Boxy is in: Hip young drivers get square

When Toyota introduced the Scion xB, with its giant box and tiny wheels, it was derided as looking like a rolling microwave. But this year, sales have increased by nearly 22% compared with last year. In fact, its customised version for 2006, the Release Series 3.0—in “envy green”, with an Alpine DVD audio/video player and seven-spoke wheels—is sold out.
Yes, it’s hip to be square—at least when it comes to the shape of cars, reports Chris Woodyard in USA Today. “Even as big, traditional SUVs have seen their popularity wane, the smaller boxes are making a sales dent with the younger crowd. They’re economical, practical and eminently customisable.”
Chevrolet has twice revised sales projections upward for its retro-styled HHR small SUV. Honda is souping up its angular Element for a new version called the SC that goes on sale this month:It’s aimed at winning back the Xers. Target buyer age: 25. The fired-up SC edition will have a lowered look, tighter suspension and 18-inch alloy wheels aimed at adding some urban attitude. And, BMW’s boxish Mini remains in short supply at dealers.
“I think the shape is so unique compared to what you see on the road today,” says Stephan Butler, 35, of New York about his new special edition Mini Cooper. Butler and his wife picked up their $32,000 Mini with a blue body, silver roof and red mirrors in August.
“Just the nature of the cube allows you to the space to make it a mobile party experience,” says auto-marketing consultant Gordon Wangers.
The distinctive shape isn’t limited to small vehicles. GM’s Hummer, Toyota’s FJ Cruiser, Mercedes-Benz’s G-Class and a few other SUVs all draw from the box shape. But it’s the smaller versions—both cars and trucks— that seem to be in biggest demand. "The boxy look is almost antiestablishment. Why not take it to a higher level?" asks John Watts, Honda's manager of product planning. While big vehicles usually mean big profits, manufacturers are embracing the small boxes because the personalisation items they sell, from custom wheels to audio and video, tack hundreds, even thousands, on the sales price. When it went on sale last year, critics dismissed the Chevy HHR’s size and retro styling. Originally pegged to sell 60,000 this year, now, sales is expected to reach 110,000 by year’s end. “It’s one of those cars that makes an emotional connection with folks,” says Chevy spokesman Terry Rhadigan. “People just fall in love with it.”