Scion Too Young To Die
January 11th, 2011 1:09 AM
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Double-digit sales declines in the U.S. in the past two years notwithstanding, Toyota’s Gen X & Y Scion brand is in “no danger” of being put out of its misery, and new products are in the pipeline, Toyota Prez Akio Toyoda told The Nikkei [sub].
Toyoda confirmed that the subcompact iQ, recently reviewed by TTAC in Tokyo, will be coming early this year to the U.S., as a Scion.
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The big difference between Scion and other spin off brands is that they are sold at Toyota dealers and not at separate dealers like Lexus, Acura, Infiniti , etc . So if Toyota ever did decide to do away with the brand any models in the lineup they wanted to keep could easily be re-badged as Toyotas . And except for the tC I see more baby boomers driving Scions than any other age demographic . Not like Toyota planned it , but that's the way it is in my neck of the woods .
Scion stays until the next round of marketing hot-shots revolutionizes the car-peddling biz (again). I would have to hold my nose to investigate a Scion, but as long as I still felt it was actually a Toyota underneath, I would probably go ahead and at least finish the test drive. But I would need to overcome the feeling that Toyota is wasting time and money trying to sell an economy car to impressionable youth.
This is an 'economy' halo car... a la the Lexus CT200h.
Sales numbers for the Lexus will likely be in the 10k to 15k range. This one... perhaps 20k.
If more folks continue to associate the Toyota brands with fresh styling and high MPG's, it's a win for company. Even if the Spark & Sonic beat the IQ in the sales race, the profits for other Lexus brands and Toyota compacts in general will far eclipse that.
Scion too young to die? Um, Edsel was launched for 1958 and was dead by 1960. Of course, Scion has been just a tad more successful.