I am deeply impressed by the Toyota IQ.
This is leap forward in car design. Yes, there are other good small cars, and there are smaller cars but not with this level of packaging and engineering innovation. Keeping the engine at the front is the intelligent solution: the handling and stability are designed in from the beginning (rather than having to be overcome later) and crash performance is good. And the packaging lessons can be transferred to other cars. The easy option would have been to put the engine at the back, but the structure would have needed to be heavier, surely somewhat defeating the purpose of the whole car.
The stroke of genius is in having such a small light car, which can fit a family in. Toyota wouldn’t have made this car without rear seats as it would have been too niche to sell in large numbers and so would either lose money or need to be priced higher (and so being even more niche).
There is no official word on what the engines or performance figures are but I’ve heard something from a source and can put my interpretation to you. If anyone from Toyota reads this, these are all “allegedly”.
There will be three engines; two petrol and one diesel (although this may not come to the UK). Standard Stop-Start technology, together with low weight produces some impressive figures :
1.0 VVT; priced at around £9000. 0 to 60 in 13s. CO2 rating at 105 and 68 mpg.
1.3 VVT; priced at £10,000. 0 to 60 in 10s. CO2 rating at 115 and 56 mpg.
1.4 D-4D; priced at £11,000. 0-60 in 9s. CO2 rating at 97 and 80mpg.
For me if the D-4D is priced at £11,000 then that is too expensive. I then shall buy the 1.3 VVT and enjoy the impressive turn of pace together with the miserly fuel consumption. As soon as my local dealer is taking orders, I shall form an orderly queue.
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