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Scion will add 4th vehicle

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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 08:47 AM
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Default Scion will add 4th vehicle

Scion will add 4th vehicle

DETROIT — Scion plans to expand its model line from three vehicles to four.

Also, Scion Vice President Jack Hollis said: "Within the next two years, we will have a replacement tC" coupe.

The tC coupe will be nearly 7 years old when the redesign arrives, but such a long life cycle will not be the norm for Scion in the next decade.

"It will be different for each model," Hollis said at the Detroit auto show in January. "There are some that are going to be short. There are going to be three- to four-year life cycles. There are going to be some four to five, maybe five to six."

The Scion xA was sold for 30 months, then dropped.

"What we are looking at is: How can we add something fresh to the marketplace every year?" Hollis said.

He said Scion will have its fourth model in place in two to three years. Today it offers three models: the five-door xB hatchback, five-door xD and the tC coupe. Last year Scion sold 113,904 vehicles in the United States, down 12.5 percent from 2007.

"We think there are a lot of opportunities for a [second] coupe," Hollis said. "We think there is room for a bigger sedan and smaller vehicles. We think there is even a possibility for a truck-based vehicle with an open bed."

At the New York auto show last year, Scion unveiled the Hako Coupe concept, which shows the styling direction Scion could take if a coupe is the fourth model.

"There are not a lot of coupe entries," Hollis said. But, he said, the tC shows "how people are attracted to a good-value coupe."
http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...NEWS/902029997
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 08:49 AM
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Weren't they getting the iQ?
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 10:37 AM
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"We think there are a lot of opportunities for a [second] coupe," Hollis said.

"There are not a lot of coupe entries," Hollis said. But, he said, the tC shows "how people are attracted to a good-value coupe."
The iQ is a coupe...
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 11:00 AM
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I predicted they would fail out the gate but I was wrong there. seems they are failing after a few years. The brand really leaves me scratching my head. They need more product and fresh ideas. The tC is great I think it still looks fresh. The other vehicles worry me some.

The Nissan Cube is coming too and I like that.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 01:19 PM
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they should drop the xD. Scion should consist of the XB, a smaller sporty hatch, and an AE86 successor (RWD). Something along the lines of the ABAT truck could work also
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 01:23 PM
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The tC is being replaced making that still only 3 models, the iQ will most likely be the 4th.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 01:51 PM
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The xB and xD are still selling well, the only model that's failing is the Scion tC which urgently needs replacement. And the xD has to compete with the Yaris. The old xA only had to compete with the Echo which was a piece of junk.

Toyota already brought out the new Avensis in Europe, hurry up already. A 7yr life cycle is way too long.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. Jones
The xB and xD are still selling well, the only model that's failing is the Scion tC which urgently needs replacement. And the xD has to compete with the Yaris. The old xA only had to compete with the Echo which was a piece of junk.
XB's continue to sell well here. I bought a fist gen XB for a family member in 2003 and it still runs perfectly at 64K miles. Scion overall (despite recent sales declines which are common lately) has been successful for Toyota with minimal investment. And Scion buyers can be enticed to buy Toyota products as they move up the income scale.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 02:21 PM
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Originally Posted by IS-SV
XB's continue to sell well here. I bought a fist gen XB for a family member in 2003 and it still runs perfectly at 64K miles. Scion overall (despite recent sales declines which are common lately) has been successful for Toyota with minimal investment. And Scion buyers can be enticed to buy Toyota products as they move up the income scale.
I actually know some family members that are actually looking at Scion over Toyota, favoring the xB over a Corolla or Matrix. One specific reason is that they've found they can see easier out of the back with a flat back on the xB but also for hauling cargo.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 02:38 PM
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scion xB sales
Code:
2002 	n/a
2003 	6,936
2004 	47,013
2005 	54,037
2006 	61,306
2007 	45,834
2008 	45,220
scion tC sales:
Code:
2003 	n/a
2004 	28,062
2005 	74,415
2006 	79,125
2007 	63,852
2008 	40,980
The Scion xB is still a strong seller.

It's only the tC which saw a massive sales decline. Which isn't surprising for a coupe. I hope at least Toyota updates the Scion tC with the new AR motor and a 6spd auto. That would significantly raise power and fuel economy.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 04:21 PM
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Why was the xA dropped? IMO xA > xD, the xD has a weird name and looks like an angry baby shark.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 05:21 PM
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Originally Posted by replica
they should drop the xD.
Blasphemy! The xD is a great vehicle (my favorite Scion). It's the closest competitor to the Fit and is better in some ways.

Oh, and it was rated as the most trouble free vehicle in the entire industry for '08.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 06:44 PM
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I quite like the XD, a lot more than the xA actually.


and the moniker xA was dropped to continue the whole "we're hip and don't do repeats" but kept the xB name cuz it was so successful..
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 06:56 PM
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I like the TC ,no doubt it needs an update.
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Old Feb 2, 2009 | 07:17 PM
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I thought it was going to be somethng like the IQ.
Attached Thumbnails Scion will add 4th vehicle-toyotaiqdrivereview3.jpg  
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