Toyota's Scion falls on hard times

DETROIT, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Toyota's Scion hasn't been able to maintain the U.S. sales promise it showed when introduced six years ago, industry analysts say.

Scion sales fell a thumping 50.6 percent in the first 10 months of this year when compared to the same period in 2008 -- far more than Toyota's overall 23.2-percent sales decline and Chrysler's 38-percent figure. Analysts say the reason is that Scion hasn't been able to maintain the hipster image it tapped when introduced in 2003, The Detroit Free Press reported.

"Scion hasn't been a standout for any product reason," Mike Bernacchi, a marketing professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, told the News. "There hasn't been much innovation from Scion vehicles. It made an early splash, but hasn't shown great legs."

Added Rebecca Lindland of IHS Global Insight, "Generation Y (25- to 31-year-olds) doesn't like to be patronized. You can't force guerrilla marketing onto a product that doesn't appeal to them any more than you can give yourself a nickname."

Toyota officials reportedly say they are moving to reinvent the Scion, expanding its lineup of vehicle and replacing its mainstay tC coupe.