Not exactly typical CCs, but I couldn’t help but notice that this was a rather unusual pairing of cars. Both the Volvo C30 and the Scion iQ never caught on very well, although the C30 is a more common sight than the stubby iQ. Could this have been our own alternate-reality driveway? Possibly.
Stephanie was very smitten with the C30, and it was a serious contender last year for her new car. That is, until she realized how compact it really is, and was not going to haul two big dogs unless you like dog breath or drool on the back of your neck.
And the iQ? Well, I know folks like to hate on it, but it really does make a good city scooter; certainly better than the Smart. I run lots of errands around town, and love to zip into small parking spots. But again, the cargo area is way too small; I’ll just keep my xB for another decade or two.
I love the idea of an iQ for those times when I have no choice but to park on the street in Boston. But even for a city-dweller like me, there aren’t enough such times to justify adding it to the fleet. But it would make a lot of sense if I lived in one of the neighboring ultra-dense suburbs like Somerville and had to use permit street parking (i.e., no driveway).
But unless your life is radically improved by being able to use 4-ft-shorter parking spaces, why not just buy a Honda Fit? (And indeed, most people do.)
My friend has the very-limited produced C30. While it’s not a Volvo that you would expect from, well, “safety-minded” Volvo..it is a cool car. Definitely should have been rear wheel drive, though. It’s heavy to begin with for such a small car & the FWD set up does not help.
The Scion…meh.
Volvo hasn’t made a RWD car since the ’90s. It probably wasn’t a consideration for the C30, but there were certainly other more likely changes they could have made to improve its driving dynamics.
Only BMW offers a RWD C-segment car, its 1-series.
The rest in this segment has been FWD since a few decades.
Super-hot hatches (300 hp and up) are AWD. Like a Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG or Volkswagen Golf R.
On less powerful models AWD is sometimes offered as a factory option (like 4Motion, 4Matic, Quattro).
And then of course there’s also Subaru.
Since the WRC-winning Talbot Sunbeam-Lotus even.
The Volvo C30 is just a cut-down S40/V40 isn’t it? While it looks good I never liked them because of the excessive taper that reduces luggage space, it is too much compared to the cars that inspired it (1800ES & 480ES).
Yes, essentially the C30 is a 20 cm shorter S40.
The Ford Focus, Volvo C30, Volvo S40 and Volvo V50 all used the same platform. From the days that Ford used Volvo’s inline 5 in their Focus hot hatches.
Although the IQ was a sales flop in the USA, it had some neat packaging features that gave it a large interior for its tiny overall size. The transverse engine was mounted behind the transaxle, enabling the front wheels to be pushed out to the forward edge of the car, opening up more volume for the passengers. The HVAC components were located in the center of the dashboard rather than in front of the passenger, and this enabled the passenger seat to be mounted farther forward with a corresponding increase in rear leg room. And the fuel tank was located in the floor of the car, rather than behind the rear seat, thereby opening up more trunk volume. It is surprising to me that Toyota did not incorporate these features when it redesigned the Corolla and Yaris recently.
I agree, also the weight distribution would be improved with this layout too.
I don’t think the Corolla or Yaris have had a new-platform update since the iQ was done, so in a few years they may yet do it.
I haven’t driven an iQ, but I have no doubt it’s better than a Smart. A Cozy Coupe is better than a Smart.
You’ve probably read that the Smart automated manual transmission is bad. Bad doesn’t do it justice. It seems to take 2 full seconds to shift, and unlike when you’re shifting yourself, it doesn’t freewheel while shifting, so the car aggressively decelerates while changing gears. This is downright dangerous when you need a downshift to accelerate in a merge lane, for example.
The rest of the car isn’t much better. Briggs & Stratton makes smoother engines. The ride is even worse than you’d expect from such a short wheelbase.
If it was cheap and got great gas mileage, maybe it would be worth the trouble. But when there are alternatives like a Nissan Versa that also have a back seat, the Smart just isn’t a very smart purchase. Maybe the new Renault-based generation will be better.
