Darryl.net

Sometimes your customers don’t tell you exactly what they want, but if you read between the lines, they tell you what will make your product stand out. I always hear people say two things: 1) “Minivans are so uncool - I’m going to buy an SUV with a third row seat.” and 2) “Minivans are so convenient if you have a lot of kids and carseats - it’s just too hard to ignore - I have to buy a minivan.”

According to this WSJ Article, Toyota and other car manufacturers are successfully reading between the lines. Toyota’s 2008 Highlander has a middle seat that can be removed and stored under the center console (see picture). What do you get with this? Two kid carseats in the captain’s chairs and the ability for people to get in the back without having to do any fancy chair-lifting acrobatics.

Toyota’s press release says “On the outside, Highlander moves away from traditional SUV styling cues with a statement of strength instead of ruggedness; of intelligence over toughness. Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, Calif. sculpted clean, crisp lines, a wide, stable stance and muscular contours to give Highlander an advanced, contemporary, forceful and dynamic personality.” In other words, you get the minivan without the minivan image.

Brilliant. I predict a long waitlist for this car when it comes out later this year.