Tag Archives: Toyota

Requiem for a brand

Scion’s first model, the xB, was axed last year. Now, the brand follows. (Image: Toyota Canada)

The Grim Reaper came for Scion today.

Without being offered a cigarette or a blindfold, the youth-oriented brand was tossed into the dustbin of automotive history by parent company Toyota, ending its 13-year existence in the U.S. and six-year run in Canada.

Scion’s struggles were well known. After blasting into the marketplace on a wave of funkiness, the brand’s aging, increasingly confused models led to a sales freefall over the past several years.

Saviour no more: the 2016 Scion iM. (Image: Toyota Canada)

The new 2016 models, regarded as the cars that would reverse the brand’s fortunes, caused a lot of head-scratching. The iM 5-door hatchback seemed more like a Corolla 5-door that escaped off the drawing board, while the iA sedan was simply a badge-engineered Mazda 2.

“What’s the point of these, and how are they related to the original Scions?” lamented several friends, a couple of whom are Scion xB owners.

“Why not just make them Toyotas, if there’s no vision left for the brand?”

Well, that’s exactly what Toyota did. Next year’s (remaining) models will wear a Toyota badge, except for the tC coupe, which is being killed off before that can happen.

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Toyota is implying the entire foray into a new brand was just a marketing exercise for the parent company – a way of getting youngsters interested in the brand associated with your uncle’s Corolla, your dad’s Camry, and your grandmother’s Avalon.

“This is the next step to advancing the Toyota brand in Canada,” said Larry Hutchinson, President and CEO of Toyota Canada Inc, in the company’s official news release.

The Scion tC won’t return as a Toyota model. (Image: Toyota Canada)

“As a part of the team that established Scion in Canada, our goal was to make Toyota and our dealers stronger by learning how to better attract and engage young customers. This is exactly what we have accomplished and we look forward to expanding our product lineup with exciting product.”

After reading this, you could say that the Scion brand was a success after all!*

*I can see a glass half full, if forced to.

Back in the summer I wrote a post about the strange direction Scion seemed to be going in, and offered up some ideas on how to regain some interest, youthfulness, and, yes, funk to the brand.

Obviously, Toyota brass were not hanging on my every word.

And so, Scion prepares to take its place in the Hall of Former Marques, alongside Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Saab, Hummer, Mercury, Pontiac, Eagle, etc, etc. Now, let’s raise a glass in its honour.

However sad or ignominious the end, the people behind the brand deserve credit for taking a chance and heading in a new direction… albeit briefly.

Links:

http://media.scion.ca/releases/scion-brand-to-transition-to-toyota

They see me rollin’…

’nuff said…

Sometimes you just want to shout at the world.

Loud and proud.

No matter what the circumstances.

“Here I am! This is me! And this – yes, you guessed it – is my Toyota Corolla!”

If that’s not the mentality at work here, I don’t know what else could explain the need to advertise the driving of one of the world’s most ubiquitous vehicles.

This ain’t your grandma’s Corolla. Although, nothing’s stopping it.

A vehicle that has sold over 40 million copies, and comes with a 1.8-litre engine making 132 horsepower. And, just to be clear – it’s a previous generation of said vehicle.

The human psyche is a jungle.

I’m reminded of the recurring 1990s SNL skit with Will Ferrell playing the maladjusted dad who references his generic mid-size sedan during heated arguments with his family.

“I drive a Mitsubishi Gallant! This is serious stuff!”*

*Other vehicles included a Dodge Stratus

Given the enthusiasm needed to pull this off, I’m curious about what other braggy models I might encounter in my travels around the nation’s capitol.

Verano?

Avalon?

If ‘Corolla’ is a thing, then why not?

About face

The 2016 Scion iA, not to be confused with the Mazda 2 (Image: Toyota Motor Corporation)

Is Scion’s new direction the right one?

The sales woes of the Scion brand have been well documented as of late, including here on this humble blog.

Right now the struggling Toyota subsidiary is valiantly trying to reverse its falling fortunes, announcing three new models and chopping three of its worst sellers, the xB, xD, and iQ.

So far, two of those three company-savers have been unveiled, destined for 2016 showrooms. The iM is a small, sporty hatchback that would compete with the likes of the Honda Fit, while the familiar-looking iA subcompact sedan would compete with just about everyone.

