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Scion iQ Concept to Debut at New York Auto Show; Can it Win American Hearts?

ScionNews — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:03:58 +0000

When we reported back in early October that the Toyota iQ would debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show as a Scion, turns out we jumped the gun a bit by three shows. Apparently, the Scion-badged iQ our sources saw was headed to a Toyota dealer event instead of L.A. at the time. Nevertheless, Toyota will be bringing the rebadged iQ concept to New York next month as a pre-production look at the newest member of the automaker’s youth brand lineup.

The iQ itself will come to market as a sub-$15,000 two-door subcompact hatch with enough hip, quirky appeal to potentially lure some buyers away from the similarly tiny Smart Fortwo. We’re likely to see the 1.5L engine from the Yaris under the iQ’s hood mated to either a five-speed manual or Toyota’s Multidrive CVT.

When we drove a Toyota-badged iQ last year, we concluded that it rode more maturely than the Smart, but featured virtually non-existent rear seat room, an equally impractical trunk, and uninspiring behavior when hustled. Additionally, considering upcoming European rivals such as the Ford Fiesta and the Volkswagen Golf MK6 will likely match the iQ’s fuel economy while offering more room and practicality, it was hard to even praise that facet of the diminutive hatchback.

Still, there may be a few changes yet to come for the Scion-branded iQ when it enters the U.S. market. We’ll have all the updates when we bring you live coverage from the New York Auto Show next month, but meanwhile, what are your thoughts on a Scion iQ? Will the Japanese subcompact have what it takes to win over American hearts?

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Scion Concept for New York Show May Be Toyota iQ?

Foques — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:10:12 +0000

Rumors that Toyota may sell its European iQ microcar in the U.S. under the Scion brand have reached a fever pitch, thanks to a new press release about a forthcoming Scion concept car.

Although no specifics are mentioned in the release, Scion’s hinted that the forthcoming concept is youthful, yet is aimed toward the “growing urbanization trend.” Sounds like we can expect a small urban runabout, not unlike the iQ. If true, this will mark the second iQ-based concept this year (the Toyota FT-EV was the first) and may indicate Toyota’s serious about bringing the Smart Fortwo-sized city car stateside.

Scion’s not yet released a name for the unseen concept, but digital sleuths found Toyota recently trademarked the “Scion tD” name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Although this could simply be used on a replacement for the tC coupe, there’s also a chance such a moniker could adorn this concept or a different production car.

We’ll know more for certain come April 8, when the Scion concept will be unveiled at the New York auto show. Stay with Automobile Magazine for all the happenings of the New York show.

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Scion tC replacement on the way, 4th Scion could be… anything

ScionNews — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:27:36 +0000

It’s been widely reported over the last year that Scion is planning to add a fourth model to its lineup, but there’s still considerable debate about what form it could take. According to Scion veep Jack Hollis, Toyota’s entry-level automaker hasn’t taken anything off the table, but believes “there are a lot of opportunities for a [second] coupe” to join the aging tC.

Unfortunately, Scion’s been resting its laurels on its lone coupe for some time, and the current model will remain in production until the redesign arrives in 2011. That’s an achingly long time in the automotive world, particularly considering the three- to four-year model cycle most automakers adhere to. And with rumors circulating that the Toyota/Subaru rear-wheel-drive coupe has been shelved, we’re a bit skeptical that a performance model is still in the near-term cards.

So what’s Scion considering? Hollis told Automotive News, “We think there is room for a bigger sedan and smaller vehicles. We think there is even the possibility for a truck-based vehicle with an open bed.” The idea of bringing the Toyota iQ to the States has been floated before, as well as a production version of the Toyota A-Bat. If Scion really wanted to shake things up, it could produce a compact version of the Hako Coupe with an open bed (rendered poorly above) to kill two (or three) birds with one stone.

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Toyota iQ For U.S. – As a Scion! – more rumors

Foques — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:36:07 +0000

Rumors that Toyota will send its iQ super subcompact to America appear to be true — with one twist. Our sources indicate the iQ will debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November not as a Toyota, but as the latest addition to the Scion lineup.

Even though the tiny three-plus-one seat iQ (three adults, one child) was designed for Europe and Japan, there is a strong business case for bringing it here as a Scion.

Toyota, busy with the launch of the next-generation Prius, doesn’t need another small gas sipper to steal its marketing thunder — particularly one that could poach sales from the Yaris, the brand’s other high miler.

In addition, Scion desperately needs some buzz to improve its brand image. Though sales of the second generation xB and new xD models have been aided by rising fuel prices, Scion’s overall image has been hurt by the more conservative second-generation models, and the tC coupe is about due for a redo. Critics and consumers alike have noticed the absence of the original fun and funky themes that launched the brand. A squat and striking iQ would definitely draw some attention back to Scion.

Not only is the iQ a perfect demographic fit for the young and hip urban dweller Scion has targeted since day one, it slots nicely into its lineup as the entry level offering. Positioned under $15,000, a two door, hatchback iQ wouldn’t challenge the more traditional four-door, five-seat Scion xD hatch, but would likely give the Smart fortwo fits. For around the same price as the Smart, the iQ would offer additional passenger/cargo capacity.

The iQ moniker is spot on as well — a play off the Smart that fits Scion’s traditional two letter, lower/upper case naming convention. As for what would power a Scion iQ, it’s doubtful we’d see either the 1.0L three-cylinder gas engine or the 1.4L turbodiesel available in other markets. Our bet for the U.S.-spec iQ is the 1.5-liter engine found in the Yaris, combined with a five speed manual or optional Multidrive CVT.

