 2016".
On the other hand, the JD Power Initial Vehicle Quality Study for 2015 placed Scion below the industry average. Hopefully a rebadged Toyota and Mazda can help to boost the overall quality of the lineup.
The point is that a lot is riding on the iM and iA. With an embargo on info until June 29th, we will have to wait till then to know for sure whether or not the iM and iA have the chops to save Scion.