The iA is a jarring thing, because it’s not really a Scion. Anyone keeping tabs on the industry will recognize the body shape and familiar flanks of the Mazda 2 sedan, albeit one with a strange (and huge) grille that serves to put design distance between it and the Mazda.

A third model has yet to be unveiled.

1978 Dodge Challenger (aka the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda), a product of desperate times.

When the iA first rolled onto the scene, it was a head-scratcher. What’s going on here? A Toyota-owned car company getting Mazda to built a car for it? What gives?

Badge engineering is a frowned upon activity for carmakers, but at least that would keep it in the (corporate) family.

Trans-corporate badge swapping like this reeks of 1970s-80s desperation – the kind that saw Chrysler leap into bed with Mitsubishi in order to get some diversity in the merchandise it was offering.

“We don’t have the resources to compete, but never mind that – can I offer you a (Plymouth) Sapporo?”

As weird as those rebadged imports were, the Scion bed-hopping is even more unusual, because it’s going behind the bleachers with close competitors. Not just Mazda with the iA, but also Subaru with the FR-S.

But maybe I’m just not getting it. Subaru and Mazda both offer modern, competitive tech-laden cars that are known for their sporty handling and attitude. Toyota? Not so much, but that’s fine – car companies don’t have to make each marque all things to all people.

Having well-regarded underpinnings for new model makes sense, even if it comes from someone else.

Is it wrong to bash badge-swapping if the donor car is a good one?

The appeal grows when you consider the financial incentives of paying another company to provide you with a manufactured product, without the need to invest much of your own capital into design, tooling and production.

In Scion’s case, just like in Chrysler’s way back when, the idea is to move units and make money. That’s what a company needs to do to stay afloat.

I don’t disagree with this reality, nor Scion’s decision to target big-volume segments like compact hatches and sedans. What I do disagree with is the form the product is taking.

Scion was founded to serve as a youth-oriented, edgy brand that stood in stark contrast with its parent company and its competitors. Rebadged Mazda’s and hatchbacks that could so easily carry a Toyota badge are not distinct and don’t distinguish the brand. Buyers might be lured into one for value and versatility, but not for individuality.

In other words, Scion risks diluting the image it has built for itself, confusing its purpose for existing. What’s the point of a Scion brand if they’re not even Scions?

Bring in the versatile funk

Many posts ago, I let slip an idea I had for resurrecting the Scion brand. It seemed like a good fit at the time, and even though new products have been announced since then, I still feel like it would be worthwhile.

A car company like Scion wants economical and versatile cars, yes? And they want them to be fun, and quirky?

Everyone in 1970s car ads skied, it seems.

I propose a modern-day line of cars that draw from the spirit and intent of the lowly Fiat 124.

Yes, the little Italian workhorse that spawned so many different body styles – sedan, coupe, wagon, roadster – between 1966 and 1974.

Durable, boxy, but attainable, the four-cylinder-only lineup is still readily identifiable (and not just because it was copied by Lada from 1970 to 1988).

Not only would it likely appeal to the nostalgia-stricken and wannabe avante-garde hipsters alike, it could draw in those looking for a sporty RWD offering that doesn’t break the bank.

After all, it was a nimble thing, by all accounts. Boldride.com has a series of excellent Fiat 124 track photos, including one of a sedan lifting its wheel in a corner (isn’t that adorable?) while battling a 124 coupe.

Again with the skiing. This time, a 124 coupe.

It would be hard not to compare the concept of a modern day 124 with the original xB – the car that put Scion on the map. That model was a funky take on the lowly compact hatchback, and it initially sold like gangbusters.

It was also unique and instantly recognizable as a Scion, something a rebadged Mazda or Subaru is not.

I don’t expect to be paid handsomely by Scion for this helpful suggestion (I’m here, though – call me) – rather, I’m just putting the idea out there. You know, if it appeals to this writer, there must be at least several other weirdos who’d also like to see it happen.

The full model range of the Fiat 124. Something for everyone.

“We’re Number 2!”

Buick rises to No. 2 in dependability study, Lexus keeps crown

The Lexus brand, once again, took the top spot when the reliability of 2012 models was tabulated (Image: Toyota Motor Corporation)

No one wants to find themselves at the bottom of a J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.

The market research company tracks vehicle reliability over a three-year period, and has the power to make or break a car company’s reputation.

