Scion Monospec Strategy Continuing for 2017, Trims May Arrive for 2018
Beyond the funky metal, there’s one element that set Scion apart from its Toyota mothership: monospec pricing.
By offering up only a single trim for each models and reducing options to paint colors, transmissions and accessories, Scion was able to market its vehicles to a different audience and offer a no-haggle sales approach.
For the 2017 model year, that monospec approach will continue, but Toyota is evaluating its future. Also, Scion’s no-haggle pricing model won’t be surviving the transition to Toyota.
Speaking with Scion representative Nancy Hubbell, Toyota will adopt the cars it inherits from its youth brand, but not the sales processes.
“For the model year ’17, Toyota will continue with the single price strategy that Scion set forth, and we will re-evaluate that for model year ’18,” stated Hubbell in a phone interview with TTAC. Pricing of those vehicles will “follow the Toyota model,” meaning no-haggle pricing will die with the brand.
More interesting, Scion-gone-Toyota models may get trims — or grades, in Toyota speak — in 2018, as the mothership re-evaluates the monospec policy. And those model names may change in 2018, as well, though there is currently no plans to do so.
Another casualty of the transition is Pure Process Plus, an internet sales scheme from Scion that we covered in August 2015, but it may be resurrected later.
“It’s an interesting model that both Toyota and Lexus are taking a look at and elements of the Scion program are likely to be implemented by the other brands, but there are no plans to transfer Pure Process Plus at this time,” explained Hubbell.
More by Mark Stevenson
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"No haggle FAILS AGAIN!
Toyota can't possibly think that the last few cars of a dead brand are going out the door at a no haggle price. Let's see how long that lasts.
"By offering up only a single trim for each models and reducing options to paint colors, transmissions and accessories, Scion was able to market its vehicles to a different audience and offer a no-haggle sales approach." how is that terribly different than the Toyota brand anyway? if you "build and price" pretty much any Toyota car, the available options are quite sparse.
We all know how this will play out: 1) Scions rebadged as Toyotas with new names - a couple probably killed right out of the gate 2) Products ignored and slowly trickle away, with only the cash cows hanging on 3) Within 5 to 7 years there won't be anything left that could remotely point to its roots coming from Scion left on the showroom floor