2011 Scion iQ Micro Debuts – 2010 New York Auto Show
By Joey Leh, Photography courtesy Scion
The tiny, fuel-efficient Smart car has proven that metropolitan American buyers do want to drive a quirky, small commuter car. We should know. The OR team was almost run down by two separate crazed Smart drivers just outside New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center.
And now Scion has entered the fray with this car – the new 2011 iQ. We’ve seen it before in the green Five Axis iQ concept and the iQ is currently sold in Japan and Europe. But now we can lay our eyes on our own US production iQ subcompact. It’s a “sub”-compact because the tiny iQ is only 120.1-inches long and 66.1-inches wide.
It’s a tiny car in person but still gives off a larger feel than a Smart car.
The iQ is powered by a 1.3-liter dual VVT-i four-cylinder engine, producing over 90hp. Combined with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), the iQ is designed more for commuting than drag racing. Still, the iQ comes with stability control, anti-lock brakes, brake assist and traction control.
We’ve always been of the mindset that having decent tires and less than 160hp is its own kind of traction control but, then again, our videos can prove otherwise.
The iQ uses an interesting, offset “3+1” seating arrangement to fit three adults and one child inside the little Scion. The front seats are slightly off, allowing more room for the rear passenger. If only airlines could figure out something like this.
Scion has also managed to pack ten airbags, six speakers, iPod control and steering wheel-mounted stereo controls into the iQ. At the debut, Scion also revealed a customized version of the iQ from design house Five Axis, fit with a custom aero kit, 18-in. FIVE:AD wheels, Yokohama tires, TEIN suspension, TRD brake kit and a custom interior.
With its quirky, tiny and egg-shaped body, the Scion iQ looks like it’ll finally do what the Smart car couldn’t. Bring tiny car cool to the masses. It’s so cheap, oddly striking in appearance and highly customizable, we can’t help but be reminded of the original Scion launch days. That’s cool.