The most recent study followed the trials and tribulations of 2012 model year vehicles, and ranked brands and models accordingly.

Thanks to the study, Buick now has reason to feel sunny, while Fiat might want to have a friend stay at their side.

The resurgent Buick brand rose to the number 2 spot, one step shy of the pinnacle, which is (and was) occupied by Lexus. Toyota and Cadillac were the third and fourth most dependable brands, with Honda and Porsche tied for fifth.

Clearly, there’s a Toyota-General Motors rivalry at play.

Buick also scored the top spot in the large car segment for its Lacrosse.

Buick rose to the Number 2 spot in this year's J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study (Image: General Motors)

Buick rose to the Number 2 spot in this year’s J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, with the LaCrosse topping the large car segment (Image: General Motors)

J.D. Power forms its list by tabulating the number of owner’s complaints per 100 vehicles of each brand. With 273 problems reported from 100 vehicles, Fiat scored dead last in this study.

This isn’t good news for a quirky brand that’s trying to gain a foothold in a challenging market.

Other brands that fell below average were Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Land Rover, Mini, Jeep and Dodge.

While these rankings could cause vehicle owners (or prospective owners) to tug comically at their shirt collars, let it be known that the study records all complaints, many of which concern non-essential but much-used functions such as infotainment systems.

Images of exploding gas tanks, detaching driveshafts, transmissions falling onto the road, and pistons flying through the hood are often the first things that come to mind when people talk about dependability, but this is increasingly giving way to frustrations over wonky technology and non-user friendly interfaces.

Fiat ranked dead last in the vehicle dependability study, which factored heavily on in-car technology. A 2015 Fiat 500X is seen here.

“Technology issues with vehicles are viewed as significant problems by owners, and they typically don’t go away after the honeymoon period of vehicle ownership is over,” stated Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive at J.D. Power, following the latest rankings.

Buyers demand the latest technology and conveniences in their vehicles, and automakers struggle to keep up with that demand. When the resulting technology is marketed with flaws and drawbacks, buyers tend to be very critical, and won’t forget when it comes time to decide on another vehicle.

It makes you wonder how the Chevy Vega would have ranked had there been touchscreens and Bluetooth in the ’70s.

Links:

http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/dependability.htm

http://autos.jdpower.com/content/blog-post/xCztqM4/in-vehicle-technology-significantly-impacts-owner-satisfaction-according-to-j-d-power-2015-vehicle-dependability-study.htm

Motoring, à la française

The Hyundai Intrado sport crossover concept comes unwrapped at the Montreal International Auto Show.

Thoughts from the 2015 Montreal Auto Show

There’s few things as unsexy as driving in Canada in the middle of January.

Brutal cold is never sexy, nor is starting your car in that same nostril hair-freezing temperature and shivering while the heater valiantly tries (and fails) to blow warm air.

Road salt and brown-grey slush covers everything – roads, sidewalks, your car, your pants – while the weather forecast teases you with warmer weather (which never materializes) on the last day of the week.

So it was fitting that the mercury was holding steady at minus 25 when I left Ottawa for the warm, glitzy confines of the Montreal Auto Show this past week.

Thankfully, the only salt to be found inside the Palais des Congrès was on my Old Dutch potato chips.

Here it is – the 2084 Camry! Actually, the Toyota FT1 concept is meant to tease a future design direction for the company.

Unlike past years, lots of concepts were unveiled this time around, and mainly from Japanese automakers. Could it be they’re feeling a growing ‘beige’ backlash to their sensible but reserved offerings?

The wildest concept by far was the Toyota FT1, a two-seater supercar that was red enough and low enough to arouse Prince. Missing a drivetrain, the FT1’s totally un-Camrylike styling is a direction the company rep said Toyota plans to go in.

No word on whether the FT1 will be appearing alongside Corollas in Toyota showrooms anytime soon, but I somehow doubt it.

Supercars are hot, but they aren’t big sellers. Most of the concepts revealed at the show were a little more sensible, and shared a common theme: compact, sporty, 2-door crossovers aimed at adventurous, urban Millennials.

Subaru’s VIZIV 2 concept (another 2-door sport crossover!) reflects the company’s future styling plans.

Have you finished vomiting yet? Yes, the ‘adventurous, urban Millennial’ is the new, hipsterized ‘young urban professional’ of yesterday.

