Automotive News - February 4, 2008 - (Page 42) 42 • FEBRUARY 4, 2008 The online dealer INSIGHT Online assembly line allows built-to-order Scions, delivered fast Ports are used to create just what customers want Mark Rechtin mrechtin@crain.com I At the port, Elpidio Santos installs a specialty taillight on a Scion xB — one of over 100 options available to buyers. n a perfect world, vehicle shoppers get exactly the cars and trucks they desire. But most consumers, confronted with a parking lot full of dealership inventory and pres- Auto dealers’ business is Auto dealers’ business is selling and servicing vehicles. selling and servicing vehicles. Insuring auto dealers Insuring auto dealers is Sentry’s business. is Sentry’s business. Find out how Sentry’s expertise can help keep your auto dealership safe, reduce your losses and hold the line on insurance premiums. For your insurance and safety needs, CALL TODAY! 1-800-447-0633 sentry.com oo th by our b o S top er t d re gis t ! an ash pr ize wi n a c sure to buy today, usually pick something that comes closest to what they want. So what if the stereo isn’t quite right, or the seats are pleather instead of leather, or the paint color is a darker shade of blue than they preferred? Close enough counts in hand grenades and car shopping. But Toyota’s Scion youth brand is trying to give customers what they want — and quickly. Since its launch in 2003, Scion has allowed shoppers to configure a car online with factoryand dealer-installed equipment. The configurator at Scion’s Web site, www.scion.com, allows customers to build their own car by selecting the model, exterior color, transmission, accessories, audio and wheels. The virtual car then can be taken to a dealer, who sees whether he or she can recreate the car from inventory. That’s not a big deal. Most automakers do that nowadays. But Toyota’s port facilities have miniature assembly lines that enable dealers to send custom orders to the port. A built-to-spec car is returned to the buyer — in some cases within a week. “Scion is a step forward toward assisting the ‘build to order’ concept within the framework of port pooling and accessorization,” says Scion Vice President Jack Hollis. Initially, Scion’s plan was that dealerships would have only enough cars to use as demonstrator models. Customer orders would be filled from inventory at a regional port. No vehicle would be delivered unless a retail customer ordered it. But dealers found that many customers were satisfied making only minor tweaks to Scions, which came well-equipped. A dealer could handle a configured car through the store’s inventory and a quick trip to the service department for accessories. A dealer also could arrange a vehicle trade with a nearby dealer who had a car in stock that was closer to what a customer wanted. Scion officials say the configuration program has succeeded. The brand can’t track the exact number of vehicles ordered from ports through the configurator, but company research shows that 70 percent of visitors to scion.com use the configurator, says spokeswoman Allison Takahashi. Single-spec solution The Scion xA and xB hatchbacks essentially are single-specification cars when they leave the factory in Japan. The only variations are paint color and a choice of transmission. Buyers can select more than 100 port-installed accessories, all covered by the Toyota warranty. These include spoilers, floor illumination lights, satellite radios, sport mufflers, cold-air intakes and lowering springs. Usually such intricate accessories would be installed at the factory. But Scion’s low volume allows the assembly line at the port to handle the job. And because all Scions are built in Japan, the wait for a custom-built car would take months. That wouldn’t do. Instead, when a customer places a see SCION, Page 44 STRENGTH • PROTECTION SINCE 1904 • V I G I L A N C E® Products and safety services are underwritten, issued and/or administered by a member of the Sentry Insurance Group, Stevens Point, WI. For a complete listing of companies, visit sentry.com. Policies, coverages, benefits and discounts are not available in all states. Certain restrictions apply. See policy for complete coverage details. 2/07 ( ) http://www.scion.com http://sentry.com http://www.scion.com http://sentry.com http://sentry.com
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