Top in Automotive: Toyota-Scion iQ

Showing posts with label Toyota-Scion iQ. Show all posts

Scion Announces Voluntary Recall for 2012 and 2013 iQ Minis to Fix Safety Sensor

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Toyota Group's pint size Scion iQ is the subject of a voluntary recall in the United States after the company discovered that the front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) weight sensor cables are prone to damage. Read more »

All-Electric iQ Revealed, but Only 100 will be Produced as Toyota Prefers to Focus on PHEVs

Monday, September 24, 2012

While electric vehicles may not yet have substantial range to be as versatile as hybrids or internal-combustion engine models, if the their use is confined in daily commute in cities, theoretically then, their range is more than enough to satisfy most drivers’ needs.

The iQ city car (sold under the Scion nameplate in North America) is designed specifically designed to be used in an urban environment. Prototypes were displayed at both the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show in the form of the FT-EV III concept and this year’s Geneva Auto Show. Now Toyota has officially revealed a plug-in all-electric variant – but it will not enter full production.

Friday, June 1, 2012

[Updated] The diminutive Toyota iQ (sold under the Scion nameplate in North America) has been chosen to complete the filming of streets in Belgium that were too small for Google's traditional camera cars

The "iQ Street View" project is a collaborative effort of Toyota Belgium and local marketing agency "Happiness Brussels".

Toyota said that the campaign will run until the end of the year when all new street imagery and data developed by the project will be presented to Google to complete and optimize Belgium’s Street View service.

The Japanese automaker has published a special promotional website and even released a video of Google's Street View iQ on the job, which you can check out for yourself right after the break.

VIDEO

GOOGLE STREET VIEW BELGIUM

Buy a Scion iQ, get a Sony PlayStation Vita for Free

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

It would have definitely been of much greater interest if you could buy a PS Vita and get a Scion iQ for free, but unfortunately, it's the other way around.

As part of a new promotion that runs from May 1 through July 31, 2012, and with the note "while supplies last", those that buy a new Scion iQ in the States will receive a PlayStation Vita for free.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

According to Canadian design house SR Auto Group, just because the Scion-ized Toyota iQ is the world's smallest four seater, doesn't mean it shouldn't look the part as well. With this in mind, it gave birth to the Project Pryzm.

"This iQ was titled with the name Project Pryzm because of its sharp and boxy exterior," says SR Auto. "The objective behind Project Pryzm was to create a car that would leave you speechless."

The tuner started out with the iQ's exterior that gains a comprehensive styling kit from Japan's Premier 4509, which you may remember from the Bentley-faced Toyota Supra tune.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Scion is catering to the fantasies and fetishes of all sorts with its new online campaign for the recently launched iQ city car.

The promotion includes four spots named DUDES 'N' DONUTS, BABES 'N' DONUTS, BIKERS 'N' DONUTS and COPS 'N' DONUTS, all of which show three adults trying to eat donuts and drink a cup of milk while the driver does tight circles at a parking lot. Wickedly strange indeed…

You can take a peep at the commercials in the embedded videos that follow right past the jump.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Remember the patent drawings of a wide body Toyota iQ (branded as a Scion in North America) that we showed you back in December? As it turns out, the drawings were for the GRMN iQ 130G that was revealed today at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan.

It's the creation of Toyota's motorsports and performance partner Gazoo Racing and is scheduled for a limited production run of 100 units later this year.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A Toyota iQ with the 1.33-liter gasoline engine will set you back £12,775 (US$19,900 or €15,100) in Britain. A base Aston Martin Cygnet with the same drivetrain will cost you £31,000 (US$48,300 or €36,300) but can approach the £50,000 mark (!), depending on the edition.

If you do the math, you'll find that the entry-level Cygnet costs almost two and a half times more than the car it is based on, and which is available in North America under the Scion brand with prices starting from $15,995.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

During the world premiere of the new Toyota 86 sports coupe at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, the firm's global President Akio Toyoda made it crystal clear that his company is committed to produce more 'fun-to-drive' cars in the near future.

But don’t take it from us, read what Toyoda said:

"Today it is said that young people have little interest in cars as there are much more interesting things. As an automobile maker, I find this quite frustrating. It is for this reason that we are committed to making cars that will evoke this feeling of 'fun to drive, again' in as many people as possible. This is Toyota's declaration."

While the 86 is the only real sports car in Toyota's current range, we would like to think that Toyoda wouldn't make such a statement without standing behind it, which is why we found these official patent images of a sported up iQ (sold as a Scion in North America) very interesting.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

While on the forefront of hybrid technology, Toyota is also looking into electric vehicles with plans to introduce a new range of battery-powered models within the next year including the RAV4 EV.

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, which opens its doors on November 30, the Japanese brand will preview a pure-electric version of the Toyota/Scion/~~Aston Martin~~ iQ mini with the FT-EV III Concept.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

There's no question that the Pit Boss Cartel iQ is the weirdest of all the Scion iQ mini cars heading down to Las Vegas for next week's SEMA aftermarket show.