Whether you’re grabbing your beard buddies and heading down to the Vance Joy/Lumineers concert, taking your open relationship girlfriend to the Lena Dunham book signing, or ironically shopping for Mason jars or corduroys by yourself, these concepts were meant to arouse apathy and muted passion all at once.

Subaru brought its VIZIV 2 concept, Hyundai rolled out the Intrado, and Volkswagen showed up with the T-ROC. Together, the concepts were meant to imply a design and market direction, one that (if accurate) should have America’s young people toasting their good fortune with overly hoppy craft beer.

Paging Millennials – the Volkswagen T-ROC might be the lifestyle you need.

All joking aside, the concepts have definite appeal. A Jack-of-all-trades vehicle that combines sportiness with modern amenities, a city-friendly body length and usable utility would seemingly be the perfect vehicle for a childless one-car couple.

They could easily be a second, more ‘fun’ car for a Baby Boomer couple. Or, just maybe, individuals of all ages might come to the conclusion that – based on its attributes – this is the car for them.

Besides the concepts, a number of models ready and waiting to be bought were given some time in the limelight.

The North American unveiling of the Mazda 2 revealed a newly KODOized styling job, a new 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-G engine, a longer wheelbase and basically upgraded everything. Despite the freshening up, it looks like the 2 will retain the sprightly personality it has made for itself.

The front end of the 2016 Mazda 2 shows off its new KODO design language.

The Fiat 500X, the larger crossover built atop the stretched 500L platform that underpins the Jeep Renegade, impressed with its pleasing proportions and tasteful trim. Compared to the 500X, the 500L looks like a birthday cake after a grenade attack.

Lincoln’s refreshed-for-2016 MKX was at the show, but wasn’t afforded any unveiling time. Still the black MKX in the display reflected the new MKC-inspired styling job well. The treatment can best be described as ‘safely, subtly stylish’ and can only do good things for the mid-size SUV as Lincoln continues with its turnaround.

Missing from the Montreal show (due to overlap with the Detroit show) was the 640-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V sport sedan, which was a damn shame, though the ATS coupe and stunning Elmiraj concept gave journos something sharp (and sharp-edged) to look at.

The Cadillac Elmiraj concept rolled into Canada to show us what a luxury American coupe should look like.

I was hoping to come across the Hyundai Santa Cruz concept, but alas, no dice. Unveiled in Detroit, the clamshell door, short-bed unibody pickup concept has generated a lot of interest, and not just because it seemed more ‘fleshed-out’ than other concepts.

The Santa Cruz is downright appealing. While the ‘crossover coupe’ was all the rage at Montreal, I wouldn’t bet against this ‘crossover pickup’ getting the green light from Hyundai before long. It seems like the company was trying to strategically gauge consumer demand by unveiling a nearly production-ready prototype.

Build it, I say.

I disappear

‘iM’ marks the spot…of a new hatchback…that Scion hopes will sell big (Image: Scion)

That seems to be what the Scion brand is doing lately, if sales figures are any indication.

A dismal year in both Canada and the U.S. has the youth-oriented Toyota Motor Corp. subsidiary against the ropes – desperate to recapture both sales and the car buying public’s attention.

Last year saw Scion sales drop a collar-tugging 20.4% in Canada compared to 2013, with a 15.1% drop in the U.S. market.

In a bid to shed dead weight, Scion announced last year it would be phasing out its micro-sized iQ, as well as its xD and larger xB hatches, the latter of which was the fledgling brand’s first quirky success story.

Sold in the U.S. since 2004 (and in Canada since the fall of 2010), the funky-yet-practical xB became synonymous with the brand – a box with personality – but soon found itself suffering from declining sales.

U.S. sales figures for the xB reached a high point of over 61,000 units in 2006, but since fell to less than 17,000 in 2014.

The box with baggage. The once-iconic Scion xB will be put out to pasture in the near future (Image: Scion)

A box with baggage. The once-iconic Scion xB will be put out to pasture in the near future (Image: Scion)

The slow-selling FR-S sport coupe released in 2012 in collaboration with Subaru (and sold as the Toyota GT86 overseas) isn’t going to be any company’s bread and butter, nor is the competent but aging tC coupe, which means fresh offerings are needed to keep the brand buoyant.

