While the proud, diverse Florida city is instituted as a fixture for winter travel plans thanks to Walt Disney World, the Orlando name will not enjoy such a magical journey in the United States.

In spite of the favourable followings for the Scion xB as well as the more recent Kia Soul and Nissan Cube, General Motor’s product marketing director informed media that the Chevrolet Orlando would not be part of the 2011 U.S. vehicle lineup. A seven-passenger compact crossover vehicle built on the same GM Delta II platform as the widely-anticipated 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, the Orlando was a planned companion to the sedan.

Ironically unveiled publicly at the 2009 Detroit International Auto Show, the Chevrolet Orlando debuted as a show car developed within a time where excessive gas prices caused a mass exodus for drivers escaping their larger sport utility vehicles. Said to be a vehicle that “..combines the versatility of a sport-utility, a family van and a wagon in a single vehicle.” by than GM North America president Troy Clarke was ambitious in creating the production version of the Orlando. With gas prices settling to a more stable amount, General Motors is predicting less consumer interest in the compact crossover vehicle believing that the Equinox will fulfill demands. Officially, General Motors reason for their decision was to focus on their current vehicles as well as the roll-out of the Cruze.

While United States plans for marketing the Orlando is now canceled, the compact crossover vehicle is still going on a world tour in locales that includes Asia, Europe, as well as American’s neighbour in the great white north, Canada. I guess the United States are left to be charmed by the larger SUVs which they advertise with highway mileage numbers which do not necessarily reflect real-life driving.

Source: Automotive News/General Motors

Photo Source: General Motors

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Scion just released details and pricing for the redesigned xB utilibox, self-classified as an “urban utility vehicle.” Changes to the 2011 model include bigger vents in the front bumper, a new honeycomb pattern in the front grill, and modified headlights, along with minor changes to the rear tail lamps.

Inside, the driver and passenger seats have been given larger bolsters and a new fabric pattern, and they’ve added a new combination center console with sliding armrest. A new gauge cluster design gives better visibility, and they’ve added tilt & telescoping function to the steering wheel.

Two new exterior colors are available for the 2011 Scion xB, including Army Rock Metallic and Elusive Blue Metallic, and they’ve removed one color – Hypnotic Teal – from the lineup.

The changes add $150 to the MSRP over 2010 models (now $16,000 for manual and $16,950 for automatic transmissions,) and will be on showroom floors later this month. Check out more images of the 2011 Scion xB below:

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Scion’s latest in their limited-edition RS line, the tC RS 6.0, will debut in a couple days at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. Only 1,100 of these puppies will be made, and will start showing up on showrooms in March with prices starting at $18,620 for a manual gearbox, $19,420 for the auto.

What makes this Release Series so special? First thing that caught my eye is that holy-shit-sexy blue paint job they gave it. Scion calls it “Speedway Blue” and it’s only available on this car. To accent the blue, they’ve added a matte black stripe down the side that displays the RS 6.0 name. I could deal without the stripe, but damn that blue is hot. The blue theme is carried into the interior as well, sporting seats with black fabric and blue accents, along with a leather-wrapped steering wheel with blue stitching.

In the electronics department, Scion added a premium 200 watt Alpine audio system with navigation and a 4.3-inch touch screen, HD radio, and iPod integration (that’s not standard on all Scions?) The GPS unit is flash-based, which means it’s faster than the typical hard-drive or DVD-based systems.

I love the Scion Release Series line; it gives buyers a feeling a exclusivity and a sort of customization option, and they don’t cost much more than the base tC ($17,770.) Check out more pictures of the Scion tC RS 6.0:

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Ah yes, another installation in Scion’s Release Series line. As you may know, the RS line is a variation on Scion’s regular line-up. Each model has a RS variant come out every year with a limited amount made – usually 2000 or so, then it’s done. It’s actually quite genius of Scion to do this, and I’m sure boosts brand loyalty and offers buyers a chance to get into a limited edition car.

Well, the xB is up this time, and for 2010, Scion is releasing the RS 7.0 (the 7th RS xB, in case you didn’t catch that.) They’ll be officially showing it off at the LA Auto Show in the coming days, and they’ll be available at your local Scion dealer this month. Read on for detais…

The 2010 Scion xB RS 7.0 features a four-piece body kit from Japanese tuner DAMD (they’re the ones behind the silly Aston Martin-inspired 350Z, G35 Coupe, and Miata.) I’m not holding that against them though, since the body kit on the Scion xB actually looks pretty tasteful.

The..umm…interesting paint job is exclusive to the RS 7.0 and is called Murasaki, which appropriately means “purple” in Japanese. But you know, it sounds cooler. On the interior, the RS7 gets black cloth seats with color accents and an “RS” badge on the sides. A RAZO leather-wrapped shift knob and special RS badging are also included in the interior.

The rest of the changes occur outside the car, which include a new center-mounted muffler specially tuned for the xB RS7 (tuned for sound, not power.) TRD lowering springs are also added to lower the car over an inch to give the RS7 a sportier look. A color-matching spoiler is available as an option for an extra $320.

Stop by your Scion dealer soon if you want one; they’ll be available later this month. There will be only 2,000 of the 2010 Scion xB RS 7.0s made, starting at $18,320 for the stick, $19,270 for the automatic.

Check out the photo gallery below:

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When Toyota Motor Company introduced Scion to the American car scene in 2004, it had one goal in mind: Sell inexpensive, yet funky cars to the young Generation Y driver as a way to develop their loyalty to the brand. There was the tiny xA, the toaster-shaped xB, and the cute tC. As soon as these cars started rolling off the back of the delivery truck, they rolled right into people’s garages, being a frugal, fun and reliable choice over the competition.

