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.



[Source: Motor Trend]

With a nod to our current global economic and environmental issues, super GT maker Aston Martin has reportedly announced the world's first super luxury supermini. Having blown their development budget on the V12 Vantage RS, Rapide and One-77 hypercar, they turned to an unlikely partner for some help: Toyota. Aston Martin has taken the Toyota iQ 3+1 commuter and given it a tailored suit from Savile Row. The result is the new Aston Martin Cygnet you see above. In case you're wondering, a "cygnet" is a baby swan, not to be confused with an ugly duckling.

Although technically just a concept, word has it that the vehicle will be put into limited production and sold exclusively to existing Aston Martin owners, at least initially. There's a full press release after the jump, but the Cygnet should sell for around £20,000 (around $33k USD) when it goes on sale late next year. The car will retain the iQ's unique 3+1 seating but will be tailored to the individual customer's needs when it is assembled in Gaydon. Think of it as a move to "1-down" BMW's MINI brand. We only have the one photo for now, but from what we can see it doesn't look as unfortunate as we might have expected with Aston's distinctive grille, hood cutouts, side vents, and of course, the winged badge. Still, you have to wonder what this sort of thing might do to the Engish company's brand equity, no? Follow the jump for the presser. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Toyota via Autocar]

While the original iQ is apparently a museum piece, the new iQ³, which Toyota announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March, is now on sale in the UK. The iQ cubed adds a 98 bhp 1.33-liter engine with Toyota Optimal Drive to the diminutive Smart competitor and the start-stop system helps the iQ³ get CO₂ emissions down to 113g/km. On the UK's combined cycle, the most efficient iQ³, the manual with a six-speed gearbox, gets 49 mpg (U.S.). Even with a Multidrive CVT transmission, the iQ³ can achieve 46 mpg (U.S.) and CO₂ emissions of just 120 g/km. Both models qualify for the UK's Band B road tax, which is just £35 a year. The manual starts at £11,495 while the Multidrive begins at £12,495. If you have more money to spend, four trims are offered that add everything from chrome trim to Bluetooth connectivity. Make the jump for all the details.

With the April Fools jokes flying, we're having a hard time taking anything seriously, and the newest source of our skepticism comes in the form of a singular spy shot showing the Scion iQ concept ahead of its official unveiling at next week's New York Auto Show. The head-on pic gives us a glimpse of a reworked fascia, with a new front bumper sporting LED running lights, a revised splitter and Scion badge, but something just looks... off. The consensus around the Autoblog water-cooler is the shot may just have been lightened in Photoshop, giving it an odd aura, but we'll find out if it's legit soon enough – the New York show will kick off on Wednesday, where Toyota has already confirmed a new compact concept will be unveiled under the Scion brand. Stay tuned...

[Source: Autoweek]

Scion has decided to end speculation about whether a new concept vehicle will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show by issuing a press release confirming our suspicions. In the process, though, the automaker has stirred the pot, yet again, about what type of vehicle will be on display. According to the super short blurb (pasted after the break), the new concept will be a "micro-subcompact" and will represent "a new segment for the brand aimed toward the growing urbanization trend."

Sounds like a U.S. version of the diminutive Toyota iQ to us. The new model may wear the tD moniker that's been seen floating around the U.S. Patent and Trademark offices and would not displace the aging tC in the automaker's line. Come back around noon EDT on April 8th to find out for sure.

We still wouldn't want to crack the tiny Toyota iQ into anything, but the little rollerskate has earned itself 5 stars in Euro NCAP safety testing. It's not a perfect correlation to hitting real objects, but the performance will undoubtedly help make a sales case. Results for the iQ are nearly as good as its larger sibling, the Avensis. The iQ will bust up your neck with whiplash, and the pole test also showed marginal chest protection, deflecting the ribs quite a bit.

The iQ's small size also leads to a C- for rear seat protection, and there's upgrades and revisions for the ISOFIX anchors and Britax seats to keep bambinos and bambinas secure. Despite any caveats, however, the iQ's rating trumps the four stars for Ford's new Ka, which will undoubtedly be strategically mentioned. We'd still drive anything in this segment with a modicum of care and heightened awareness. It's much safer, no matter what you drive, to avoid incidents all together.


[Source: EuroNCAP via GreenMotor]

It is codenamed "green baby," and it is Hyundai's answer to the Toyota iQ. A Hyundai Europe insider hinted that the car could be funkier and "more basic and functional" than the iQ. The iQ Concept had a pretty neat interior, but there really isn't much space between it and the backstop of basic transportation - at least, not when it comes to anything you'd want to sit in.

Drivetrains and engines haven't been discussed, but the 12-valve 4-cylinder with 66 hp from the i10 would probably be in the cards. Hyundai has said that i10 is too small for the U.S., so the even smaller "green baby" will probably be offered only in Europe at first, and could be on sale by as soon as next year.

[Source: Autocar]

If you've been distressed by not being able to buy a clown car at any local lot, Toyota has news for you: the company is working on a Yaris-sized seven-seater. That is odd enough to make us ask "What?" and "Why?" in several languages. Even better, though, is when Toyota engineer Hiroki Nakajima says "We can do it, and give limo-like legroom in the back." We aren't sure what Nakajima-san's idea of a limo is, but the current five-searter Yaris doesn't have limo-like room for the people in the front, much less the back and the cargo area...

The next Yaris is due in 2011, and recent rumors suggest the use of Toyota iQ's packaging to make it more roomy inside. Toyota has also said it planned to build an MPV on blueprints of the iQ. While a repackaged Yaris with iQ clever bits would be an impressively spacious subcompact, we simply can't see it making for a limo-like minivan.

[Source: Auto Express]

If the new Toyota iQ is going to compete against the smart fortwo, an open-top version is going to be a necessity. We've already heard rumblings of a possible roadster based on the iQ's underpinnings, so a convertible option certainly seems possible. If renderings from Japan's Best Car are to be believed (we're not convinced), the Japanese automaker could mimic the fortwo's cabriolet style by removing the front and rear roof sections, fitting an integrated roll bar and adding a set of soft-tops.

The main advantage for the iQ has over the fortwo is the city car's extra passenger seats. Unlike the smart, Toyota's microcar manages to cram four belts into its tiny frame and a drop-top variant would make the iQ the world's smallest-ever four-seat convertible. While a credible contender to the fortwo cabrio is surely in the cards, we're still waiting to see the iQ rebadged a Scion and brought to the U.S. to truly give smart a run for its money.

[Source: Best Car via Carscoop]

Any guesses on what car Japanese jurors might pick as their Car of the Year? Guess again; and again. That's right, the Nissan GT-R only managed to snag enough votes to garner a bronze finish in Japanese COTY voting. Wondering what epically amazing machinery bested the mighty Godzilla? That would be the miniscule Toyota iQ. Once again, it is clear just how far the priorities for transportation have changed. Supercar levels of acceleration, on-board supercomputers and remarkable handling prowess just aren't enough to woo the top pick from judges in Japan. Not only was the iQ the top overall choice in a landslide victory, the Citroën C5 managed to garner enough votes to steal second place from the mighty GT-R.

Don't get us wrong, the Toyota with the funny name is a vehicle deserving of all the recognition it gets. A packaging miracle, the smarty-pants iQ manages to cram four real human beings inside a footprint that's pretty darn close to that of the smart fortwo, a car that seats just two people including the driver. These days, exceptional fuel economy, low emissions and intelligent packaging are apparently the way to a Japanese heart, and likely many from the rest of the world, as well. What do you think? Is the Toyota iQ the, ahem... smart person's COTY?


[Source: Inside Line]