Recently, Scion offered a peak at what the near future holds for the brand, and it isn’t all that exciting. On Jan. 7, Scion announced it would be introducing the iM hatch at the New York International Auto Show in April.

The model’s concept, unveiled late last year, somewhat resembles the love child of a Mazda 3 and a Toyota Yaris.

The press release makes sure to touch on the youthfulness of the iM:

“The new iM represents one of the two new models that Scion will bring to market in the next three years aimed at independently minded drivers. The vehicles will bring exciting options for Scion’s youthful customers looking for vehicles to support both adventure and sensibility.”

The iM concept car was blue, but Scion hopes it helps them see $$green$$ (Image: Scion)

Did you catch that? Yes, the iM’s press release points to a SECOND Scion vehicle we can expect to see unveiled this year.

And what kind of vehicle will this shadowy savior be? A sedan!

Yes, Scion’s first-ever sedan, which will have its work cut out for it trying to distinguish itself in such a crowded (and competitive) field.

Scion says the new sedan, as well as the iM and another model to be introduced in the near future, are “aimed at independently minded 18-34 year olds.”

But there’s so damn few of those! I hope Scion knows what it’s gotten itself into (though I have to imagine they’re more concerned with getting themselves out of their current sales slump).

As excited as Scion is about their new babies, not everyone is marking the days on the calendar. Over at Jalopnik, David Torchinsky called the sedan announcement part of Scion’s “bold plan to phone it in,” cheekily posting an image of an xB with a Toyota Avalon’s trunk grafted onto its ass.

Hipsters might think this is neat. Roll with it.

Rumour has it that the sedan will be based on the upcoming Mazda 2, which wouldn’t necessarily be a terrible thing. A two-week drive in a Mazda 2 this past summer made me appreciate the plucky car’s interior room, front seat comfort, and go-kart-like handling.

If the bones underneath this sedan are already competent, it’s up to Scion to make the body memorable and desirable. Those Millennials are fickle, status-quo shunning people, after all…*

*(rolls eyes)

…so my advice would be to give it the boxy body of a 1970s Fiat/Lada and call it good.

Links:

http://pressroom.scion.com/releases/scion+2015+ny+auto+show+im+sedan+debut.htm

http://media.scion.ca/releases/scion-im-on-the-way-in-2015

http://jalopnik.com/scion-to-introduce-first-sedan-as-part-of-bold-plan-to-1678083595

After the gold rush

With dropping oil prices and an economy on the upswing, why not buy that new Mustang? (Image: Ford Motor Company)

End-of-year sales figures are in, and it seems the people who didn’t buy a new car this year could all fit on a short-wheelbase bus.

2014 turned out to be a boffo year for the automotive industry, and for American manufacturers, too – automakers who just a half-decade ago were questioning whether they’d survive to see the 2010’s.

In Canada, overall sales were up 6% over last year’s totals, and rose an astonishing 16% in December. In the United States, sales also rose 6% in 2014, and 11% in the month of December.

In Canada, the top three companies turned out to be the Big Three, with Ford Motor Company on top with 15.8% of the market, while Fiat-Chrysler took 15.7% and General Motors snagging 13.5%.

In the U.S. of A, GM was on top of the corporate sales ladder with 17.8% of the year’s market share, followed by Ford (14.9%) and Toyota Motor Corporation (14.4%).

Buick made impressive sales gains in Canada in 2014, selling 31% more than the year before (Image: General Motors)

In terms of brands, Canadians were most partial to Ford, which saw sales rise by 39.5% for December (compared to Dec. ’13) and 2.7% for the year. Honda and Toyota took 2nd and 3rd place, with Chevrolet and RAM rounding out the top five.

South of the border, Americans also found themselves drawn to Ford the most (thought the annual tally dipped by 1.1% over last year), followed by Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

Other automakers also had strong showings this December compared to last. Buick saw Canadian sales rose 64.9%, finishing the year 31% higher than 2013. Chrysler sales shot up 86.9% in the Christmas month, though overall sales were down slightly (2.9%) for the year.

Even the Lincoln brand, which seemed (until recently) to be as endangered as GM and Chrysler were in 2008, saw positive sales gains. In Canada, the luxury brand saw a 61.4% boost in December, finishing the year 17.3% higher than last. In the U.S., Lincoln saw December sales rise 21.4% over 2013, with an annual total 15.6% higher.

