Toyota IQ to Become Scion IQ

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: October 10th, 2008

Motor Trend has a hot hand right now with the investigative journalism. After stunning the world by announcing that the new Corvette wouldn’t be mid-engined (gasp!) the MT boyz have more hot, fresh news to blow your mind. Specifically, that they hear rumors that the Toyota iQ could be sold stateside as a Scion. What, you mean the iQ city car won’t be sold next to the cheaper, larger, faster Yaris on Toyota’s showroom floor? We’re shocked, shocked we say. The US iQ will be revealed at the LA Auto Show in November, at which point we will know if it’s to be a Scion or a ‘yota. Not that there’s half as much drama as MT lets on. In addition to the difficulties in positioning the iQ vis-a-vis the Yaris, there’s also the concern that it could steal some thunder from the new Prius, set to be unveiled early next year in Detroit. Yes, it would be priced similarly to the xD, but the size an door-count differences make cannibalism less of an issue than if the iQ were branded as a Toyota. Besides, Scion desperately needs a sales boost right about now. Then again, the iQ could also fit well with a rumored dedicated Prius brand… except that it will be expensive and efficient enough without a hybrid powertrain. And so Toyota begins to reap the bitter harvest of multiple brands, an early symptom of what ToMoCo Prez Watanabe calls “Big Company Syndrome.”

Edward Niedermeyer

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Anonymous on Apr 10, 2009

[...] Green| Motors 10 Apr 2009 The Scion IQ, which is a pimped out Toyota IQ. TheTruthAboutCars.com suggests Toyota’s branding move is designed to protect the Toyota Yaris business Stateside. [...]

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Spartanfan78 on Apr 26, 2009

Being a Scion driver already, I think this little thing is SWEET! It might be ugly, but I bet it's like a little race car. Our local Toyota dearer also has a separate showroom for Scions, and a very very intelligent sales representative. I think Scions are wonderful. They're affordable, and they don't depreciate. The 4-cylinder we drive has so much pep. Look into one. They're pretty great. In response to landcrusher (who posted back in October and probably won't read this!), why is Scion any different than other branching done by auto companies? Aren't Ford & Mercury practically the same? (I'm not educated in this, so if I'm wrong, it's okay to point and laugh)

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