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Bring on the Fiats, IQs, and other small Whatsis to the U.S.! If people buy more of these microcars to replace their SUVs and other big cars, we'll all be safer in our smarts, tridion or no tridion.
Bring the MiTo as well. Small cars are the way to go - the more the merrier. But, with the 500 being World Car of the Year, I think it has a wider marketing appeal.
yikes! ugly is right. no wonder they won't market it under the Toyota brand!
These comments baffle me. The design of the iQ and the Smart are quite similar. I didn't see anything to dislike looking at the car in person, and the cars were getting a lot of attention.
The article I read is that the iQ may appear at the LA show sporting a Scion badge...maybe not. But, I imagine the marketing types consider the appeal of the car will be primarily the younger generation. I'm guessing they'll be wrong yet again.I couldn't care less what badge it wears if it's a good car...from what I've read from some on here, many will rebadge anyway - with a Lexus badge?
Bring on the Fiats, IQs, and other small Whatsis to the U.S.! If people buy more of these microcars to replace their SUVs and other big cars, we'll all be safer in our smarts, tridion or no tridion.
I'd be up to get rid of my truck by 2010 or 2011 to get another small car. Might still go with another smart but there'll be at least a couple other choices out there.
Looks like Toyota is bringing the 56-mpg iQ microcar to America after all, but it's slapping a Scion badge on it first.
We first saw a production version of the lilliputian runabout at the Geneva Auto Show in March, at which point Toyota told us the car was designed for the Japanese and European markets and would not be coming to the states. But Motor Trend, citing unidentified sources, says the iQ is coming to America, albeit as a Scion, and we'll see it next month at the Los Angeles auto show.
It's a smart move, and putting the world's smallest four-seater in the Scion lineup makes a lot of sense.
Car magazine called the iQ the best concept of 2007 (.pdf) and "the most significant small car since the original Smart City Coupe back in 1997." Everything about it, from the shape of the dashboard to the placement of the gas tank, was designed to maximize interior room, and the iQ, like the Fiat 500 seems much bigger than it is.
As Motor Trend notes, Toyota is more than a bit busy developing the next-gen Prius and doesn't need it — or the fuel-efficient Yaris — upstaged by a new car. But more than that, Toyota needs to reinvigorate Scion, which once was hip but has seen that rep dinged by the conservative second-gen xB and xD. The tiny iQ suits Scion's young, urban demographic and, at less than 15 grand, would provide the marque with an entry-level model.
The iQ also would give Toyota/Scion a strong competitor against the Smart ForTwo, which despite mixed reviews has been a hit. More than 18,000 have sold since the car was introduced to America eight months ago. The iQ also would help Toyota/Scion meet tightening fuel economy standards.
There's no word on what we'd see under the hood of an American iQ, but it's a safe bet it won't be the 55.9-mpg 1.0-liter three-cylinder gas or the 1.4-liter turbodiesel engines available in Europe. More likely is the 1.5-liter gasoline four-banger found in the Yaris.
Note from the first picture: see how close the head of the rear passenger is from the back of the car, especially the rear window. Wonder if there is a safety issue there in case the car is rear-ended? A bit scary, IMHO.
The back seats are minimal too...I mean MINIMAL - they can't add much weight.
yikes! ugly is right. no wonder they won't market it under the Toyota brand!
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