Agree that cars like the Versa would be much more practical (if you require small exterior dimensions). Others would be the Ford Fiesta (hatchback), Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris
Too bad more models in the “supermini” or B-class category aren’t sold in North America. Lots in Europe and Asia – think of VW Polo, Opel Corsa, Renault Clio.
I passed an iQ on I-95 yesterday – I didn’t realize it was an iQ until I pulled up next to it. I looked over to see who was driving it and it was exactly the stereotype I would have expected – a bearded hipster-looking type.
I really liked the idea of the C30 when they came out. Being a huge hatchback fan, and appreciator of atypical cars, there was a lot of appeal there. The rarity of the C30 made it all the more interesting. The styling wasn’t quite a home run, but elements of it were pretty neat. The back end sort of reminded me of my first car, a 1971 Gremlin (which was quite unusual itself in 1998).
At the time, I was driving a 2006 MINI Cooper. Though I loved that car, something a little bigger made sense. I thought maybe a C30 would be strong contender. But then I drove it and came away quite unimpressed. The handling/steering was just very boring to me. Maybe I was spoiled by the MINI, but I wanted something at least somewhat fun to drive. The C30 did not really fit the bill. Admittedly, though, I was driving the base model with the smallest wheel/tire combo available.
Still, I have a lot of respect for someone who would get something like a C30. Neat cars. Same goes for the Scion…I would never personally consider one, but the rarity and uniqueness of them gives them a definite appeal.
There was a significant difference in suspention and chassis tuning with the early C30; “version 1.0” models had the standard setup, while the “version 2.0” came with the dynamic chassis. I believe all later C30 models adopted the 2.0 dynamic setup.
I really liked the C30 when they came out, and at the time, it was the only Volvo that truly appealed to me. I’ve since come to like the current S60 quite a bit, but I still love the design of the C30, especially the facelifted version. The glass hatch was really cool!
It’s a shame that it never sold better here. I think if it was actually released a few years later, with some more advanced technology and handling dynamics it could have fared better, as the compact hatch market has seen an upswing since the recession.
I finally saw an iQ last week, ironically while filling up my rental F150 (crew cab ecoboost 4wd). I’m sure the smugness was high but they likely didn’t realize the F150 was not mine and I had gone Boise-Boardman and back on a single tank.
I drove an iQ on a test drive and by the end of the drive I realized how pointless this car really was. Yes it is better then a Smart car but If I spend a little bit more money I can get a Honda Fit with has gobs of room or a Fiat 500 which while the back seat is pretty unusable for seating it is pretty roomy for the driver and front passenger and the back seat goes down for extra room
Heck, with the incentives, you can buy a new Mitsubishi Mirage stick for $11k, and probably bargain the price down lower than that since they are desperate to unload them. The Mirage seems to get a lot of hate, but I’m not sure why. It just looks like a simple, honest small car of the kind that almost nobody makes anymore. Good, reliable cheap wheels and good mileage. You’d think there would be more of a market for something like this, especially among city dwellers.
I, too, like the Mitsubishi Mirage. It’s the modern version of what used to be referred to as ‘throwaway’ cars: minimalist penalty boxes that were cheap to buy and operate, but not much else. It’s derided frequently and many advocate buying a used, two-year-old Corolla or Civic as a smarter purchase. Frankly, I’m not so sure. At least with a Mirage, you’re getting a brand-new car, unsullied by someone else’s ownership. As an alternative to, say, a Chevy Spork, the Mirage seems okay. I’d go so far as to say it could easily be a future ‘hipster-mobile’ in the same vein as the old sixties’ Ford Falcon.
The “four wheels and an engine” niche are buying Versas and Accents because they know with great certainty that Nissan and Hyundai’s US dealer networks will still be around in five years.
Good point.
