Scion sees flat 2008 sales expansion of lineup
By Karey Wutkowski
NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Co’s
(7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) youthful urban brand Scion is considering adding a
new model with a “polarizing” design to its line-up and
surveying current Scion drivers about the kind of vehicle
they would like to see, a senior executive said on
Thursday.
Dawn Ahmed, corporate manager of Scion, also told Reuters
that the Toyota-owned brand expected little change in 2008
sales compared with last year, at about 130,000 vehicles.
“Overall the light vehicle industry is pretty challenging
right now,” Ahmed said. “It’s fortunate we’re not necessarily
trying to sell to everybody.”
Toyota is talking to current Scion owners about what
they would see as an interesting addition to the line-up,
including possibilities such as a truck, a sport utility
vehicle, or a more environmentally friendly car, Ahmed
said.
Scion, which attracts buyers with an average age of 30
compared with a U.S. industry average of 50, has seen a sharp
downturn in sales from its peak of 173,034 vehicles in 2006.
The Toyota brand launched in 2003 has blamed model
changeovers for that shortfall. Executives have also said
the Japanese automaker intends for Scion to remain a niche
offering focused on bringing younger buyers into its
showrooms.
Scion took the wraps off its Hako Coupe concept at the
auto show this week, revealing a boxy two door that takes
its design cues from both Japanese microcars and American
hot rods.
“We need to think about how to bring young, new
customers into Toyota,” Scion Vice President Jack Hollis
said at the unveiling on Wednesday. Continued…
