Scion Delays iQ US Launch Until Summer

If you were eager to buy a new 2011 Scion iQ, you might have to wait a little longer, as Scion's parent, Toyota, is delaying the American launch of the iQ, which was originally scheduled to happen by March of this year, to sometime this summer.

According to GreenCarReports.com, the first reason offered by Toyota was the fact that work on the prototypes needed to prepare the production version is running a few months late, which created a delay in the scheduled delivery timeframe. But this is only part of the reason, as Toyota spokesman Greg Thome said the company wants to focus its efforts on the tC sports coupe for the time being.

The coupe was unveiled last April at the New York Auto Show, alongside the production version of the iQ, but is already on sale and Thome wants it "to be in the spotlight by itself."

Though it's only slightly longer than the 2011 smart fortwo, which offers seating for two, the iQ comes with three seats for adults plus one more for a child. Powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder, the 90 horsepower city car features variable valve timing. The small engine is mated exclusively to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) for the North American market. Standard safety equipment includes 10 SRS airbags, including one across the rear window to protect the heads of rear-seat passengers.

Additional safety equipment includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and Traction Control (TRAC).