Interest is being rekindled in that storied brand, it would seem.

Scion sales slid sharply in 2014 in both American and Canadian markets (Image: Toyota Motor Corporation)

In a game with winners and losers, there always has to be a downside – even with buyers running to dealerships en masse, cash in hand. This past month – and this past year – the loser was Scion, the Toyota offshoot that appears to be headed the same direction as the Lusitania.

With December sales down 30.7% in Canada and 11.7% in the U.S., drastic action will be needed to reverse this trend and keep the brand afloat. The annual sales loss for Scion works out to a drop of 20.4% in Canada and 15.1% in the U.S.

Ouch.

A sporty, 5-door hatch scheduled to be released in 2015 might change things, but I’d say more models are needed to bring the brand back to visibility.

Crystal ball types are predicting that it will be difficult for the industry to maintain this level of sales next year, which isn’t all that surprising. At some point, the amount of new cars already bought, and the amount of people who can’t afford them, will conspire to reach a sales plateau.

My not-too-brilliant prediction: with oil prices plunging, expect growth in the truck and SUV categories this coming year.

Links:

http://www.desrosiers.ca/pdfs/sales.pdf

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2015/01/canada-auto-sales-brand-results-december-2014-year-end.html

Dream on

Regrettable car decisions don’t go away just because you’re asleep…

There was a great independent film released a few years ago called Take Shelter, in which a simple, hard-working family man in Ohio begins having horrific, recurring nightmares.

All of the dreams, which are the most realistic I’ve ever seen on film, contain the same hallmarks – an atmosphere of uneasy tension, the approach of a thunderstorm, a deluge of rain that seems thicker than normal, and the appearance of an unexpected menace.

In the film, those dreams are trying to tell him something (I won’t say what). In our own lives, theorists tell us that recurring dreams are our mind’s way of telling us something about ourselves, and are often caused by a psychological trigger.

Michael Shannon in a scene from Take Shelter.

Sure, it’s common for illnesses like anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to trigger such dreams, but could something as benign as selling a car lead to Slumberland disturbances?

I say it can, because it happened to me.

After trading in my old ’94 Camry in 2008, that same car appeared in my dreams for years on end. Unremarkable dreams, sure, and ones that gradually diminished in frequency over time, but it was still something.

The dreams were simple. No matter what car I was presently driving, I would wake up to find that my old Camry had returned sometime during the night and was again vying for my driving affection. I would then scramble to make arrangements to house my returning friend.

I loved that car. It took me anywhere and everywhere, competently and without drama or mishap. I firmly believe that era of Toyota Camry – 1992 to 1996 – was the pinnacle of bulletproof Japanese quality.

Not my actual Camry, but a near copy of it, right down to the colour. Mine kept its wheel covers (Bull-Doser/Wikimedia Commons)

Built like a bank vault, oozing quality, that car never once left me stranded, never burned oil or required engine or transmission work, and still ran fine with 420,000 kilometres on the odometer.

It drove me to Newfoundland and the south coast of Labrador , and shrugged off impacts with two deer over its lifetime, suffering next to no damage. Even on the harshest sub-zero mornings in Ottawa, the aging battery (which had been replaced only once, at 91,000 km) turned over the engine without hesitation.

Oh, and it was rare, too. Beige, yes, but rare. Somehow I had managed to find a 2-door model with a 5-speed manual transmission bolted to the base 2.2-litre four-cylinder, which made for a fun, economy-minded Japanese rig.

I could go on and on (oh yes!) – about the roominess, the fold-down armrest in the rear, the wonderful placement of the ignition in the dash, the high-quality upholstery – but you get the picture.

Oh, it’s MORE, baby! Could the ’92-96 Camry be the most rock-solid midsize ever?

Eventually, the list of non-drivetrain fixes that needed to be performed to keep the car on the road became too long. I was starting a new job that required a daily driver, and the psychological impact of the extremely high mileage on the odometer worried me.

Forget range anxiety – this car was starting to give me lifespan anxiety!

So, it went to the wreckers shortly after the trade-in. And I felt bad about that. Worse, I felt guilty, like I had betrayed a loyal, trusted friend. I had taken it out behind the barn while its little 2.2-litre heart was still beating (and not burning a drop of oil, either).