One of my best friends drives an early C30 Version 2.0. I’m impressed with how comfortable that car is. Good seats, smooth ride, and reasonable space for the tiny exterior dimentions. I could definetly live with one day to day. My favorite thing about his car is the 650 watt Dynaudio sound system; amazingly clear and powerful all at the same time. It’s Cosmic White metallic with the contrasting Java body kit like the photo below:
Yes, that color-combo was really neat and striking.
My favorite Volvo-hatchback color is Polestar blue. With grey or black rims.
Striking, for sure!
When I first heard about it, I really thought the iQ was going to be the next CR-X. A tiny, tossable, lightweight manual coupe that might be low on power but high on grins and gas mileage. Sadly, it did not come to pass…but it’s probably the closest thing we have. Closer than the CR-Z (seriously).
I’d actually like the iQ’s same space utilization applied to a longer vehicle. It could have 4 doors and hold 5 passengers, but still have a tiny footprint.
The Volvo C30 was supposed to be a serious BMW 1-series and Audi A3 competitor. Never happened, they didn’t sell very well. Its successor, the Volvo V40, does much better.
That Scion was a Toyota iQ here. Withdrawn from the market, it was a bit too small and (much) too expensive. The Toyota Aygo mini (and its Peugeot and Citroën equivalents) was and is a bestseller. Cheap to buy and to drive, and with 5 doors. All these cars have the same 1.0 liter Daihatsu 3 cylinder engine. The iQ though was also available with a 1.3 liter 4 cylinder.
Speaking of an expensive iQ, one of the odder ‘compliance’ cars built (and one certainly destined to be a future CC) would be the variant produced by Aston Martin called the Cygnet. Costing three times as much, it sold only a fraction of the number projected and production was quietly halted after only two years.
That Cygnet was just an easy and quick compensation (emission-wise) for the Real McCoy Aston Martins.
What I wonder about the Cygnet is: who actually bought one?
The current Volvo V40. As far as I know not available in North-America. Longer than the C30, and always with 5 doors.
I still think I prefer the midwestern equivilent – an F150 and a Grand Marquis. 🙂
Not only is the C30 a Volvo (meh) but it’s based on a Ford Focus ( double meh)
60s Volvos were fine, but I wouldn’t be seen dead in anything 144 onwards.
The IQ , on the other hand, is brilliant. Did Toyota build it to make money , or simply to show they could do a “short” car better ( much much better ) than Mercedes, in the same way that Audi built the A2 to show they could do a small family hatchback much much better than Mercedes….
The name iQ made me hate that stubby little tumor before I even saw it.
“gee what would be a good name for a Smart ripoff, preferably in alphanumeric”
“IQ?”
“Brilliant! It’s obnoxiously snobby in an irritating hipstery way! There’s something missing though…”
“Ooh how about we make the ‘I’ lower case, like Apple does. Cool people like Apple, Toyota = Apple!
“Give this man a promotion!”
Not to be outdone there’s the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
Well, to be fair, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is based on the i which was so named in concept form in 2003, less than 2 years after the original i-device (iPod) debuted and well before Apple i-Whatevers became the phenomenon they eventually would. The i kept its name for the 2006 start of production, and gifts its initial to the i-MiEV which is simply a version of the original with Mitsubishi’s trade name for electric propulsion attached. “i” simply stands for innovative, which it kinda is, from a cheap production car point of view. Even the gas JDM version was strikingly space efficient and oddball in its drive layout.
The iMac came out in 1998, though its appeal was certainly limited compared to any iPod.
The iQ on the other hand, is a UCLA marketing hipster’s term thesis that slyly saw the green light because Scion is almost entirely made up of 55 year old men trying to figure out what nonexistent rich 23 year old suburbanites would drive if they could. Marketing cluelessness.
My thinking is that Toyota built the iQ primarily for Japan, with an eye to selling it in Europe also and only decided to market it as a Scion in the US as a minor sideline type arrangement, to capitalize on any profile the car had from international motor show coverage and give Scion a unique product offering. I expect the number of sales was not a factor in their product planning.
