In order to maintain a “cool” image among discerning consumers, Toyota plans to limit the number of cars its Scion brand sells next year, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report echos a story by Reuters from January indicating Scion planned to remain low volume for the sake of its hip image.
At the time, it wasn’t clear how Toyota would ensure sales didn’t rise too much. Toyota U.S. President Jim Press focused on keeping the number of models low, and not adding a fourth vehicle to the range. “We want to keep it about where it is and the number of products very simple,” he said.
According to the WSJ report, it now appears the automaker will also specifically limit the number of units produced in order to keep sales around the 150,000 annual target.
11/13, 8:23 AM
posted by:
snork
Granted Scion has “no haggle” pricing, but it seems dumb to artificially limit production on vehicles that actually sell well to maintain a “cool” image…Scion isn’t exactly an exotic brand like Ferrari that need to keep such an image of exclusivity.
11/13, 8:37 AM
posted by:
YourNameHere
scion isnt there to make money for toyota. they are there to create new toyota/lexus buyers. i am a proud Scion owner, and i got lots of attention from alot of ppl. i cant get gas with out giving a tour of my car. the cars are unique enough that they sell themselfs…well the xB and xA anyway. the tC is to bland for my taste. way to cobalt-ish
11/13, 8:37 AM
posted by:
WEKS
Sell less to… sell more? I don’t get it.
11/13, 8:38 AM
posted by:
YourNameHere
advertise less to keep the brand image and not turn into a mass market brand.
11/13, 8:53 AM
posted by:
Kaizen
i think it is smart as long as they can continue to create products that are different from the market. it probably wont backfire on them because they currently sell at this level, and their sales are growing (which is beyond ridiculous for a 3 year old brand). it also means that they will not have to add more dealers to the distribution channel in the future.
side note: id like to see the tc evolve into a sleeker design; it’d be crazy if they could design an econo coupe after the aston martin vantage. imagine the demand for a coupe like that with a 4 cyl.
11/13, 8:57 AM
posted by:
YourNameHere
This is really brilliant marketing. Think about it:
1) Start with existing mass-produced chassis and drivetrains, thereby minimizing R&D costs.
2) Build the cars in plants that would otherwise require expensive updating to handle new designs.
3) Sell through existing dealerships, requiring no investment in infrastructure.
4) Spend almost nothing on marketing and advertising, normally a huge chunk of the budget with any new model introduction.
5) Sell for list price. No discounts.
i really hope they dont something crazy with the next tC. the best part about scion is they dont have to make everyone happy. they can build a car for a small group of ppl and make sure they are happy. the next gen xB and xA will be shown at Hot Import Nights in Miami in December.
11/13, 9:11 AM
posted by:
angelo
“YourNameHere” is right. They’re doing so many things right with the brand, that limiting production (as BMW has done with its MINI brand) could actually work out very well.
Angel
11/13, 10:39 AM
posted by:
Ricardo Head
Since when is Scion cool? Unique, yes, but if you have to buy a specific car to be cool, you’re not.
11/13, 10:50 AM
posted by:
A4
the tC is the only one thats actually cool
the xB is fine for its segment, but certainly nothing most of the 18-25 crowd would buy. and as for the xA… eulgh.
11/13, 4:01 PM
posted by:
pirelli
Spend almost nothing on marketing? I don’t believe that one.
11/13, 4:45 PM
posted by:
lanapat7
Is this prestige, or is it that Toyota’s own Yaris is impacting Scion’s sales therefore they came up with this “low volume” approach?
11/13, 7:13 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
This would make sense only if Scions were more desirable than a Hyundai Tiburon, which is just as wacky and is produced in more units.
11/13, 7:37 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
LMFAO…so they will maintain low volumes to maintain their bull**** image? I see.
11/13, 10:49 PM
posted by:
YourNameHere
say waht you wil…but go find a scion thats on a lot more then a week
11/14, 5:14 PM
posted by:
AdamT
The tc could be a little more distinctive. the xb is clever. the xa is butt ugly.
Overall I like the brand.
12/02, 5:48 PM
posted by:
steveman
What image? The piece of crap image?