My initial response to the fully redesigned, larger, more powerful, and more stylish Scion xB was that Toyota had improved the car in just about every way, and that it should sell well.

But on my way out of the show I stopped by the Scion area and sat in the current xB, as it’s been a while since I last drove one. I’ve now also had a chance to look over the specs that have been released (which don’t include interior dimensions).

This clarified my initial impression that even though the new xB has a much larger exterior, the new car’s interior didn’t strike me as any roomier, and maybe not even as roomy, except in terms of shoulder room. They new xB is much longer and wide than the old one–contributing to huge curb weight increase of over 600 pounds. But its roofline is 1.6 inches lower, and its beltline (base of the windows) is much higher. Also, the seats are no longer mounted extremely high off the floor, which contributed to the roomy feel of the old xB’s rear seat.

Result of these changes: less headroom and much less glass area. Where the old xB feels open and airy, the new one feels a like a bunker. If you’ve sat in one of Chrysler’s large cars or a Hummer, you know the feeling. Come to think of it, the massive, much more complicated new instrument panel would not look out of place in a Hummer. Cool perhaps, but a much different atmosphere than before. The change from a single round rod for the instruments to a set of four overlapping instruments, some analog and some digital, says it all: functional simplicity is out the window. The new xB puts far greater emphasis on the other major component of the xB’s appeal: image.

Will this appeal to current owners? Those into the xB for the image, certainly. But those who bought the car for the surprisingly roomy, open interior? Quite possibly not.