When Scion said that it was going gentle into that good night, it was understood that it would rebadge a majority of its vehicles as Toyotas. We've already seen the first result, the Toyota 86, but now it's time for the iA and iM to get their new names.
Starting with the 2017 model year, the iA will become the Toyota Yaris iA, and the iM will become the Toyota Corolla iM. For those with knowledge of cars in other countries, these names are a little old hat. The iA is already considered a Yaris in Canada and Mexico, and the iM is just a rebadged Japanese Toyota Auris, which is based off the Corolla.
As our so-close-it's-uncomfortable friends at Autoblog noted, this has a distinct benefit for Toyota. Now, the brand can say it offers the Yaris and the Corolla in two body styles each. Toyota's names have serious cachet, especially Corolla, which has long been synonymous with reliability and a no-nonsense driving experience.
Based on our experiences in both the iA and iM, the cars will be a perfect fit in that regard.
