Scion xB Release Series Revealed Ahead of New York

In case you forgot, the 2014 New York Motor Show opens at the end of next week, so most automakers are hustling to get in some final teasers ahead of the event. Today’s reveal is a little bit more than a teaser though… It’s a full-fledged preview of the new Scion xB Release Series 10.0, pictured below:

Obviously, Scion’s 5-door hatchback isn’t a car that we talk about a lot… In fact, it’s probably fair to say that Scion doesn’t talk about it a lot either. It’s a Japanese car that’s been in its second generation for the past eight years, and what we’ll see in New York is Scion’s attempt at refreshing the model with a new, limited edition trim. To add some exclusive appeal, Scion is only manufacturing 1,500 of the Release Series xB.

As you can see, the new Scion xB RS has some very nice aesthetics going for it. The paint job is called Electric Quartz, named as such for the pearl white paint with electric green highlights and piano black accents. There’s even a little light beneath the rear bumper that projects an electric green Scion logo on the ground behind the xB, like some sort of mini bat signal.

All of the exterior themes listed above continue into the interior of the Scion xB RS, except that they’ve been reversed. Instead of a predominately white interior, the seating, upholstery and center console are piano black, with subtle green accent stitching on the seats. And yes, even the projection lighting has been carried over into the interior; a green “xB RS 10.0” is projected onto the driver’s side carpet and the specific vehicle number (out of 1,500) projected onto the passenger’s side floor. The Scion name is also luminously etched into door sills, and even the cup holders are illuminated with that nice neon green. It serves to create an all-around classy-but-modern interior.

In addition to all of the design themes, the limited edition Scion xB will also get a host of new technologies, outlined below:

• Backup camera
• Conductive charging mat to wireless charge cell phones
• 2014 Display Audio System w/ 6.1 inch touchscreen
• Hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth
• Built-in AUX/USB port with iPod connectivity

These aren’t exactly cutting-edge technologies, but they’re better than nothing. Since the Scion xB RS has an MSRP of just over $20,000, we think that the above will suffice. It might not be quite as epic as Scion’s VP, Doug Murtha, makes it out to be in the press release, but we’re sure that the Toyota sub-brand won’t have too much trouble getting rid of the 1,500 xB RS 10.0 models.

To be perfectly honest, we probably won’t cover the Scion xB RS 10.0 when it makes its debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show since there’s not much else to say. But, feel free to follow along on Scion’s website if you’re interested in learning more.