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04-01-2013, 03:48 PM
Filed under: Budget (http://www.autoblog.com/category/economy/), Scion (http://www.autoblog.com/category/scion/), Luxury (http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/04/03-2013-scion-fr-s-review.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-scion-fr-s-review/#photo-5556693)
Scion (http://www.autoblog.com/scion) is simultaneously celebrating its ten-year anniversary with the 10 Series (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-celebrates-first-10-years-with-special-edition-models/) models and trying to figure out what to do with itself over the next ten years. Once a go-to consideration for young, first-time buyers who wanted something cool and different, in 2013 it has a model everyone is still talking about in the FR-S (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/fr-s), a model few are still talking about in the iQ (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/iq), and three models in between in the tC (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/tc), xB (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/xb) and xD (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/xd) that make everyone wonder, "What happened?"
Automotive News spoke to Toyota's North American CEO, Jim Lentz - he was the VP in charge of Scion when it launched - about the options, and Lentz said one of them could be a move upmarket to challenge the established luxury brands that are moving downmarket. "There's going to be a big need in the $25,000 range for a fun-to-drive, nice-looking, value-oriented product," he said, and the FR-S, which starts at $25,255, could provide the platform for Scion to climb up a notch or two in price and perception. An idea like this could conceivably work in tandem with a proposal to move entry-level Scion products over to the Toyota brand - but remember, this is all just ideas on a whiteboard at the moment.
As opposed to an "entry-luxury fighter," the brand could swing back to the other option that was considered when it was formed, directly challenging the Korean makes that have usurped its cachet with first-time buyers. Lentz said Scion could go either way, and the tone of the piece seems to indicate that the final direction is still a ways away from being resolved.Scion pondering move upmarket? (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-pondering-move-upmarket/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-pondering-move-upmarket/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20525017/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-pondering-move-upmarket/#comments)
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http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/04/03-2013-scion-fr-s-review.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-scion-fr-s-review/#photo-5556693)
Scion (http://www.autoblog.com/scion) is simultaneously celebrating its ten-year anniversary with the 10 Series (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-celebrates-first-10-years-with-special-edition-models/) models and trying to figure out what to do with itself over the next ten years. Once a go-to consideration for young, first-time buyers who wanted something cool and different, in 2013 it has a model everyone is still talking about in the FR-S (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/fr-s), a model few are still talking about in the iQ (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/iq), and three models in between in the tC (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/tc), xB (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/xb) and xD (http://www.autoblog.com/scion/xd) that make everyone wonder, "What happened?"
Automotive News spoke to Toyota's North American CEO, Jim Lentz - he was the VP in charge of Scion when it launched - about the options, and Lentz said one of them could be a move upmarket to challenge the established luxury brands that are moving downmarket. "There's going to be a big need in the $25,000 range for a fun-to-drive, nice-looking, value-oriented product," he said, and the FR-S, which starts at $25,255, could provide the platform for Scion to climb up a notch or two in price and perception. An idea like this could conceivably work in tandem with a proposal to move entry-level Scion products over to the Toyota brand - but remember, this is all just ideas on a whiteboard at the moment.
As opposed to an "entry-luxury fighter," the brand could swing back to the other option that was considered when it was formed, directly challenging the Korean makes that have usurped its cachet with first-time buyers. Lentz said Scion could go either way, and the tone of the piece seems to indicate that the final direction is still a ways away from being resolved.Scion pondering move upmarket? (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-pondering-move-upmarket/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-pondering-move-upmarket/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20525017/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-pondering-move-upmarket/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/01/scion-pondering-move-upmarket/)