Toyota Tells Dealers They Are Free To Abandon Scion Franchises

Toyota has told dealers that too many of them carry the underperforming Scion franchise, so they're free to walk away from the youth-oriented brand without facing penalties.

But the company has offered a glimpse of two possible future products for dealers who stick with Scion.

At Toyota's national dealer meeting in Atlanta this month, dealers were told Scion "'may not be for everybody,' because there's not enough throughput," said a Texas dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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TheSteve - 8/19/2013 10:21:17 AM

+1 Boost

I believe we need to redefine what "youth oriented" means to us. It used to mean someone young with modest financial means who aspired to the same type of life as their parents: hard work for long hours, settling for an entry-level car, and aspiring to eventually own a "nice" one. Today's youth are more likely to spend their money on a high-end smart phone, and expect their parents to gift them a "nice" car. They are not typically inclined to settle for a starter car, nor are they interested in working hard for long hours to "get ahead."

I'm not saying any of this is "bad" or "wrong." I'm just asserting that today's youth, as a mass, behaves very differently than the generation that came before them. Auto-makers may not be getting that. It may be a lost cause to target an audience that doesn't have the financial means or interest in "starter" cars.

Agent009 - 8/19/2013 11:02:32 AM

+1 Boost

Scion - Toyota's version of Pontiac.. simply lost in translation.

ParadoX - 8/19/2013 8:07:22 PM

+1 Boost

Scion needs to put out something practical yet affordable. Coupes and subcompacts are not going to win over young people. A generation that has been squeezed by the culmination of 3 decades of economic decay is in no position to buy what Scion is offering. A Focus, or Mazda3, or Cruze, is probably a better buy than the impractical cars Scion tries to sell.