Scion Aims to Recapture Trendsetters With Two Non-Boxy New Models - NBCNews.com
Once one of the hottest, hippest brands on the U. S. automotive market, the Scion lost its way after an initial run of success. Now the Toyota sub-brand is hoping to resume its trendsetting ways with the launch of two new models. And, with quirky models like the boxy xB backed by creative - if sometimes dark - marketing campaigns, the brand became an almost instant success, hitting a 2006 sales peak of 173,000 vehicles. Despite the ongoing revival of the U. S. new car market, Scion sales dipped another 18. 6 percent through July. But General Manager Doug Murtha said this week that Scion is "taking a look at everything we're doing as a brand," and predicted success for its next generation of vehicles at a media preview in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Its new "Pure Process Plus" portal aims to slash the time it takes to buy a car by taking much of that process online. For about half of the shoppers who have tried a prototype version it took less than two hours to finalize a deal -- less than half the time normally required to buy a new vehicle, according to Murtha. Source: www.nbcnews.com
