REPORT: Scion iQ headed for America by early 2011 with a few changes
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Jun 29th 2009 at 7:27PM 
Scion iQ Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
As expected, Toyota's youthful Scion division will indeed get a version of the diminutive iQ for the North American market, possibly by either the end of 2010 as an '11 model or in early 2011 as a '12 model. According to Motor Trend, the car will cost about the same as the Yaris and get the usual modifications for the American market, such as slightly extended bumpers and recalibrated airbags.
Fortunately, the Big Wheels body kit fitted to the conceptual Scion iQ shown off at the New York Auto Show won't come to the States as standard equipment. We're not entirely sure what powerplants Toyota plans to use in the American iQ, but in other markets it's available with three engines displacing between 1.0- and 1.4-liters, and no hybrid iQ is currently planned due to cost and packaging considerations.
Interestingly, MT also reports that the Toyota FT-EV electric car concept from this year's Detroit Auto Show, based on the iQ minicar, will hit the market by 2012. At this time, the Japanese automaker may still be deciding between tried-and-true nickel metal hydride batteries or more powerful but unproven lithium ion units. Regardless, Toyota's aiming for a 50-mile range and an eight-hour recharge from a standard wall outlet.
Gallery: New York: Scion iQ Concept
[Source: Motor Trend]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Autblogist! 7:36PM (6/29/2009)
Maaan, don't care.
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chungdaniels 9:50PM (6/29/2009)
first decent looking scion!
Joe K. 12:44AM (6/30/2009)
Chung, seriously? The tC isn't bad looking. And it certainly is better than this iQ...
EU_reader 7:36PM (6/29/2009)
I've already seen various toyota iQ's over here (europe). It's always a suprising sight, and it's really a pretty clever car overall.
Obviously you won't give that thing a chance, but it works well over here. If only it had a slightly more powerful engine and if I had some sort of people carrier for other occasions, I wouldn't mind a bit driving that iQ
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paul34 8:08PM (6/29/2009)
>> Obviously you won't give that thing a chance
Huh? I think we would. And I think corporate bigwigs think so to. See: this article, Ford Fiesta coming to the US, etc.
Why should I have all the fun? 9:40PM (6/29/2009)
Not if it comes with that 65hp engine. I think I read that it can handle up to a 1.6 liter.
Luis 8:49AM (6/30/2009)
It'll do well in certain "enlightened" areas such as Seattle, Portland, SF, Denver, Austin, Chicago, Boston, NYC, DC, and probably Miami. Remaining areas will die a slow, painful $5/gallon death.
Erik 11:42AM (6/30/2009)
Wow Luis, that's a pretty elitist comment. Did it occur to you that maybe small cars like this play better in those places because they are large, dense citys where small cars make more sense? It's a better argument than assuming people in those cities are more enlightened than the rest of us.
Quattroporte 7:45PM (6/29/2009)
I'll wait for the Bugatti version.
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JRM 7:46PM (6/29/2009)
How small is too small? I think with this car it'll test americans' patience. A car like the yaris is already small enough at this point, I don't know how an even SMALLER car can be appealing to a large percentage of americans.
Personally, I don't think anything will happen until we see how the Ford Fiesta does in America. If it's a bust, then this Toyota IQ will do even worse.
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macroceli 7:52PM (6/29/2009)
I guess it depends where you live. I see Smart cars all over the place here in Chicago and the suburbs :)
groundZ 8:42PM (6/29/2009)
Plenty of Smart cars here in the Valley of LA. Dealership right next to me and everything.
ryan 9:12PM (6/29/2009)
I live in Suwanee Georgia and I've seen several tooling around lately. They look a bit out of place here what with everything so spread out.
Bloke 11:21AM (6/30/2009)
Well the Yaris hasn't exactly been a failure Stateside and despite being in the same segment as the Fiesta, it is shorter.
David 11:28AM (6/30/2009)
Why is the Ford Fiesta a litmus test for you? It's a bit large, to be honest. Large like the Mazda3. It's a B-Segment car. Why would you even compare it to this?
Why not look at the MINI Cooper? I'd say that has proved to be a major home-run, and that should tell you that Americans WILL totally support small cars, if they're good, fun-to-drive, and don't feel like penalty-boxes on the inside. I see 25 per day at least.
It depends where you live though. If you live in Pick-Up Country, or are a Sean Hannity fan (fawning fanboy of the Escalade Hybrid) well, then no, this car is not for you. If you live in a large East coast city then you don't need any "convincing". You're already driving a car like this, if you have any sense.
Taglane 7:58PM (6/29/2009)
When's the Ferrari version dropping?
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Larry in Miami 8:00PM (6/29/2009)
It looks like it should have the "Nike" logo on it.
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Shawn 8:02PM (6/29/2009)
If I were to drive this in Texas, would it be a death trap with all those Trucks and SUV's driving around?
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Bloke 11:19AM (6/30/2009)
So you think you'd walk away from even a 30mph head-on with a large truck even in a regular sized family car? The answer you're looking for is "doubtful".
alexacoon 8:15PM (6/29/2009)
I think too many people (especially in the US) fail to understand this would make an excellent secondary or commuter car, so many people buy vehicles thinking it has to fit everyone in their family or however many people they might carry in their primary vehicle.
Take a look during rush hour, how many vehicles are carrying even a single passenger?
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