Pulled Ahead? Scion dealer reportedly says iQ headed for U.S. in 2010 [w/POLL]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Scion, Rumormill

Scion iQ Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Last we heard, Toyota was planning to bring the diminutive iQ to the American market badged as a Scion in either late 2010 or early 2011 as a 2012 model. According to AutoWeek, that date may have been moved up a few months as a major Scion dealership (which declined to be named) has confirmed the car for next September or October. If true, that could mean that the car will carry a 2011 designation, and might also pull the iQ ahead of the replacement for the tC coupe, which was previously said to be the next Scion in waiting.

It's no secret that the Scion brand has been hit harder than most in the face of the worst economic downturn in recent memory (down 57.8 percent for the year through July), and it's apparently thought the 66-mpg Smart-killing iQ is just what the doctor ordered to spruce up the automaker's lineup.

Speaking at the iQ's debut in Scion drag at the New York Auto Show, company Veep Jack Hollis said that "the interest was so high that it would be silly for us not to fight for [the iQ], but the next-generation tC is our top priority now." That next-gen tC is rumored to drop sometime in mid-to-late-2010 with more aggressive styling and a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower. Armchair quarterback time: which new model is more important for the Scion brand, the iQ or the tC? Click past the break to take part in our poll.

Gallery: New York: Scion iQ Concept

[Source: AutoWeek]

Continue reading Pulled Ahead? Scion dealer reportedly says iQ headed for U.S. in 2010 [w/POLL]

Pulled Ahead? Scion dealer reportedly says iQ headed for U.S. in 2010 [w/POLL] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Scion iQ headed for America by early 2011 with a few changes

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Hatchback, Scion, Toyota

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]

REPORT: Scion iQ headed for America by early 2011 with a few changes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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