Guilt, regret, sorrow – all of those emotions compelled the Camry to return to me in my dream state. It’s been about a year since the last time it happened, and I credit a frenzied January search for a worthy buyer of my last vehicle (rather than trading it in) for making the dreams cease.

After years of thinking my Camry guilt was outside of the realm of normal, a confession by two car-loving friends made me realize my experience wasn’t so unusual.

For one friend, it was a childhood car that kept coming back in his dreams; for the other, it was a car frequently borrowed as an adolescent that “got away” before it could be owned.

I felt pretty normal after that, and began to wonder – what was the frequency of car-related dreams amongst drivers? I don’t have the funding to perform a survey, so we can only guess.

I also wonder when Toyota will bring back the 2-door Camry, so that me and (maybe) three other drivers can buy one. How about it, huh?

Big in Japan

2014 Toyota Avalon: more style, less dust.

This won’t come as a shock to anyone who read my earlier post about being a land yacht-ophile, but I have always respected the Toyota Avalon.

It’s okay to be big, and yes, it’s okay to appeal to an older demographic that just wants a large, reliable car. A conservatively styled one, at that. One that would prefer to pamper an owner, rather than get their blood pumping.

That was not an old person joke.

Since its debut in 1995, the Avalon has always seemed like something of an anomaly. Why does Toyota, a brand known for economic, compact cars, insist on fielding a large car offering? One would think the ubiquitous (and large-ish) Camry and the offerings of luxury division Lexus would cover the lion’s share of customer’s wants and desires.

First generation (1995-1999) Toyota Avalon, featuring the absence of straight lines that characterized the decade in automotive styling (photo: TTTNIS/Wikimedia)

First generation (1995-1999) Toyota Avalon, featuring the near absence of straight lines that characterized the decade in automotive styling (photo: TTTNIS/Wikimedia)

Yet here we are, having now passed the 20th anniversary of the Avalon (first produced Feb. 21, 1994), now in its fourth generation. Clearly, the model has legs, and a purpose in the lineup. Hell, Toyota sells around 5,500 of them a month in the U.S., and sales numbers are higher now than they were two, three, four years ago.

What’s going on, and how did we get here?

As the flagship of a make, but not a company, the Avalon always made do with a single engine/transmission choice – just like its razor-sharp predecessor, the Cressida, and like other contemporary flagships. After all, who needs choice when you’ve already got it all?

For the first decade of its existence, through an extremely safe restyling job and evolutionary equipment improvements, the Avalon kept its 3.0-litre V-6 and 4-speed automatic. Let’s be clear – this isn’t exciting stuff.

Though it was always based on a stretched Camry platform, Toyota saw fit to make the body larger starting in 1999, possibly to set it apart from other Japanese sedans and position it to better rival traditional American comfort cruisers.

The Avalon quickly gained the nickname ‘Japanese Buick’, for reasons obvious to everyone.

Second generation (2000-2004) Avalon. Someone had to battle the all-new Impala. (image: IFCAR/Wikimedia)

In 2005, the Avalon grew again – both in body size as well as engine displacement. At 3.5-litres, the sole engine choice made a very respectable 280hp, while the transmission gained a cog and, for whatever reason, ‘manumatic’ shifting capability. Find me one retiree who rowed the gears on his Avalon…

Sadly, the third-generation Avalon did away with the 3-person front bench seat, a move that further set it apart from traditional American cars (which were, by then, endangered). As far as I know, this was this the last time a Japanese car offered a front bench.

Against a backdrop of financial upheaval in world markets and the near collapse of the American auto industry, the Avalon plodded a safe course through the late 2000’s. The model remained in the Toyota stable, but some would argue it played things a little too safe.

Third generation (2005-2012) was the chrome-iest and most American of the ‘Japanese Buicks’ (Image: IFCAR/Wikimedia)

During the seven years the third-generation model was produced, buyers could be forgiven for thinking it had gone out of production, such was its invisibility.

A 6-speed transmission was added to keep things mechanically up to date, while the body underwent subtle styling changes. The 2011-2012 models liberally slapped on the front-end chrome, making it the most American looking of all of the Japanese Buicks.

Then, things changed. Possibly to give it a new lease on life, for 2013 the Avalon dared to break out of its safe room, confronting potential (and return) buyers with… a full-body design change. Its super-wide lower grille opening, flowing roofline and pleasingly creased sheetmetal might have turned off some buyers, but could easily have brought more on board.

