 
THE NEW TOYOTA SCION BOOM-BOX Sitting on Aeron chairs in a high-tech multimedia room, we watch a promotional videotape showing a montage of extreme sports, grafitti graphics, and overdressed musicians. Edited into the mix is a multicultural assortment of Gen X and Gen Y youth which talks about what they want in life: to "get respect," to have it "kept real," and the right to listen to loud music. |
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The line of suits on the other side of the long table nods and assures us that Toyota wants to address each of those needs. The Japanese auto manufacturer, which has locked down middle-aged consumers with models like the Camry, Corolla, and 4Runner and the upscale demographic with its Lexus line, is looking to gain a younger following with Scion, its brand new brand of vehicles priced well under $18,000. As ambassadors of the hard-to-reach youth market, we've been invited to get a sneak preview of the Scion bbX. The bbX is the first Scion that will be released in the United States. Based on the "Black Box," which is reportedly very popular in Japan, it looks kind of like the stunted offspring of Star Trek's Galileo 7 and a PT Cruiser. Fans of curves will be disappointed by its minivan-like posterior, but there is something Lego-esque about the tiny hood. This is a car meant to be built on--something that import car kit fans can chew on like beef jerky. A second video represents all other cars with archival footage of suburban homes from the 1950s and lounge music by Combustible Edison, then contrasts the Scion attitude with music by Nirvana, dunks by Michael Jordan, and the famous "standing out in the rain" scene from The Sawshank Redemption. There's nothing about the new automobile in Toyota's promotional video, and that's the point. Tetsuya Tada, a chief engineer flown in from Japan, explains how the Scion bbX differs from conventional cars: "Usually, you make the body first, then the audio. This time we made the audio, then the body." Audio knowhow comes courtesy of Toyota's partner, Pioneer. Russ Johnston, senior vice president of marketing and strategic planning for Pioneer, tells us that young people listen to unique music--everything "from Eminem to Creed"--and that they demand an audio system that reflects such tastes. He proceeds to show us a PowerPoint presentation that compares the Scion's superior acoustics to the average car. I don't understand the audio measurement or shaky bar graphs, but the technology sure sounds impressive. Special material absorbs exterior noise, and even the door handles are made to have a different sound when you slam them shut! |