This nameplate was introduced for the 2016 model year as Scion’s all-new five-door hatchback, arriving in the United States in 2015 as part of the brand’s final wave of new products. It was positioned as a youthful, practical compact hatch with a more premium feel than the low-price small cars that had defined much of Scion’s early identity. The iM name was carried over from the concept that previewed the production model, and the car emphasized versatility, a roomy cabin, and a sporty image rather than outright performance.
The model had a very short run under the Scion badge. In February 2016, Toyota announced that Scion would be folded back into the Toyota brand, and the iM was among the vehicles slated to be rebadged beginning with the 2017 model year. That means the Scion-badged iM existed for a single continuous production period only, making it one of the briefest-lived original Scion nameplates.
Historically, the vehicle is significant as part of Scion’s last new-product cycle and as a bridge between Scion’s youth-market experiment and Toyota’s later compact hatchback lineup. Enthusiasts often remember it as the Scion version of the compact hatch that would continue under Toyota branding after the Scion era ended.