Baby got bustle…

No longer invisible, the Avalon began offering a secondary drivetrain option for the first time in its two decade existence. In this case, a gas-electric hybrid drivetrain (utilizing the Camry’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder), a needed addition to reach those ever-higher EPA-mandated mileage numbers.

The 6-speed automatic carries over as the sole transmission.

Clearly, the significant restyle had an impact on the buying public, as Avalon sales shot up starting in December, 2012 – the first month the fourth-generation model went on sale. See the link below for those numbers.

Time will tell whether the Avalon remains in Toyota’s lineup for the foreseeable future, but given the ride it’s been on over the past 20 years (and the current sales volumes), I doubt we’ll see it disappear anytime soon.

Links:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01/toyota-avalon-sales-figures.html

Hybrid theory

Some kind of Ford hybrid will be doing battle with Toyota’s Prius starting in late 2018.

War clouds are gathering, and for once they’re figurative.

If media reports are true (and when are they not?), Ford Motor Company is gearing up to wage battle with… the eco-friendly Toyota Prius.

The Prius remains the ever-popular darling of the green crowd, and is still the first name that comes to mind when the topic of hybrids is brought up. Toyota sells piles of them, and apparently Ford isn’t happy about that.

A shadowy person told Reuters last week that the automaker – which is reasonably good financial shape – plans to introduce a standalone hybrid model in late 2018. A Ford spokesperson then got all cagey when asked about it.

ShadowMan claims the model will be based on Ford’s new global C2 platform, which will underpin the future Focus and Escape. Naturally, every bit of technology (some of which probably can’t even be imagined in 2014) will be employed to wring every last bit of range out of the future ShadowVehicle.

Know thy enemy

The Prius family is a big one, having grown to include the regular Prius, a plug-in version, the compact C, and the larger, wagon-like V. All that’s missing from the lineup is a drop-top, a large SUV, and an El Camino-type ‘Ute’.

Still, the Prius clan isn’t immune to market forces – among them, cheaper gasoline and diesel vehicles that return increasingly impressive fuel economy (not to mention competing hybrids). The devilishly handsome folks at goodcarbadcar.net report an 11.2% drop in Prius family sales between July of 2013 and July of this year in the U.S. Year to date, the Prius family is down 11% in U.S. sales.

In Canada, the Prius situation is worse, with July sales showing a 21.4% drop over the previous year, and year-to-date sales down 14.3%.

While these numbers are discouraging, they’re not dire. Over 86,000 Prius models have still found their way into American driveways so far this year.

“Don’t you want me, baby?”

As for Ford, which is currently pushing the hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of its popular Fusion sedan (and offering the hybrid drivetrain as a no-cost option on their Lincoln MKZ), a certain vehicle seems to have been abandoned in a basket at the neighbour’s front door.

The Ford C-Max went on sale in North America in September, 2012, following years of sales in Europe. The upright, Kia Rondo-ish hatch runs solely on hybrid power (normal or plug-in), but if the goal was to challenge Prius for the hybrid crown, that ball missed the basket by a nautical mile.

Nearly invisible in the marketplace, and tainted by fudged mileage figures that left drivers expecting more, the C-Max saw its total U.S. sales fall by 40.1% year-to-date.

Cracking the 3,000 vehicle mark seems a near impossible task for the C-Max this year. Contrast that with the Prius’ numbers, and you can clearly see a need for a Plan ‘B’.

What this new vehicle will look like when it debuts four long years from now is anyone’s guess, but if it’s designed to beat the Prius at its own game, expect similar body styles and every scrap of technology Ford can lay its hands on.

Links:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/20/us-autos-ford-hybrid-exclusive-idUSKBN0GK28K20140820

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2014/08/usa-auto-sales-rankings-by-make-model-july-2014-ytd-sales-figures.html

Driven to Attraction

If it has an engine, it has a heart

Tag Archives: Toyota

Requiem for a brand

They see me rollin’…

About face

Is Scion’s new direction the right one?

Bring in the versatile funk

“We’re Number 2!”

Buick rises to No. 2 in dependability study, Lexus keeps crown

Motoring, à la française

Thoughts from the 2015 Montreal Auto Show

I disappear

After the gold rush

Dream on

Big in Japan

Hybrid theory