Ideas for a struggling brand: Scion

"carcrasher88" (carcrasher88) 04/22/2015 at 12:56 • Filed to: Ideas for a struggling brand, Scion, Ideas

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In the past, I’ve talked about what companies could do to help with struggling brands in the US market. One of those was Toyota’s ‘youth-oriented’ brand, Scion.

Well, now that the brand’s going through a bit of a shuffle at the moment, with some old models getting tossed out and new ones coming in, I thought I’d take another crack at it with a revised look at what my plan would be if I ran the Scion brand.

What’s there already:

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FR-S - Scion’s ‘performance’ model, the FR-S is the only RWD vehicle in the whole North American market Toyota portfolio that isn’t a truck, SUV, or Lexus.

People have complained about it not having enough power. 200hp is a good bit of power, but when a FWD Honda Civic Si has 5 more HP than an RWD FR-S...they kinda have a point.

But, instead of trying to turbocharge the existing one, I’d actually wait a year or two and (pending permission from Subaru), just bring a more powerful one out with a second generation FR-S.

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tC - The other ‘sporty’ Scion, the tC doesn’t seem to have that great of a reputation.

But it’s not a slouch, with that 180hp engine under the hood.

But if a third gen tC comes out, I’d make a couple changes.

First, the powertrain could get an upgrade. Make the base engine the same 2.0 as the related Avensis.

HP would be down 30 from the current one, but it would likely be a bit more efficient than the current 2.5, allowing the tC to have a bit more mainstream appeal, and still having 5 more hp than the competing Kia Forte Koup.

Then, a more powerful engine that would be between 185 and 195 hp, as not to impede on the FR-S, unless a more powerful engine ends up being standard in the second gen and not optional, at which point an even more powerful tC could happen.

Then, bodystyles. The tC line would grow to include a tC sedan to slot above the iA and a diesel-only wagon to be a more thrifty but also more fun to drive alternate to the iM hatchback.

The sedan would also benefit from the whole range of engines from the coupe and sedan, with two gas engines and a diesel. All of this would still happen based on the Avensis chassis, but made a bit sportier.

What’s coming:

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iM - The upcoming iM seems to be rather lackluster, being a rebadged Auris with a US spec Corolla powertrain...yawn.

How about spicing things up? Ditch the Corolla powertrain altogether, and put in the two gas engines from my tC proposal above. This wouldn’t get a diesel, because that would be for the diesel-only tC wagon, which would be marketed as an alternative.

Manual transmission and dual-clutch automatic. No CVT, no outdated 4-speed automatic, and no plain automatic.

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iA - The new entry level Scion, the iA, a rebadged Mazda2 sedan built in Mexico, should be a decent and actually fun car (if they don’t suck the driving dynamics out of it).

The only real change I could see is to add a Skyactiv-D diesel engine if Mazda decides not to offer one in the US-Spec Mazda2 hatch.

Other than that, it’s pretty much fine as is, as long as there’s a manual transmission.

What could come:

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iR and iV or iV and iV+ - Here, we see a two-pronged approach with a pair of Scion MPVs.

The smaller one, a rebadged Ractis, and the larger one, a rebadged Verso.

The rebadged Ractis would be Scion’s second diesel-only model, with only the 1.4 1ND-TV turbodiesel being offered, but with a larger turbocharger, pushing it up from 73hp to about 90-95hp.

The Turkish-built rebadged Verso would have three engine options, either a 1.8L 4 cylinder gasoline engine with 147hp, or the choice of two versions of the same 2.2L diesel, with 15o or 177hp.

Naming on these could go either way, either the Ractis becomes the iR and the Verso becomes the iV, or they take a Prius-like approach and both use the iV name, with the Verso becoming iV+.

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iW - An even larger MPV could come, in the form of the iW, a rebadged Toyota WISH.

Unlike the JDM WISH, which has engines with no more than 156hp, the iW would use US-spec RAV4 engines, with the 179hp 2AR-FE gasoline engine, or the 2AR-FXE hybrid version, with 154hp. This wouldn’t be the current WISH (seen above), though, but a rebadged third generation model, and possibly offered with AWD, being the first Scion to do so.

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iS - Lastly, the iS. This would pick up where the failed Lexus HS left off. Instead of being an entry level luxury car, it would be a premium Scion, being a rebadged version of the HS’ brother, the SAI.

Instead of using the same 2.4L hybrid system of the current SAI, it would use the same 2AR-FXE the iW would use.

Being based on the New MC Platform, it could even be built alongside the Corolla in Mississippi, being the first US-built Scion product.

With this lineup, Scion would have a diverse selection of models that won’t overlap anything in Toyota’s lineup, offering a good blend of mainstream and entry level premium products, allowing the brand to slip right between Toyota and Lexus, and changing them from an oddball brand to something that feels like it belongs, something that feels more like the Toyota of old, back in the days of the Supra, the AWD Celica, along with Tercel and Corolla wagons, while also bringing a taste of JDM, like the brand has been doing from the beginning.

HammerheadFistpunch > carcrasher88 04/22/2015 at 13:03

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I’m still of the persuasion that Scion has no reason to live.

