Scion is ready to rebound with young buyers
01-14-2008, 10:07 PM
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Scion is ready to rebound with young buyers
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Allscion -- an e-commerce website with news and accessories for your Scions
http://www.allscion.com/store
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../1002/BUSINESS
Jack Hollis, vice president of Scion for Toyota Motor Sales USA, said he expects U.S. sales for the Scion brand in 2008 to be in the range of 130,000 to 140,000 vehicles, the same or slightly higher than last year.
The measure of Scion's success, though, remains its ability to attract young buyers, Hollis said Sunday in an auto show interview with the Free Press. Toyota finds that 58% of Scion buyers are younger than 35.
"Our goal has always been from day one ... to bring in this new mindset, people who have never shopped Toyota, and keep them in the family," Hollis said.
Scion, first brought to the United States in 2003, began its second generation last year. It launched a redesigned xB, a boxy hatchback that looks a bit like a toaster on wheels. It also introduced the all-new xD, a compact hatchback, to replace the outgoing xA.
Scion sales dropped 24.8% in 2007 to 130,181 vehicles as the models reached the end of their life cycle. But the redesigned xB has quickly risen, up 13.7% in December compared to the previous version.
Scion does not have a new or redesigned model for 2008, but special edition versions of the xB, tC and xD are planned, Hollis said. Each will be released in volumes of 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles. The special edition xB, the Gold Rush Mica, is on display at the Detroit show.
Scion is studying whether to add a compact truck to its line, Hollis said, though a truck would go against the original intentions for Scion.
The measure of Scion's success, though, remains its ability to attract young buyers, Hollis said Sunday in an auto show interview with the Free Press. Toyota finds that 58% of Scion buyers are younger than 35.
"Our goal has always been from day one ... to bring in this new mindset, people who have never shopped Toyota, and keep them in the family," Hollis said.
Scion, first brought to the United States in 2003, began its second generation last year. It launched a redesigned xB, a boxy hatchback that looks a bit like a toaster on wheels. It also introduced the all-new xD, a compact hatchback, to replace the outgoing xA.
Scion sales dropped 24.8% in 2007 to 130,181 vehicles as the models reached the end of their life cycle. But the redesigned xB has quickly risen, up 13.7% in December compared to the previous version.
Scion does not have a new or redesigned model for 2008, but special edition versions of the xB, tC and xD are planned, Hollis said. Each will be released in volumes of 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles. The special edition xB, the Gold Rush Mica, is on display at the Detroit show.
Scion is studying whether to add a compact truck to its line, Hollis said, though a truck would go against the original intentions for Scion.
01-15-2008, 02:51 AM
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yeah, nothing would be wrong with a mini-truck style scion. it would be like a modern ranchero, which was way cool.
also, the reason why model sales fall off so dramatically towards the end of the model lifecycle, which is only like what 3 or 4 years? is because they want to wait and see what the next model will be cause if they are patient, they might make a car that they like more than the current models, but if not, they can still buy an older model if they don't like it.
also, the reason why model sales fall off so dramatically towards the end of the model lifecycle, which is only like what 3 or 4 years? is because they want to wait and see what the next model will be cause if they are patient, they might make a car that they like more than the current models, but if not, they can still buy an older model if they don't like it.
01-15-2008, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Metro273
I love this quote about the redesigned xB..." a boxy hatchback that looks a bit like a toaster on wheels"...I don't think so... 
What the heck, it's her car.
01-17-2008, 10:42 PM
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Re: Scion is ready to rebound with young buyers
"Our goal has always been from day one ... to bring in this new mindset, people who have never shopped Toyota, and keep them in the family," Hollis said.