We’ll have more details as they become available around L.A. auto show time, but you heard it here first: Toyota is going to get Smart by giving iQ to Scion and America.

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Toyota iQ May Come to the U.S. as a Scion

Foques — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:18:28 +0000

When we first saw the production Toyota iQ at the 2008 Geneva motor show, we were emphatically told that the car – a four-passenger competitor to Smart’s ForTwo – was designed for European tastes. Still, some suggest the city car is destined for the American market, albeit as a Scion.

If true, there’s some method to the madness. Placing the iQ into Scion’s range prevents the small car from stealing the spotlight from Toyota’s gas-sippers, the Prius hybrid and Yaris. One could also argue that the iQ, a small, trendy, and possibly affordable vehicle, would resonate well with younger buyers – the core focus of Scion’s marketing.

Details are still sketchy at this point, but Motor Trend suggests the iQ will use the Yaris’ 1.5-liter I-4 if it arrives stateside. We’ll know more details this November, when Toyota may reveal its plans at the 2008 Los Angeles auto show.

Source: Motor Trend

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Bianco On Cars: Toyota’s iQ Makes Smart Look Dumb

Foques — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:29:50 +0000

Toyota has a new city car that will debut in Europe next year called the iQ. It’s what you’d call a super-mini car, like the Smart ForTwo as it’s only 9.8 feet long while the Smart is 8.8 feet.

In that extra foot, you get two back seats and a small space behind the seats for some grocery bags!

The iQ works magic with space, making the new Smart look, uh… dumb! The iQ is a front drive, four seat, three-door hatchback with MacPherson struts in front, a torsion bar rear axel, and a choice of three drivetrains – only for the European market, of course.

A three-cylinder gasoline engine is the base unit, a four-cylinder micro-hybrid is the mid-range and a four-cylinder diesel tops the line.

Toyota is a master at packaging its cars both inside and out; but the iQ project pushed the engineers to rethink everything. For example, they rotated the front drive transmission 180 degrees and pushed it a bit in front of the engine rather than behind.

That placement allowed the front wheels to be pushed forward to the corners which added an extra 4 inches of front legroom (a big deal in a car this small). In fact, the novel placement of the transmission is something Toyota plans to use going forward when engineering all its front engine, front drive cars.

Toyota re-engineered the steering gear rack to sit higher and further to the side than in conventional front drivers which aided the forward placement of the front wheels. This little trick helped give the front passengers more room in the footwells.

The HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) is also brand new and half the size of the box in the little Toyota Yaris. The new HVAC box allows the dash to be much thinner, providing even more front passenger room. Toyota says it has tested it in the hottest deserts and it performed perfectly.

The smaller box allowed the depth of the dash to be asymmetrical. The driver gets the “normal” dash while the passenger side ditches a glove box (but not an airbag) and rakes the dash steeply back towards the firewall – like a wedge was excised.

The extra front passenger knee room allows the seat to be moved comfortably forward providing space (and knee room) for a full-sized adult to travel in the rear seat behind the front passenger.

The smart packaging continues with extra-thin front seats with a one-piece back that’s hollowed out to provide an extra 1.6 inches of knee room. That sounds like no big deal; but in a small car every inch counts. The thin seats also save weight and the savings in weight is as important for fuel economy as the thinness is for packaging.

Toyota says that the new lighter, thinner seats are as strong and comfortable as those in the Yaris and that they provide the same rigidity and whiplash protection.

Finally, a flat fuel tank was placed under the front passenger seat rather than using a conventional tank in the rear. Flat tanks are thin and shallow but make up for the thinness with length and width. Engineers avoid flat tanks because it’s hard to get a true reading level from the tank sending unit to the dash fuel gauge.

Toyota says they’ve broken new ground and solved the problem by repositioning the tank’s functioning parts (fuel pump and sending unit). With rear gas tank, Toyota engineers maximized the wheelbase and cabin length without adding to the overall car’s length.

When it comes to safety, the iQ outsmarted the Smart – again. Smart has a rear engine and transmission and the occupants are surrounded by a high-strength steel cage. However, in a head-on crash, a rear-engine car pushes the weight of the engine forward and puts more stress on the frame.

In the same head-on crash with a front engine car, most of the weight is up front and the crash is better absorbed. These crash dynamics allowed Toyota to use normal strength steel for the iQ fame.

No extra frame reinforcements were needed. Accordingly, the bigger iQ weighs less than the smaller Smart.

Less weight, increased fuel economy and optimal safety – that’s a nice trick!

Toyota hasn’t given any fuel economy estimates; but you can be sure the iQ will easily beat the 33/41 EPA statistics for the US version of the 2008 Smart ForTwo.

It will be priced to compete directly with the Smart ForTwo; just with two more seats. The iQ has almost the same interior space as a MINI Cooper except it’s 28 inches shorter and less expensive.

The Toyota iQ is not just a pie-in-the-sky concept car or a styling exercise. It’s the real deal and it will be available in Europe in the first quarter of 2009.

Toyota hopes to capture a wealthier, more mature urban dweller that is looking for a premium super-mini and doesn’t mind paying a little extra money.

Initially, the iQ’s supply will be rather limited – Toyota says it can make only 100,000 units at its Japanese plant.

Will Toyota introduce the iQ to the US market? There is a glimmer of hope.

Toyota thinks it could be a good fit for its Scion brand. Unfortunately, if Toyota decides to bring the iQ to the US, it won’t be for at least two years.

I think Toyota could sell every Scion iQ it imports.
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