Toyota aims at youth market with Scion model in 2010

[Thinking Out Loud]

Vehicle will be available at dealerships in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.

For many, their prayers have been answered.  In BIG cities, that is:

http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081019.wtoyota1019/BNStory/Business/home

[Mitlov]

The whole "Scion caters to youth thing" is a joke.  That's only true of the tC and first-gen Scions, in my experience.

The first-gen xB and xA did cater to youth to a certain degree, because they were cheap, light (so they could handle if you modded them), and most importantly, could easily accept JDM performance parts.  That's why the 2 Fast 2 Furious crowd loved modding them to death.  But even with the first-gen cars, a whole lot of xBs sold to small businesses, not hip urban youth.  The computer techs who do work for my law firm drive a fleet of xBs, probably because (1) they're cheap to buy and fuel, (2) they're reliable, (3) they've got a lot of usable interior space, and (4) they're distinctive when painted up with the company logo.  Scion doesn't dwell on this segment of their sales, because it doesn't fit their image, but it's a huge part of xB sales.

The second-gen xB and xD have been Toyota-fied so much that they've lost any sort of youth appeal.  The second-gen xB is five hundred pounds heavier, more expensive, and more refined.  It can no longer accept JDM performance parts.  I mostly see soccer moms driving it as a "more hip" (in soccer mom terms) alternative to a Matrix.  The xD's gone in the same direction from the xA, though not as far.  My sixty-year-old mother drives an xD as an urban runabout when she doesn't want to use her Outback H6.  Seriously.  Sorry, folks, the hipness is gone.

The ONLY thing that could save Scion's hipness, in my opinion, is a RWD Toyobaru coupe.  Or at least a new-gen tC that's a proper sport-compact and can run with cars from the Civic Si to the Cobalt SS to the GTI.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Innnn-teresting...

The original xB and I suppose the current one is the only Scion I'd consider. Thought the tC too but didn't like it as much in person... sure it will do reasonably well though. New xD is far better than the old xA, but still far too bland. Seems closest to a natural Versa competitor.

[Giant Dwarf]

As I peer into my crystal ball, I foresee cannibalized sales of Matrix and Yaris units...   

[safristi]

Crystal Balls are fragile things...cannibals! eat then UP..............   the YARIS tribe believe it gives them greater hunting mileage..................

[IceAndFire]

As I peer into my crystal ball, I foresee cannibalized sales of Matrix and Yaris units...   

That could happen...in the US so far the Scion buyers are people who don't typically buy Toyota. Thats less of an issue in Canada since we seem to quite like our Toyota's and Honda's.  I see them everywhere anyways.  So if it follows the US model we'll be seeing people in Scions that don't typically buy Toyota.  Or you may be right and Toyota will be loosing Yaris and Matrix buyers.

Time will tell but I'm not sure that its a given that Scion will cannibalize those sales.

[articsteve]

It's terribly disappointing.  I suppose the 2010 TC might be a looker, but I somehow doubt it. 

[Mitlov]

That could happen...in the US so far the Scion buyers are people who don't typically buy Toyota.

My mother has owned a half-dozen Toyotas and only one-non-Toyota (a Subaru) in my lifetime.  She just bought an xD.  I am not convinced that the second-generation Scions are going to steal buyers from other brands.  I'm inclined to agree that the xB will sell to people who want a tough-looking Matrix XRS (what it is) and the xD will sell to people who want a Yaris five-door with a Corolla 1.8L engine (what it is).

The tC is where I see conquests from other brands occurring, and if the second-gen tC is "matured" (softened and refined) like the other second-gen Scions were, that's a lost cause.

[PJungnitsch]

Scion coming here might be more important for future models. It is where Toyota is talking of slotting the iQ, as well as (presumably) it's derivatives, the roadster, mini people mover, etc.

That kind of thing might open the door for more weird and wonderful JDM stuff, much like the original Scion plan.

[vdk]

the TC is the only one i'd ever look at.. the rest are just garbage IMHO..

[The Mighty Duck]

the TC is the only one i'd ever look at.. the rest are just garbage IMHO..

  The original tC with the optional, dealer-installed Supercharger was a tempting proposition.  But the rest of the brand?  Ugh...

[safristi]

 Toyotas iQ slippin'........................