GTI Sprinks > carcrasher88 04/22/2015 at 13:06

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I wouldn’t see toyota/scion adding a diesel to their lineup. Toyota in the states are not known for their diesels and i imagine they feel it would potentially ebb sales away from their hybrid technology that they’re pushing in everything else.

RallyWrench > carcrasher88 04/22/2015 at 13:06

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Ideas for Scion: Turbo all the things.

carcrasher88 > GTI Sprinks 04/22/2015 at 13:16

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That is true, but if you look at Toyota’s lineup in Europe, it’s littered with both hybrids and diesels.

If it can work there, there’s a chance it could work here.

The key would be to not offer the same models with both, and since the Toyota brand here focuses on hybrids, let Scion focus on diesel, with few hybrids, the iS and iW being the only Scions offered with hybrid powertrains, while almost everything else would be offered with diesels (other than the tC coupe, FR-S, and iM, which would all be gasoline only).

carcrasher88 > RallyWrench 04/22/2015 at 13:16

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Yes. Turbos, turbodiesels, maybe even turbo hybrids.

Nonster > carcrasher88 04/22/2015 at 13:17

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I still think Scion needs to die. One one hand you have Scion which seems to want to be a youth brand and then you have Toyota, which is abysmally boring, trying to inject some excitement into their lineup with the changes to the corolla and camry.

Toyota should make the FR-S the GT86 as it is everywhere else in the world, the tC can be used to resurrect the Celica name. Boom, you suddenly have some more exciting things under the Toyota nameplate and we don’t have to cringe as we suffer through horrible Scion advertisements.

carcrasher88 > HammerheadFistpunch 04/22/2015 at 13:18

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So am I. I just think they could do allot better than what they’re currently doing.

My plan basically allows them to be different, and slotting right between Toyota and Lexus, kinda like how Buick slots between Chevrolet and Cadillac, but with less luxury and more mainstream and performance-oriented models.

Margin Of Error > carcrasher88 04/22/2015 at 13:19

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That's brilliant.

I think they should also sell a rebranded the Lexus IS and drop the FR-S engine in it to lower both the costs and the Cog.

Also :

The FJ cruiser should live on as Scion Terrain Crusader

A small pickup like in Back To The Future, no king cab

A ruggedized version of the RAv4 with a lift kit and a snorkel

The xB should be all electric, lots of room for batteries, should be an easy conversion

carcrasher88 > Margin Of Error 04/22/2015 at 13:29

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That’s the thing, though. The plan would be to avoid crossover with US market Toyota models.

The IS with the FR-S engine, Terrain Crusader, and rugged RAV4 would be exactly that, and would either slow the brand’s progress down, or come at the cost of sales of Toyota/Lexus versions.

Basically, alowing Scion to have it’s own identity and only rebadge models NOT sold in the US under another Toyota Motor Company brand.

I could see them doing an FR-S powered sedan based on the IS’ platform, but not with a rebadged version of the body.

As for the electric xB...it’s already being killed off, I’d say just let it be and move on. And electric Scion might be a good idea, though. Maybe base it on a Daihatsu kei car...that’s it! An electric powered Mira Cocoa rebadged as a Scion!

carcrasher88 > Nonster 04/22/2015 at 13:30

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That would be another part of my plan. Fire the current marketing team and hire one that can make some enticing and memorable advertising.

Product will only get you so far, you also have to market it well.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > carcrasher88 04/22/2015 at 14:16

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I miss crazy Toyota. They just need to rehire whoever retired in the mid-90s and give him keys to the kingdom. They’re the most beige company around right now, but there was a point in time where they were one of the most exciting.

GTI Sprinks > carcrasher88 04/22/2015 at 15:12

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And that raises the question: Does diversifying the product line improve scion’s chance of raising it’s numbers. Diesel vehicles come at a premium from every manufacturer because emission systems are growing in complexity and i don’t think adding engine variety will work in their favor. If they consider more engine types than they need to refocus as a premium line.

carcrasher88 > GTI Sprinks 04/22/2015 at 15:36

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That’s a very good point. Now, the addition of diesel can be optional, it doesn’t have to happen to make the lineup work.

Take the rebadged Ractis and remove the diesel, and you’re left with the 1NR-FE, with 99hp.

There is another option within the NR family, the newly introduced 8NR-FTS, a 1.2l turbocharged member of the NR engine family, introduced in the 2015 Auris, and WON’T be used in the iM.

If it’s not going in the iM, it might fit in here. It’s down just over a liter of displacement, but the turbocharger brings horsepower and torque up to 114 and 140, respectively.

That would probably be adequate for a vehicle like this in the US.

Remove the diesel in the rebadged Verso, you’ve got an engine with only 33 more hp. Maybe a US-spec Corolla engine would work here...nope. They’re even less powerful, 132hp or 140 in Eco form.

Maybe turbocharge the Verso’s gasoline engine?

Dropping the diesel out of my tC plan wouldn’t be a big deal. Since the idea for the tC wagon was to be diesel-only, just put the other engines the sedan and wagon would get in it.

But where would that leave the iM? Maybe move the tC a little more upmarket?