Sport Cars i8 Concept

Many Scion xB fans didn’t like the redesign of the boxy compact nearly three years ago. Maybe that’s why Scion decided to revise a bit of that new design for the 2011 model year.

The 2011 xB is a 4-door, 5-passenger wagon, available in two trims, the 5-Door Wagon 5-Spd MT and the 5-Door Wagon 4-Spd AT.

Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 158-horsepower engine that achieves 22-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard on the 5-Door Wagon 5-Spd MT. A 4-speed automatic transmission is standard on the 5-Door Wagon 4-Spd AT.

The most notable change is the jutting front bumper, which is similar to the original model’s chinlike protrusion. The headlights, taillights and front and rear bumpers also get restyled. Besides that chin, most of the changes are subtle.

Inside, the seats get a new lighter gray fabric, and the front seats get beefed-up bolsters. A new center console has an adjustable armrest, and the steering wheel adds a telescoping feature to its previous tilt.

The Hypnotic Teal Micra color that was so polarizing for the past generation will no longer be offered. Instead, two new colors will be available: Army Rock Metallic and Elusive Blue Metallic.

Powertrain offerings remain the same, with the 158-horsepower engine being a bit of a gas hog for the class at 22/28 mpg city/highway for either transmission. The 2010 Kia Soul’s sportiest engine gets 24/30 with 142 hp and starts $800 less than the xB.

What is the price of the 2011 xB? It gets a $150 bump to $16,000 for the manual transmission and $16,950 for the automatic, not including $670 in destination charges.