Created by Cartel, the Pit Boss is a two-seat speedster version of the small Scion supposedly inspired by the world of motorsports but equipped with the latest word in infotainment systems. A strange mix indeed.

It won't come as much of a surprise to learn that Toyota's Scion brand is planning to bring several souped-up and conceptual versions of its new iQ mini to the 2011 Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas next week.

After being originally revealed around the world with Toyota's badges and later on, with Aston Martin's name on its hood, the iQ reached U.S. shores as a Scion earlier this month, so it's only reasonable that the Japanese carmaker wants to create some buzz around the car.

There's more to come, but for the time being we have pictures and details on three customized iQs: the iQ-MR by Tatsu, the iQ-RX by Jon Sibal (yes, that Jon Sibal) and the iQ-RS by Michael Chang. You can check them all out right after the jump.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Aston Martin’s chairman Ulrich Bez has admitted that sales of the subcompact Cygnet are “not as high as we hoped”. He claimed though that the reason is not the lack of customers, but of supply.

“I’m not satisfied with sales of the Cygnet” Bez told British magazine, Autocar. “We can’t deliver as many as customers want, as we don’t have enough stock. It is the sort of product a customer wants and decides they want on the spot –they don’t want to wait for their car to be built, but to drive it away there and then,” he added.

Friday, July 29, 2011

A pair of Cygnet minis will be representing Aston Martin at the fifth annual Bridgestone Eco-Rally that takes place in London this weekend. This is the first time that the British marque participates at the event, which will pass from the heart of Oxford to central London. Read more »

Made in China: Scion / Toyota iQ Copy Wants to Conquer Europe […]

Thursday, July 28, 2011

It may have been a while since we last showed you a "Made in China" doppelganger, but rest assured, the economic giant from Asia, never sleeps.

As if it weren't troublesome enough that China reaps all the benefits of free trade to sell its products everywhere while enforcing all kind of rules when it comes to imports (did you know, for example, that only 20 foreign films are allowed for release in China each year?) or opening a local business, the country has also established notoriously lax patent and copyright laws.

While not in significantly large numbers, many Chinese companies have targeted the automotive industry creating various knock offs of European and Japanese vehicles. Longtime Carscoop reader John F.T. from Norway* discovered yet another copy while browsing on a local online marketplace.

Monday, July 25, 2011

While American buyers will have to wait until October to see the iQ in Scion's showrooms, over in Europe, the Japanese carmaker's 3+1 seat mini has been on sale since the beginning of 2009.

But despite being in the market for more than two years, the iQ hasn't really caught the attention of the aftermarket tuners. One of the few companies to warm up to the iQ is Bulgarian customizer Vilner, which has introduced a more luxurious take on the Toyota's interior.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

After making the motorshow rounds, it’s time for Toyota to start preparations for the U.S. launch of its new Scion iQ mini that will begin arriving at dealerships on the west coast in October, and the rest of the country in early 2012.

The Lilliputian four-seater model that is sold in Europe as a Toyota and let's not forget, as an....Aston Martin as well, will carry a base sticker of $15,265. A $730 delivery, processing and handling (DPH) fee brings the total to $15,995.

The iQ’s most closest rival in the States is the Fiat 500 that retails for $15,500 in base trim, not including destination and handling.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Toyota officially placed the arrival of the all-new 2012 Camry sedan and its hybrid sibling (2010/2011 Camry pictured above) in the U.S. market for this fall during the company’s annual national dealer meeting which took place on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

The Japanese company said that the next generation of its best-selling model will move away from the conservative designs of the past.

“Designed to meet the changing needs of the 21st Century driver, the new Camry will provide technologically advanced features, a contemporary design inside and out, improved performance and refined ride and handling,” Toyota said in a press statement.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

You can’t spell, “Cygnet” without, “cynical marketing ploy”. The Toyota iQ-derived ~~stocking stuffer~~ ~~iPhone accessory~~ subcompact has prompted a neat little op-ed piece by Bloomberg correspondent (an ex-pat Aussie) Adam Haynes that includes some fascinating dialogue from Aston Martin insiders.

Most of our readers will know by now that the Cygnet exists purely to counteract the 120 grams of CO2 per kilogram EU carbon restrictions to be introduced in 2012. With a combined CO2 g/km rating of 400, Aston Martin’s current fleet of high performance vehicles could never match this.

Monday, February 14, 2011

An all-electric prototype of the Toyota iQ will make its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The iQ EV is equipped with an electric motor fed through a newly developed, flat and compact lithium-ion battery that is mounted under the car's floor. According to Toyota, the battery pack doesn't reduce the regular iQ's load area or passenger space. The all-electric version of Toyota's mini car is said to have a potential driving range of up to 65 miles or about 105 kilometers.

The EV prototype is currently being tested on European roads, with a potential market launch through a leasing programme in 2012. The Japanese company will also bring the car in the USA (as a Scion) and is also investigating its viability in other regions.