Neither of these cars fits my automotive needs (whether real or more likely perceived). But in that context, I think the C30 is esthetically interesting. Almost a Volvo Scirocco. Rear hatch evocative of the 1800ES. On the other hand, I think the iQ styling is brilliant. Stance, proportions, etc. I see quite a few Smart cars around, but very few iQ’s. But then, I probably we more Nissan Jukes than Smart cars, iQ’s and current-gen Mitsubishi Mirages combined. Go figure.
I love hatchbacks. When the C30 came out, I was all over it at the Detroit show. Checked the rear quarter visibility out of those tapering side windows: not so hot. Looked at the prospects for loading large objects through that dinky glass hatch: not so hot. Mosied over to the VW stand and climbed into a Golf: Visibility to rear quarters: check. Loading clearance through hatch: check. Game over.
The iQ is one of those select cars, along with the Smart and Spark, that even that beacon of rationality and functionality, Consumer Reports says “do not buy this car”. Not because it’s unreliable or exorbitantly expensive. Because it’s a joke: slow, noisy and a near useless back seat.
…”Visibility to rear quarters: check. Loading clearance through hatch: check”….
Steve, your next VAG-product has arrived.
Well, if you’re going to dig into the Skoda catalog, I’ll take a seat in a SEAT. Tons more stylish than a Golf. Wonder of it ever occurred to VeeDub to create a downmarket or sporty brand using it’s Czech, Spanish and Brazilian products.
Tall greenhouse and nice wide hatch.
Instrument panel all business, with no outer space effects, the way I like it.
Seat is VAG’s sporty Euro-brand and Skoda is their bang-for-the-bucks Euro-brand.
Seems to me you selected the 280 hp Seat Leon Cupra. Very nice indeed !
Is it a Volkswagen ? An Audi ? No, it’s a Skoda !
Skoda Superb, a big brown diesel wagon.
Seat is VAG’s sporty Euro-brand and Skoda is their bang-for-the-bucks Euro-brand.
That’s where I have a problem with VAG’s marketing, the brands overlap too much. GM was fine as long as Chevy, Pontiac, Buick and Olds kept to their places in the ladder. Once GM moved to every division getting badge engineered versions of Chevys, they were competing with themselves, until they cleared out Olds, Pontiac and Saturn.
Compare your pic of the Skoda, with an Audi A4
I’ve always liked the C30. Does it sacrifice space efficiency for style? Sure, it does. But some folks value style more than space. Love the P1800ES throwback glass shape/angle too. (I suppose you could also call it a 480 throwback if you’d like, but the 480 was invoking the P1800 after all.)
The iQ is an oddity, but it does make more sense than the Smart. Someone at work has an orange one! Quite noticeable for a little car.
C30 – I like the styling and thought about a used one a few years ago, but they had kept their value too well.
iQ – I remember seeing an ad in Europe back in 2009 that said “one in five won’t get the chance”, with four happy faces and an angry face. Only now did I figure out this was supposed to refer to its seating capacity; I always thought this was Toyota admitting that not everyone will “get it”. It’s an interesting concept, but with predictably limited appeal here in North America. “City scooter” about sums it up.
I don’t have anything clever to say about either of these cars, except that the C30 was the first car that caught the eye of my adolescent daughter… especially after she saw it in the Twilight movie.
But I just want say, here’s to the folks who dare to buy unusual cars! Without them, the future Curbside Classics will be few and far between.
I hear a lot of scolding and shaming at other auto sites related to this warmer, more accepting one, directed towards anyone who doesn’t buy sensible, reliable (usually Asian) autos of the most common brands. Those folks have never understood me, and I will never be one of them, having owned a Fiat, two NSUs, three SAABs and a dozen VWAG products. That’s all right– their nagging about reliability risks and repair cost help give me a sense that I’m a daring character, just for driving a Golf.