Photo: Scion
Guess Toyota didn’t learn enough from when it first brought its Toyopet in America - the clients here don’t really care about small cars that can’t keep the pace on the highway with everything else despite good fuel consumption and cornering abilities. That Toyopet Crown had to be reengineered into a bigger sedan with a different name, which indeed had more success, but this doesn’t seem to apply to the subsidiary Scion’s iQ model which is probably exiting stage this year.
Scion isn’t quite murdering sales stats, especially when it comes to its tiny iQ that got 50 percent less units sold in 2014 than the year before. Reason why the automaker is soon going to kill it.
According to Automotive News, Scion brand chief Dough Murtha said at the Detroit Auto Show that the iQ mini won’t be “staying in the lineup too much longer”. The car made for a “healthy experiment” but “physics are physics, and they’re [customers] nervous about driving a vehicle that size.”
Even though the iQ was offered as a premium mini, it is too tiny and expensive for US consumers to find it great. It starts at $16,435 which is $1,590 more than what the bigger five-door Toyota Yaris costs. Which is a no-no in American car culture.
Worry not though, Scion will replace the empty gap with the new iM. The concept car has been unveiled earlier and the production version should pop out in April at the New York Auto Show alongside an all-new sedan.
The iM is largely based on the European Toyota Auris, although more sporty looking, with large air intakes, a redesigned rear bumper, go-faster side skirts as well as a lower suspension and a roof-mounted wing.
According to Automotive News, Scion brand chief Dough Murtha said at the Detroit Auto Show that the iQ mini won’t be “staying in the lineup too much longer”. The car made for a “healthy experiment” but “physics are physics, and they’re [customers] nervous about driving a vehicle that size.”
The little luxury car that couldn’t
The Scion iQ is about 120 inches (305 cm) long and 66 inches (167 cm) wide, which means it’s actually bigger than the Smart ForTwo. It has 11 airbags and scored a four-star crash rating, while the tiny engine can provide a 36 mpg (6.5 l/100 km) fuel consumption around the city and 37 mpg (6.3 l/100 km) on the highway.Even though the iQ was offered as a premium mini, it is too tiny and expensive for US consumers to find it great. It starts at $16,435 which is $1,590 more than what the bigger five-door Toyota Yaris costs. Which is a no-no in American car culture.
Worry not though, Scion will replace the empty gap with the new iM. The concept car has been unveiled earlier and the production version should pop out in April at the New York Auto Show alongside an all-new sedan.
The iM is largely based on the European Toyota Auris, although more sporty looking, with large air intakes, a redesigned rear bumper, go-faster side skirts as well as a lower suspension and a roof-mounted wing.
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