Plenty riding on the Success/Failure of the Scion iM and iA

7060 Views 11 Replies 6 Participants Last post by SiM, Jun 26, 2015

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Discussion Starter · Jun 19, 2015

The Scion iM and iA are two vehicles that have a lot of pressure on them. The fate of an entire automotive brand restly almost entirely on their shoulders.

Scion sales have been sliding (or free falling) for the past while. The Scion iM and iA are tasked with revitalizing the brand, and bringing it back from the brink of collapse.

Neither vehicle is unique to Scion though. The iM is a rebadged Toyota Auris (the same platform as the Toyota Corolla and the Lexus CT200h.) The iA is a rebadged Mazda2. These vehicles have already seen moderate success on the market, so the real test for Scion will be if it can sell a proven product with a Scion badge on it.

The Scion brand's reputation is a bit of a mixed bag right now. On one hand Scion has gotten some good press from the iM and iA concepts. Forbes recently mentioned both vehicles as two of the "Hottest New Cars for 2016".

On the other hand, the JD Power Initial Vehicle Quality Study for 2015 placed Scion below the industry average. Hopefully a rebadged Toyota and Mazda can help to boost the overall quality of the lineup.

The point is that a lot is riding on the iM and iA. With an embargo on info until June 29th, we will have to wait till then to know for sure whether or not the iM and iA have the chops to save Scion.

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bicepeak

· #2 · Jun 20, 2015

Here is your chance to ask questions!

I am trying to post a question to Top Speed, but I can't get it to post. Could someone do it for me?

Here is my question.....
"I am considering the iM. I am wondering about the seat height measurement from the ground. Is it the same as the Corolla or is it higher?"

Here is the link...

2016 Scion IM & IA First Drive: What Do You Want To Know? | car News @ Top Speed

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DBB

· #3 · Jun 20, 2015

i don't know if you can put that burden on their shoulders, they're just the first in a new product wave for scion...

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bicepeak

· #4 · Jun 20, 2015

DBB said:
i don't know if you can put that burden on their shoulders, they're just the first in a new product wave for scion...

They clearly need to do SOMETHING to get the brand up again. If these cars fail, Scion will disappear.

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Briggs

· #5 · Jun 22, 2015

bicepeak said:
They clearly need to do SOMETHING to get the brand up again. If these cars fail, Scion will disappear.

I completely agree. But I think that Scion chose these models because they are quite likely to do well given what they were when they were Toyotas and Mazdas. I think the more interesting thing to think about is, what if these models do really well? What would that allow Scion to do next?

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Patrick.S

· #6 · Jun 22, 2015

Briggs said:
I completely agree. But I think that Scion chose these models because they are quite likely to do well given what they were when they were Toyotas and Mazdas. I think the more interesting thing to think about is, what if these models do really well? What would that allow Scion to do next?

It can help them justify this process of bringing over other models from Toyota and maybe other car makers.

Just not sure if it would mean them doing their own thing just yet, might be too soon.

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Briggs

· #7 · Jun 23, 2015

Patrick.S said:
It can help them justify this process of bringing over other models from Toyota and maybe other car makers.

Just not sure if it would mean them doing their own thing just yet, might be too soon.

In that case Scion would just be a brand filled with Toyotas from Europe. Its odd because in that case why not just bring those Toyotas over as Toyotas? What's the benefit to putting them under the Scion brand?

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DBB

· #8 · Jun 24, 2015

Briggs said:
In that case Scion would just be a brand filled with Toyotas from Europe. Its odd because in that case why not just bring those Toyotas over as Toyotas? What's the benefit to putting them under the Scion brand?

lower priced and freed from the stuffy coroporate image of Toyota in NA. Also allows the conservative middle class buyers of Camrys and Corollas a degree of safety, they don't have to be associated with the Freaks in TC's...

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Patrick.S

· #9 · Jun 24, 2015

Briggs said:
In that case Scion would just be a brand filled with Toyotas from Europe. Its odd because in that case why not just bring those Toyotas over as Toyotas? What's the benefit to putting them under the Scion brand?

The key benefit I saw was to help built the Scion brand, give them more volume products.

But i'm no expert so this might not be the best way for them.

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Briggs

· #10 · Jun 24, 2015

Patrick.S said:
The key benefit I saw was to help built the Scion brand, give them more volume products.

But i'm no expert so this might not be the best way for them.

So basically Scion is going to be just trying to build some volume products for a while to gain its footing and then it can start to do something innovative again in the future?

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Gotcha

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jun 26, 2015

Briggs said:
So basically Scion is going to be just trying to build some volume products for a while to gain its footing and then it can start to do something innovative again in the future?

I assume so because I'm not sure if it makes sense in the long term to continuously rebadge Toyotas.

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SiM

· #12 · Jun 26, 2015

Volume is the way I see it.

They need core models to establish themselves before venturing out to other project that might not see as high volume as mainstream core models.

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