| Toyota iQ Premiere | ||
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(Wed 05 Mar 08) Having appeared at last year's Frankfurt Show in concept form (see separate story), the Toyota iQ is on display at Geneva as a production car.
The iQ is a tiny machine designed largely for urban use, and - although Toyota isn't being explicit about this - its shape suggests that it is aimed very much at the smart fortwo. It's not quite as tall as the smart, and only 290mm longer, but Toyota says it can seat four people, as long as one of them is a child. That's an impressive piece of packaging, and it has been achieved in several ways. Among other, the heater/air-conditioning unit is as small as Toyota has been able to make it without compromising performance, there's a flat underfloor fuel tank, the seats have very slim backs, the rear shock absorbers are angled backwards, and a particularly compact differential (the bit that divides the motion of a single shaft so that it can be sent to both of the front wheels) has reduced the amount of space required under the bonnet. Safety is an inevitable concern with cars as small as this one, but Toyota is expressing confidence that the iQ will score five stars for adult occupant protection when it is crash tested by Euro NCAP. The iQ will be available with a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel, and CO2 emissions are expected to be as low as 100g/km. Production will start late this year, and UK sales will follow next spring. Prices will be confirmed nearer the time. |
