Very pleased to know that the xB will remain in the market. While it may not, IMHO, be genuinely iconic, it is nearly so. I absolutely love my '08 and every time I drive it I feel its attitude as I get behind the wheel.
I hope that Toyota/Scion does some soul-searching as to how to properly position the car. Yes, it is filled with attitude and the market position to younger buyers isn't bad, but the appeal to the more mature buyer is undeniable and it is foolish of them to ignore or undersell to that segment. A buyers age doesn't automatically correlate to disinterest in smart style. The utility and accessibility of the design is second to few if any, and that only enhances its appeal across the entire buying spectrum. KIA did a great job of ripping the soul of the xB into the Soul and marketing it more successfully. The Soul's appeal, aside from its overstated gas mileage, is to me, utility along with snappy box design, which the xB does better. The success of the Soul shows that Toyota has dropped the ball with the xB to this point. xB sales should have been ramping up rather than down.
The xB feature set is rich enough that any user can find comfort in the ownership experience without having to bear the burden of increased cost and more tech-drek offered in more "upscale" models. Not everyone wants to pay 33K for a RAV.
I hope that Toyota/Scion does some soul-searching as to how to properly position the car. Yes, it is filled with attitude and the market position to younger buyers isn't bad, but the appeal to the more mature buyer is undeniable and it is foolish of them to ignore or undersell to that segment. A buyers age doesn't automatically correlate to disinterest in smart style. The utility and accessibility of the design is second to few if any, and that only enhances its appeal across the entire buying spectrum. KIA did a great job of ripping the soul of the xB into the Soul and marketing it more successfully. The Soul's appeal, aside from its overstated gas mileage, is to me, utility along with snappy box design, which the xB does better. The success of the Soul shows that Toyota has dropped the ball with the xB to this point. xB sales should have been ramping up rather than down.
The xB feature set is rich enough that any user can find comfort in the ownership experience without having to bear the burden of increased cost and more tech-drek offered in more "upscale" models. Not everyone wants to pay 33K for a RAV.
