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" On-Sale Date: October on the West Coast, January to March 2012 for rest of the U.S.  Price: $15,995  Competitors: Smart ForTwo, Fiat 500, Mini Cooper  Powertrain: 1.3-liter four-cylinder, 94 hp, 89 lb-ft, continuously variable transmission (CVT), FWD EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 36/37 What&amp;#039;s New: Pitted against boutique small-car brands from Europe such as Fiat, Mini and Smart, Scion&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;premium urban micro-subcompact&amp;quot; stretches a mere 120.1 inches long\u2014just a skosh over 10 feet. That makes it 14 inches longer than the Smart but much shorter than the Fiat or Mini (by 19 and 26.5 inches, respectively), so it&amp;#039;s easy to park and maneuver in tight urban environments such as downtown San Francisco, where we drove it. At the same time, the iQ is wider than the competitors and has the most room between the driver and passenger seats, as well as considerable &amp;quot;crush&amp;quot; space for safety in collisions. Sensitive to American drivers&amp;#039; worries about safety in small cars, Scion squeezes 11 airbags into the tiny cabin, including the first-ever rear-window airbag. The 37-mpg EPA &amp;quot;combined&amp;quot; fuel economy rating promises better real-world mileage during daily use than you&amp;#039;d get from many competitors that boast a 40-mpg-or-better highway-only rating. Tech Tidbit: The iQ includes several innovations to maximize interior volume, including a fuel tank in the floor under the seats, packaging the air conditioning into the center stack (most cars have the fan behind or below the glovebox) and engineering a more compact differential and a high-mount steering rack with electronic power steering. By making the front seatbacks slimmer, relocating the glovebox under the passenger&amp;#039;s seat and mounting the passenger seat farther forward than the driver&amp;#039;s seat, the Scion allows more room for occupants on the right side. With this unusual setup, Scion tosses out the old &amp;quot;2+2&amp;quot; nomenclature coupe and sports-car makers use and replaces it with &amp;quot;3+1&amp;quot; seating, meaning the car accommodates three adults (the driver and two right-side passengers, one in the front and one in the back), with the fourth position behind the driver suitable only for small children or cargo. Driving Character: Scion claims iQ is &amp;quot;fun to drive,&amp;quot; but comes closer to the mark when it claims the pint-size vehicle has the driving character of a larger car. From the driver&amp;#039;s seat, the iQ feels like a 2/3-scale compact with an emphasis on ride comfort over handling. The tight 12.9-foot turning circle makes for easy maneuvering on crowded streets and parking areas. In motion, though, neither the steering feel nor the responsiveness could stack up to the nimble Mini, nor even the merely agile Fiat. To make the car truly entertaining, the owner would have to take a pricey leap into Scion&amp;#039;s deep catalog of accessories, including suspension, wheel and tire upgrades. The iQ is certainly more of a real car than the overcompromised Smart, but the stock version emphasizes efficiency over enthusiasm. Scion claims 0\u201360 mph in 11.8 seconds, which feels fine for the car&amp;#039;s urban setting\u2014that is, until you encounter some of San Francisco&amp;#039;s steeper hills.  Favorite Detail: Simple but elegant, the iQ&amp;#039;s interior hits the mark for this &amp;quot;premium&amp;quot; segment of the small-car market. The materials are high-standard, and the feature list starts with a 160-watt audio system with Bluetooth, hands-free phone and streaming-audio ability. Upgrades include a 200-watt unit that can stream Pandora radio and has a 5.8-inch touchscreen with navigation. Driver&amp;#039;s Grievance: One big letdown for small-car enthusiasts is that the standard CVT prioritizes fuel economy over a pleasing noise from the Toyota engine. European and Asian customers have a five-speed manual alternative (not to mention a diesel engine choice), and though Scion officials hope to offer it for the American customers who&amp;#039;d prefer to shift gears themselves, they can&amp;#039;t cite a date when it will be available.  The Bottom Line: With its supply chain still recuperating from Japan&amp;#039;s earthquake and tsunami, Scion is rolling out iQ in stages. West Coast customers will see it in October. Come January, the cars arrive on the Gulf Coast and Southeast regions, with New York and East Coast regions following in February, and the North and Midwest in March. Scion maintains its no-haggle pricing policy and fully expects customers to personalize their iQs through the dealer and accessory catalog (for instance, there&amp;#039;s no alloy wheel option from the factory\u2014just two choices of cover for the standard steel wheel).  Mainstream subcompacts such as the Hyundai Accent, Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta offer more interior space for the same or less money along with comparable fuel economy. So the iQ&amp;#039;s appeal is to a relatively small niche of young urban sophisticates who will value its extremely small dimensions, fashion-forward sensibilities, content-rich features list and easy personalization. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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