Scion Xb 2008 Prices

Scion iQ may lead new microcar revolution

In San Francisco, a city known for cable cars, crusty sourdough and intense competition for curbside parking, a tiny car that's a bit more than 10 feet long might sound perfect for commuters.

Toyota's new Scion iQ will test whether Americans are ready to put aside more-is-more thinking in favor of a model that will be the second-shortest car sold in the U.S. market, after the Smart ForTwo.

Just as road monsters such as General Motors' late Hummer and Ford's yawning Excursion pushed the upper extremes of sport-utility mania, microcars such as the iQ and the Smart show how far at least some consumers will go for a low price, high gas mileage and two-to-a-space parking.

Smart was an 8-foot, 8-inch sensation when it rolled out in 2008, but sales have melted. Mercedes-Benz, whose parent Daimler makes the car in France, took back control of the U.S. operation this month, vowing to reinvigorate Smart's dealer network and marketing.

But for Smart and now Scion iQ to get here the kind of acceptance the tiniest of cars have found in cities elsewhere in the world will be a challenge:

Americans "don't really appreciate very small cars," says David Champion, automotive director for Consumer Reports magazine. "What they appreciate is something that is inexpensive and has really good fuel economy."

The iQ will start at $15,995 with shipping when it goes on sale in limited areas this fall. If Toyota's estimate of 36 miles per gallon in city driving and 37 on the highway holds up with the Environmental Protection Agency, its official rating could be one of the highest on the road for a non-hybrid or electric vehicles.

To get the big fuel savings, though, motorists will have to embrace a car so tiny that it's described by Toyota as a "3 plus 1" — two relatively roomy seats up front and a cramped back seat for a third passenger, plus an almost non-existent fourth.

Parked in San Francisco's busy Fisherman's Wharf tourist district last week, a stubby iQ in "Hot Lava" orange drew stares but not necessarily raves from the kind of young people Toyota considers prime targets to drive one.

Kelsey Riley can't see herself in the iQ. "I'm claustrophobic," the 17-year-old from Modesto, Calif., explains. Besides, she says, "If you're a girl like me, you need some place to put your luggage."

But Viola Stoyan, 18, from Utica, N.Y., finds the sportiness and the space "pretty cool."

Toyota's original timing to show off its microcar for the U.S. market seemed ideal. The iQ made a splashy debut as a concept at the 2009 New York Auto Show, lowered from the ceiling in a haze of fog. Gas prices had peaked at an all-time high of $4.11. And the Smart was looking, well, smart.