***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here***

The pieces of puzzle are starting to come together and it looks like Toyota is planning on launching a hybrid version of the iQ mini-car in North America, branded as a Scion. According to a report by InsideLine, the a concept version of this car is the “dedicated hybrid concept” that Toyota will unveil at the Detroit Auto Show next week.

The iQ Hybrid will be offered as both a five-door hatchback and as a sedan, with the hatch going on sale in 2011. Impressively, it will get over 60 mpg thanks to a 1.5-liter engine used as a part of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy drive.

In addition, the 3-door, currently sold in Europe and Japan will also be branded as a Scion in North America. The Smart fortwo-sized hatch will be powered by a 99-hp 1.3-liter 4-cylinder and be offered as a convertible as well. With the hybrid and non-hybrid versions, this will essentially add four new models to Scion’s product lineup.

Scion unveiled a concept version of the iQ at the New York Auto Show last year. See more of that car in the Gallery below.

GALLERY: Toyota iQ

GALLERY: Scion iQ Concept

[Source : InsideLine]

Aston Martin has just released a selection of photos of its Cygnet mini-car concept, giving us the first real look at what this luxury econo-box will be like. Officially still a concept, the Cygnet is expected to go on sale next year in the U.K. and is based on the Toyota iQ mini-car.

Sold exclusively to current Aston Martin owners and then offered to new car buyers, it will be available late in 2010. Aston Martin plans to retrofit the cars at its facility in Gaydon in the U.K., after receiving the basic vehicles from Toyota.

From the new photos the car gets a typical Aston Martin grill, which honestly doesn’t look a ridiculous as we might have expected. It also gets some aggressive hood vents, some larger Aston Martin-style wheels, some fender vents, Aston’s signature door handles and some LED taillights.

Inside it’s seriously luxurious with plenty of leather, as well as some high-tech goodies.

Under the hood we expect to find Toyota’s 99-hp 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine.

Aston Martin expects to sell from 1,000 to 2,000 units of the car but insists the decision to sell the Cygnet has more to do with offering well-heeled owners a practical city car, rather than to help the large-engined British automaker to meet increasingly strict corporate emissions regulations.

GALLERY: Aston Martin Cygnet

[Source: AutoCar]

***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here***

Toyota will debut an all-new hybrid concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in just a few weeks. This new concept will be a dedicated hybrid model, meaning that like the Prius, it will only be offered as a hybrid. Toyota has said that it will offer hybrid versions of all of its models by 2010, but it is also working to increase its lineup of dedicated hybrids as they help to promote a strong “green” identity” as a brand.

There are several rumors as to what this new model would be. The color and flat-nose front seem to indicate it may be a version of the iQ (which Toyota showed as a Scion model at last year’s New York Auto Show). There is also a strong possibility that this could be the long-awaited Prius Coupe.

We’ll be sure to bring you details as we get them, with full coverage of the Detroit Auto Show starting January 11th.

GALLERY: Toyota Dedicated Hybrid Concept

Official release after the jump:

Toyota will bring its iQ city car to North America by 2012, badged as a Scion model. Scion debuted a concept of the iQ (shown above) at the New York Auto Show this year. When it does launch, however, expect it to look significantly more tame.

Currently the  mini car (about the size of a SMART fortwo) is sold in Europe and Asia and three engines are offered. Once it makes its way to North America we are likely to get the 1.33-liter four-cylinder with 99hp. Although according to Toyota a 1.6-liter engine will fit.

The iQ is technically a 3+1, meaning that it can seat three adults and one child. This is possible by locating the passenger seat ahead of the driver’s seat so that there is actual leg room for a rear passenger on the passenger’s side.

The iQ is also slated to be the base of an electric vehicle due out in 2012, and recently Aston Martin announced it was working on a concept, the Cygnet, that is based on the iQ.

The Scion iQ is expected in either 2010 or 2011 as a 2011 or 2012 model.

GALLERY: Scion iQ

[Source: Motor Trend]

Aston Martin has just released details of an upcoming concept car the luxury British automaker is working on… and it’s not at all what you might expect. Rather than a high-powered exotic, this new machine, called the Cygnet, is a tiny commuter car.

The Cygnet is based on the Toyota iQ and while it sounds like an April Fool’s joke, the reality is that this mini-car has a lot of potential. For starters, Aston Martin is working on giving the Cygnet a unique Aston Martin look and a serious luxury interior. No doubt owners, particularly in large European urban centers, could use a vehicle like this and then take their $300,000 DBS out to the country on the weekend.

There is, however, an additional (and very strong)  reason the Cygnet may become a reality, and that is the increasingly restrictive fuel-economy regulations in both Europe and the United States. If Aston Martin builds a car like this with what will no doubt be a tiny fuel-efficient engine, it will offset the gas-sucking V8s and V12s that are used in the rest of the company’s lineup.

Currently the Toyota iQ is offered overseas with three engines, the most potent of which makes 99hp from a 1.33-liter gasoline engine.

“Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this first bold step to embark on this special project – made possible with the support of an organization of Toyota’s stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ,” said Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez. “Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not too distant future. This concept – akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht – will allow us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market.”

Dr. Bez even alluded to selling the Cygnet like an add-on package to compliment one of the company’s pricier models. “The offering of a ‘Cygnet’ with a DBS, DB9 or Vantage is a unique combination of opposites and a novel transport solution allowing intelligent and sensitive mobility on an exclusive and innovative level,” he said.

According to Automotive News, the Cygnet could be made available to current and prospective Aston Martin owners as early as next year with mass-market sales following the year after. The price of the Cygnet is expected to be around 23,000 Euros – or roughly $32,000.

[Source: Automotive News]

Official release after the jump:

Earlier this year Toyota launched the iQ micro-car in Europe and now the Japanese automaker has unveiled  a more “performance-oriented” version of the cute and trendy iQ.

The new engine is a 99hp VVT-i 1.33-liter four-cylinder that makes 92 ft-lbs of torque at 4400 rpm. It comes standard with Toyota’s six-speed manual transmission, which features Toyota’s Stop & Start function, allowing the engine to be shut off at stop lights (or when stuck in traffic).

As soon as the operator puts the shifter in neutral and releases the clutch pedal, the engine shuts off. The engine will then restart when the clutch pedal is depressed within half a second. This is made possible by a permanently engaged gear mechanism that links the starter and flywheel.

Toyota says that its Stop & Start technology is good for a fuel-savings of 3 percent. As for the fuel-economy numbers, the iQ boasts a combined city/highway rating of 51 mpg (or 4.8 liters/100km).

The two iQ models currently offered are the 68hp 1.0-liter gasoline model and the 90hp 1.4-liter turbodiesel.

The iQ is just three meters long and Toyota claims it is the world’s smallest four-seater at just 3 meters (roughly 9.8 feet). You’d need to be an amputee from the waist-down to use the back seats though. And while the car is a hatchback, there’s about enough room behind the second row for a single sheet of paper.

The new 1.33-liter iQ will be offered in an iQ3 model, which comes with 16-inch wheels and a special Ash Grey paint.

GALLERY: Toyota iQ 1.33

More on the Toyota iQ after the jump: