Looking back at Scion's history of building quirky cars (pictures)

The Scion xA was one of the automaker's initial models, based on the Japanese-spec Toyota ist.

With Scion's initial push for value came some frankly cheap-looking interiors. The iA was powered by a 108-horsepower, four-cylinder engine, achieving 38 mpg highway.

Toyota's Japanese-market bB became the Scion xB, a car unique for its eminently capacious interior despite its small footprint.

The funky little xB was available with the same 108-horsepower engine as the xA. The bB's column shifter moved to the floor for the American-spec xB.

In 2006, the xA received a mild refresh, including new bumpers and side skirts, side-mirror-mounted turn signal indicators and wheel-mounted audio controls.

The xA was also the first vehicle to offer an optional iPod input.

Scion expanded its lineup from two to three in 2005 with the introduction of the tC, a car intended to make the brand a bit sportier.

The tC packed 161 horsepower from its four-cylinder engine, a big boost over the xA and xB. Standard equipment abounded, including air conditioning, power windows, a 160-watt stereo and a panoramic moonroof.

In 2008, the tC was given a very mild refresh consisting of a new grille, and new headlights and taillights.

The Scion xD came about in the 2008 model year as a replacement for the aging xA.

Power output was bumped up to 128 hp, with highway fuel economy down to approximately 33 mpg highway. Like the xA, it was available with either a manual or automatic transmission.

The same year the xD came out, Scion also unveiled a second-generation xB. Having lost some of the quirky-box flair that made the first generation a hit, the xB was larger and aimed solely at the American market. Sales plummeted, much to the company's chagrin.

The 2011 tC marked the beginning of the coupe's second generation. Performance was up, and much of the first-gen tC's styling cues remained, including its flat roof design.

The tC continued to be a hit with the aftermarket, with a variety of upgrades available from both TRD (Toyota Racing Development) and third-party companies.

The tC's newfound power came by way of a new engine, a 180-horsepower four-cylinder borrowed from the Toyota Camry.

The Scion iQ is a rebadged version of the Toyota iQ, a diminutive city car meant to maximize interior volume while minimizing...well, just about everything else.

The iQ was powered by a 94-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. In Europe, a rebadged version was marketed as the Aston Martin Cygnet -- no, we're not joking. This was also an Aston Martin.

Toyota also developed an all-electric variant, the iQ EV. It was largely limited to two markets -- the US and Japan -- as fleet vehicles. In the US, the lion's share of iQ EVs went to early car-sharing programs in California.

The Scion FR-S was the brand's first genuine sports car, packing a flat-four engine and a rear-wheel drivetrain. It was marketed in Japan as the Toyota 86 -- the Scion name only extended to the US and Canadian markets.

Critics immediately fell in love with the FR-S' fun factor, bringing solid driving dynamics to a class of car that many thought was on the way out. It's garnered a huge following for being one of the least expensive ways to end up in a new, RWD car.

Scion gave the tC a big ol' refresh in 2014, updating its exterior appearance to bring it closer to the FR-S' design language. Along for the ride were upgrades like LED taillights, a sportier suspension, new headlights and a fancy new touchscreen audio system.

Scion's next big introduction came by way of the 2016 iA, a rebadged Mazda2.

Critics lauded the iA for its excellent handling and standard forward collision warning with autonomous braking, the latter an option not typically found standard on inexpensive machinery.

The Scion iM, introduced alongside the iA, is a rebadged Toyota Avensis from Japan.

It looks, feels and drives like it could be called the Toyota Corolla Hatchback, and it may very well be that, now that Scion is passing on.

Officially the last car to carry a Scion badge, the C-HR concept presaged a subcompact crossover for the value-oriented brand. It will now become a Toyota.