RideLust

Toyota iQ

Looking to attract that desirable 18-24-year-old demographic, Toyota has announced plans to rebadge their newest micro car, the Toyota iQ, as a funky, fruity little vehicle for their Scion lineup. Apparently, concerns over the iQ’s intrusive affect on sales of Toyota’s current super sub-compact, the Toyota Yaris, inspired Toyota to forego introducing the iQ into Toyota’s U.S. family altogether. Instead, Toyota will swap the iQ’s current 3-cylinder engine for a slightly more powerful 4-cylinder and pitch it as Scion’s trendier, less expensive (yet equally as fuel efficient) response to the smart ForTwo.

Expected to be priced somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000, a preview of the Scion iQ is tentatively scheduled to make its grand debut at the ’08 LA auto show next month.

Still no word on whether Toyota has worked out that screaming-metal-death-trap-for-rear-seat-passengers bug yet.

[Source: LeftLaneNews.com]