The Scion xD is a bit shorter and wider than the redesigned 2009 Honda Fit, its most obvious competitor. It's quite a bit smaller than the Nissan Versa and Dodge Caliber.The xD is only half an inch longer than the old Scion xA, on a wheelbase that's 3.5 inches longer. That means shorter overhangs, engineering that should result in a better ride and more room inside.
The xD roofline is boxed in at the rear corner with a wide C-pillar (like the xB). Its fender flares have lost some of the xA's smooth shapeliness, and its hood is longer and quite bulbous, in place of the xA's cool steep slope from the top of the windshield to the front bumper. The halogen headlights are sleek, but they're pinched in a shape at odds with the roundness of the hood, which has a chrome Scion emblem stuck on the front.
The standard steel wheels measure 16 inches in diameter, and the wheelwell gaps have been tightened, which is good.