You either missed or I didn't state my point well:
One of the key things that kept the original xB "cool" was the limited availability. Some people had to wait 2-3 months just to get one. It wasn't a car you could just roll up at the dealer and pick out an endless series of options and drive off in.
hi omeyga:
As I understood your point it was the the Kia Dealers seemed to have plenty of SOULs sitting around on their lots, where that had not been the case with the xB.
My point was that all Dealers have plenty of cars this year - as auto sales are down over 50%. My additional point was that due to the Banking Breakdown - marginal buyers that used to buy inexpensive cars have really been put out of the market.
The surefire way to kill off cool quickly...put everybody in one. Enter the Soul. There are just too many sitting there waiting on a driver. I don't blame kia for this, after all...they're made to be sold. But my main point was that while it's a catchy little ride and they did a good job designing it. The Iconic-ness isn't really there and the cool-trendy vibe we have going on right now won't last long at all simply based on the numbers we're capable of seeing people drive off the dealer lots.
I understand your concern - but the actual sales numbers don't seem to support it. Soul sales are planned to be about the same as xB sales were, and Soul sales seem to be in the same ball park as xB sales are this year.
One thing that the Soul seems to have going for it - that the xB didn't - is that the Soul seems to be appealing to a broader market demographic. This may help Kia meet its sales goals - where the more narrow appeal of the xB may hurt Scion this and next year. Scion xB sales are running about 50% of the previous year.
Both cars were admittedly aimed at Gen Y - and xB seems to have hit that market at the right time and captured Gen Y sales. Soul on the other hand seems to have hit the market at a not so good time, but has made up for it with a Design that has broader appeal.
U.S. Scion xB Sales - Yearly
2003- - - - -6,936 California Only 105 Dealerships(2004 model)
2004- - - - -47,013
2005- - - - -54,037
2006- - - - -61,306
2007- - - - -45,834
2008- - - - -45,220
Scion xB Sales 2009:
Jan- - - - - - -1,715
Feb- - - - - - -1,640
March- - - - -2,090
April- - - - - -2,036
May- - - - - - -2,216
Jun- - - - - - -1,869
July- - - - - - - 2,838
- - - - - - 14,404 year to date
U.S. SOUL SALES 2009
Feb.- - - - - - - - -34
March- - - - - -1,246
Apr-- - - - - - -3,228
May- - - - - - -3,855
June- - - - - - -2,811
July- - - - - - - 4,853
- - - - -- - 16,027 year to date
Kia in the USA expects to sell 20,000 units from introduction in March though Sept. and 50,000 units during the first full year of sales.{Fiscal Year Oct though Sept.}
Sidenote: Our nearest Kia dealership is 45miles away. I still think to this day I'm the only Soul in my city so thusfar I still get the head turns and questions. Incidentally, my original Scion xB was still novelty the day I traded her in on the Soul. It was at the end still almost a daily occurrence for someone to ask me xB questions (always amazed me how after 3 years there were still people that had never heard of Scion...gotta love Alabama).
Actually - I do love Alabama. I don't expect it to change much either, but over time the manufacturer that delivers the vehicles the people of Alabama want to buy, with the best quality at affordable price points - will win there. I mean my goodness - we not have Toyota running NASCAR and Trophy Trucks. Who knows what will happen next - a major Kia Plant in Alabama perhaps??
I will be interesting to watch and see how Kia makes out ...
FWIW,
Carl b.
