ScioniQ

Scion iQ heading for the axe in 2015

The tiny 3-seat Scion iQ is going to be dropped from the lineup this year after a 50 percent drop in sales during 2014.


Speaking to Bloomberg, Doug Murtha, head of Toyota’s Scion youth brand, said that the iQ won’t be “staying in the lineup too much longer”.

In 2014, sales of the 2014 fell by about half to just 2,040 units.

According to Murtha, the European idea of a premium small car never really caught on in the USA. The Scion iQ is the cheapest model in Scion’s range, starting at US$16,435. That price, though, is US$1,600 more than the larger and more accommodating Toyota Yaris.

Another issue, Murtha says, is that potential buyers were expecting fuel economy of around 60mpg based on the car’s diminutive size. In reality, the iQ is rated at 37mpg.

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