Spy photos of the next generation Smart ForTwo are showing the car undergoing cold weather testing. 

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Scion’s quirky sub-compact iQ city car is undergoing a voluntary recall in the 2012 and 2013 model years because the passenger airbag might not deploy properly.  Continue Reading…

If money talks then the word on the street has it that Chevrolet’s Spark mini car is one of the newest cool kids.

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AutoGuide Five-Point Inspection

During this week’s Five-Point Inspection we put the Scion iQ micro-subcompact to the test, driving it in crowded city streets, long open highways and everything in between. An emotionally polarizing vehicle, the tiny city car can make you smile and frown – it entirely depends on what you’re looking for.

With a starting MSRP of $16,020, the iQ might be the city car for you. Read on to find out why.

While small cars have had a difficult time catching on in North America, it seems as if cars in the UK market could never be small enough. A group of businessmen in the United Kingdom decided to resurrect the Peel brand and are now taking orders for both the Trident and P50 models.

0-60 times have not been measured as both Peel models are speed limited to 28 mph. The Peel Trident and P50 weigh 130 lbs and 198 lbs respectively, and are powered by either a 49cc two-stroke producing a peppy 3.35 horsepower or by two trims of electric motors. The first electric motor makes 1.6-hp at 2.5 lb-ft of torque while a more powerful 4-hp motor is available. Both electric motors deliver an operating range of approximately 50 miles.

As for the price, a Peel can be yours at prices starting just under $11,000. While this may sound like a lot of money for not a lot of car, it is worth noting that this little machine is one of Jeremy Clarkson’s favorite automobiles, as the video after the jump demonstrates:
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Volkswagen‘s Up! city car will go on sale in the United Kingdom for £7,995 up to £11,180 ($12,422 to $17,371) with deliveries starting in the spring of 2012.

A range of 1.0L three-cylinder gasoline engines will power the Up! with power ranging from 58 to 73 horsepower. The base Up! will be quite spartan but will come with features such as an MP3 input jack, a full suite of airbags and body-colored bumpers. Premium versions will get a navigation system, alloy wheels and power mirrors.

For more information on the Volkswagen Up, please visit http://www.vwupforums.com/

[Source: Auto Express]

While rumors of the new BMW sub-brand have been floating around for months, February 21st has been marked as the official announcement date for details the sub-brand, and the apparently revolutionary MegaCity electric vehicle.

Many suggest that the new sub-brand will be a re-imagining of the Isetta microcar of nearly a half century ago, and use some of the advanced materials that the Megacity also uses. Smaller internal combustion engines are a possibility, with the MegaCity setting itself apart by using the all electric drivetrain used in the BMW ActiveE.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

Volkswagen is planning to spread the platform love with its new Up city car, with Czech subsidiary Skoda being the first VW division to get the tiny car, with a SEAT-branded version to follow.

Packaged as a three-door five-seater, a 1.0L gasoline engine and a 1.2L diesel engine will be offered, with an all-electric version to follow. Starting at less than $10,000, the Up variants will go against the Toyota iQ and other cars deemed too small for North American tastes.

With Skoda and SEAT representing downmarket brands for VW in Europe, giving them the minicars is a no-brainer, and we expect them to be very popular, especially in light of how a Volkswagen Golf is something of a luxury good in high-tax countries.

[Source: Inside Line]

The Aston Martin Cygnet, the British luxury brand’s take on the Toyota iQ, is almost ready to go on sale, and the ultra-lux city car will start £30,995, or about $50,000 USD.

Using the 1.3L Toyota engine and a 6-speed manual or CVT gearbox, the iQ’s 11 second 0-60 sprint is decidedly not Aston-like in its performance, but the city car represents a new market for Aston, as well as a way to get around average fuel economy regulations such as America’s CAFE standards.

[Source: Carscoop]

Mitsubishi recently reached a milestone with the completion of their 5000th i-MiEV electric car, which rolled off the line at its Mizushima plant this week.

After starting production in June of 2009, the i-MiEV has been a hit in Japan, and will make its debut in America in late 2011 after being unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. The i-MiEV will also hit Europe next year, in advance of the car’s North American launch.

[Source: Left Lane News]