Shortly after the sales numbers started coming in, two very big surprises popped up: one was the most popular model in the line-up was the box-on-wheels xB; the other was the average owner age was 46, nearly twice the age Scion had originally projected.

To us car nuts, it doesn’t really matter who is buying what, but why. What makes the Scion xB hatchback, now in its second generation, such a popular choice for a car? Let us find out.

Riding on a short wheelbase of 167.4 inches and weighing a hair over 3,000 lbs., the $15,650 boxy Scion offers big space for passengers or whatever needs to be transported while offering luxuries to make the journey as comfortable as possible. It has grown quite significantly since its introduction five years ago, a foot in length and a whopping 700 lbs. to be exact, but it is still a very well-equipped car with a lot more substance and equipment.

This particular nautical blue metallic xB comes with the usual fanfare of power everything, cruise control, air conditioning, and keyless entry. Bonus features such as a 160-watt, six-speaker Pioneer stereo, iPod and auxiliary connections, tinted windows, and standard traction/stability control are included in the sticker price, most of them are usually an extra option or not available from Scion’s competition. To really spice up the xB, Scion still offers dozens of different parts to make your Scion unique, from shift knobs and interior lighting to wheels, body kits and engine modifications.

Underneath the hood is Toyota’s 2.4-liter DOHC four cylinder found in everything from the Corolla to the RAV-4. It is a terrific engine and a major step-up from the previous 1.8-liter engine, with good low-end torque for a little engine and is very willing to use all of its 158 horsepower and 162 lb. ft of torque. Providing gear selection is a five-speed manual transmission, which is equally enjoyable with its long, but positive throws and slippery movements. A four-speed automatic with Sequential manual control is available for those who don’t wish to row their own gears.

On the outside, the sheetmetal has gone from simplistic to more futuristic. The front bumper has a more distinct look, with racy-looking vents on the side. The whole front end has been whittled down and rounded off around the headlamps. With the new look, it is still instantly recognizable as Scion’s mobile toaster oven.

The roof gets a tapered look towards toe rear by a gently rising beltline along the side, which leads to a rear end that sits a bit higher now. The rear fenders and doors have a curvy flare in them now which leads to a more protruding bumper with an oddly-placed reverse light marring an otherwise clean mixture of Japanese efficiency and American design.

This combination carries over into the interior of the xB as well, with an interior bigger than most Manhattan apartments. Front and rear passengers are offered copious amounts of room from head to toe in wide, flat seats, with the cargo area measuring a useful 21.7 cu. feet. Fold the rear seats down, and the space doubles. There’s plenty of storage too, with several bins in the dash, door panels and underneath the center armrest.

In regards to interior efficiency, the Scion’s gauge cluster sits dead center in the dash below the windshield. Below the gauges are the Pioneer head unit and two air vents. Finishing out the center console are three large rotary knobs for heat and air control as well as a raised five-speed manual transmission.

Scion fans love the simple design, but I could care less for it. For one, there is too much bland, boring plastic in front of the driver. While the debate rages whether center-mounted gauges are better or not, these are recessed deep into the dashboard, making the already small gauges even harder to see at a glance on the road. Outside of the gauges and stretch to control the sounds coming from the punchy Pioneer stereo, everything else falls into hand nicely, especially the shifter.

My time on the road with the Scion consisted of 265 miles of highway driving and rural back roads leading from Columbus to Norwalk Raceway Park and Cedar Point for the company’s Scion Exposed 2009. This was the perfect opportunity to test the car out in different situations.

On the highway, the ride in the xB was as good as it comes in an economy car. Ride was quite good, with adequate dampening over bumps and a smooth, controlled ride on the freeway. There was little wind noise considering its shape, but a good deal of tire roar from the 16-inch Goodyear RS-As made for some aggravation on the highway.

When the highway was traded for the byways, this squared-off economy car proves to be a very good handling box van. For an economy car with a higher center of gravity than anything else in its class, a torsion beam rear suspension, and its open cabin, the xB handles reasonably well. Toyota does not really produce performance-oriented vehicles, and it is no different with this hatch. However, the xB feels controllable and is very easy to push it hard.

Everything is light to the touch. The steering, brakes, clutch, and shifter all have a low-effort feel to them. This is terrific around town, with a small turning circle and a Honda S2000-like short clutch engagement, it’s easy to maneuver. However, on those back roads, it portrays a somewhat disconnect feel from the road, with no real feeling for what is going on underneath those four tire patches.

For example, the steering is light and quick, but there is no feeling, no understanding of where the car is headed. Same for the four-wheel disk brakes, which offer good initial bite upon pressing the middle pedal, but quickly falls away to nothing as there a significant gap before it feels like the rotors reconnect with the rotors.

A lot of people complained about the second-generation of their beloved xB. While it is a bit bigger, a lot heavier, and has a more eye-catching design, it follows the same trail as the older model: The xB is a reliable vehicle that offers huge space in a small package and a good driving environment. Essentially, this car is like a miniature MayTag refrigerator at an incredibly reasonable price. Combine those attributes with Scion letting owners modify their cars as they see fit and backing everything up with a warranty, this Scion fulfills its promises.

Base Price: $15,650
As Tested: $17,297
Architecture: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive five passenger hatchback
Drivetrain: DOHC, 2.4-liter four cylinder DOHC engine with five-speed manual
Length: 167.4 inches
Wheelbase: 102.4 inches
Mileage: 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway
Weight: 3,020 lbs.