[DBB]

A new 34 month low for Toyota's sub brand. Yes I know the rhetoric, 'they need new product', indeed, and is the iM the car to restore 10,000 sales per month?

 

[Filmore]

To put that in context, Misubishi, Lincoln and Infiniti all outsell Scion... MITSUBISHI!!!

 

[Patrick.S]

Thankfully they have the iM and another vehicle on the way.
They just need to find a way to keep sales going and not turn out like the FR-S that did well to start but died off badly

 

[Gotcha]

The first step is some new product, then we can re-evaluate. There definitely has to be a rescue mission though. They just need something to make the brand exciting again.

 

[SiM]

At least they're trying to save it from being another Pontiac

 

[Gotcha]

Wasn't Pontiac's end that it was just rebadging anything, and the whole financial crisis? Isn't Scion rebadging things at this point?

 

[SiM]

If you look at the vehicles they sold it was more than just a rebadge, same with Scion.

 

[Filmore]

Wasn't Pontiac's end that it was just rebadging anything, and the whole financial crisis? Isn't Scion rebadging things at this point?

The difference with Scion is their products are rebadged world market Toyotas, there is no overlap with NA Toyotas, so that way a rebadging strategy works. Similar to how NA Buicks are rebadged German Opels...

 

[Gotcha]

The difference with Scion is their products are rebadged world market Toyotas, there is no overlap with NA Toyotas, so that way a rebadging strategy works. Similar to how NA Buicks are rebadged German Opels...

That makes sense. If they are the same vehicles really though, one has to wonder what the point of having another brand is even. Why don't they just sell them as Toyotas?

 

[Patrick.S]

Too bad it's too late in the process now to do that.

Would have been better if from the start they forgot the idea of having scion and just stick to one world brand

 

[Filmore]

That makes sense. If they are the same vehicles really though, one has to wonder what the point of having another brand is even. Why don't they just sell them as Toyotas?

because they dont fit in with Toyotas NA image.

 

[SiM]

Yup, vehicles with the potential to attract the younger folks that want fun, cool, etc cars where being under the Toyota brand doesn't help

 

[Filmore]

Yup, vehicles with the potential to attract the younger folks that want fun, cool, etc cars where being under the Toyota brand doesn't help

Strange though because you would think an image of affordability and reliability sprinkled with inklings of sport and sex would sell in droves.

Its not a foreign concept to them either, Supra, AE86 (the original), Celica, 2000GT, Lexus SC, LFA...

They're perfectly capable....

 

[Gotcha]

At the same time that they have tried to make Scion the young and sporty brand, Toyota is looking to inject more excitement into their designs. I find it strange that they have Scion that they are trying to revitalize and at the same time are trying to revamp Toyota. Something doesn't seem quite right there.

 

[Filmore]

At the same time that they have tried to make Scion the young and sporty brand, Toyota is looking to inject more excitement into their designs. I find it strange that they have Scion that they are trying to revitalize and at the same time are trying to revamp Toyota. Something doesn't seem quite right there.

One must die for the other to live! >

LOL Scions "renaissance" or attempt at is not mutually exclusive with Toyota finding fashion once again...

 

[SiM]

Basically Scion needs to become more of a unique brand on it's own.

This maybe the start to it, sort of like how many brands started out years go, but eventually they will need to have some significant changes going on to better appeal.

 

[Gotcha]

I don't think that Scion has ever had a design language update. That could be something new and exciting for the brand. Similar to how LIncoln came out with new design language and it helped to revitalize them.

 

[Filmore]

once again, Scions are simply world market Toyotas. Investing in a design language wpuld make Scions much more expensive in terms of overhead. Currently they simply need new badges...

 

[Patrick.S]

once again, Scions are simply world market Toyotas. Investing in a design language wpuld make Scions much more expensive in terms of overhead. Currently they simply need new badges...

Yup.

Fortunately Toyota has a lot of models that they never brought to North America under the Toyota badge, so having Scion... it makes it easy to bring some of those models over as Scions and see better chances of success, the iM and Mark X being a couple of them.

 

[Gotcha]

It just makes the lineup not very cohesive. I think that there needs to be a connecting thread to make it ore clear what the brand is about.