American Japanese in the Netherlands
It is a remarkable appearance, such a Scion xB. Not only because he actually does not belong in the Dutch street scene at all. However, this specimen made the crossing from North America at a young age.
Anyone who is a little aware of the American car market will probably know about the existence of Scion. That was a brand with which Toyota hoped to increase its market share among young Americans from the beginning of this century. An exercise that lasted relatively short, because after about thirteen years the Scion adventure ended in 2016. Because of the short existence of the brand, Scion models are by definition already striking, also in the US. Here in the Netherlands they are of course very special. It seems that there are only 34 Scions registered in the Netherlands and this xB from 2005 is one of them.
Scion xB
With its high and angular MPV body, you might not immediately say that the xB could reach young car buyers, and yet it seems that this xB succeeded in its mission. On the rear window we see a sticker of Georgia Southern University, so he may have transported students there at the beginning of his existence. Subsequently, the xB left the US for our country at the age of three and has remained with the same owner ever since. The fact that the sticker is still on probably means that the car and owner came this way together from Georgia.
Many American cars are better left there when you come to the Netherlands, given the cost (mrb and consumption), but that is not so much the case for the xB. With its weight of just over a ton and its 1.5-liter four-cylinder, it is an un-American modest car. Not surprising, because the xB is essentially a car developed for the Japanese market, namely the Toyota bB. The first generation bB to be precise. Here in the Netherlands we mainly know the second generation of the bB, because the Daihatsu Materia was basically the same car. The Scion xB also came in a second generation, but that was a purely Scion-designed car based on the then Toyota Corolla.
The second generation of the Scion xB
We can again thank AutoWeek forum member Johan82. He shared these photos in the special spotter thread on our forum. Do you come across something special? Then upload your photos (diagonally in front of and diagonally behind the car) in that topic and who knows, you might see your spot in this section!
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl