TUPELO - Scion, the hip car company created by Toyota Motor Corp. a decade ago to target younger buyers, has made its way to Northeast Mississippi.

Scion cars are now sold, naturally, at Carlock Toyota, where dealership owner Clay Carlock has set aside showroom space for Toyota's younger sibling.

"Scion is geared more toward a younger audience, and with the Toyota plant running, we wanted to gear it toward them, too," Carlock said.

Three have sold there so far, he added.

Said dealership General Manager Mike McLellan, "it's more of an entry-level product. And it's also the youngest car brand out there today."

Carlock Toyota also is the only Scion dealer north of Jackson in the state.

Scion was first introduced at the New York Auto Show in March 2002 with only two concept vehicles. It wasn't until June 2003 that the xA and the xB were available through 105 Toyota dealerships in California. The brand was available in the rest of the country a year later.

Carlock said he had long thought about adding Scion, but waited until more models were available.

Now that the brand has grown, it offers five models - the xB, tC, xD, iQ and FR-S.

Base prices range from about $16,000 to about $22,000.

The automaker offers more than 150 accessories buyers can put on their vehicles, adding to its appeal to younger buyers, Carlock said.

In addition, Scion has a "Pure Price" policy, which means the prices are set.

"There's no hassle involved," McLellan said. "Every car is priced, and the prices also are posted on our website at carlockscion.com."

Scion sales reached 49,271 last year, up 7.9 percent from 2010.

dennis.seid@journalinc.com