mike
01-03-2009, 06:27 AM
The iQ is Toyota's bid for a piece of the premium small car segment where Mini and Smart are currently enjoying success, both in Europe and the US.
It is significant that the concept emerged not from Japan but from ED', its serene European design centre ,in the south of France on a hilltop over¬looking the Mediterranean Sea.
The iQ brings both style and innovation. Its size dictated both: a length of 297cm, 28cm more than a Smart ForTwo, 7lcm shorter than the Mini, but 'with four seats. Its most admirable feature is its packaging the way in which the mechanical parts have been compressed to gain space in the passenger compartment.
The iQ is a conventional transverse engined front-wheel drive car but the gearbox has been arranged so that the differential is just in front rather than behind the engine. The starter motor is incorporated into the compact Aywheel and the steering rack high¬mounted with the column take-off at its centre. Add to that a miniaturised air conditioner that fits into a pod high up at the centre of the dashboard and the front firewall can be moved forward to increase cabin length. The dashboard is asymmetrical, cutaway on the right hand side, so that the passenger can sit further forward than the driver, allowing more legroom for the rear sear passenger. The fuel tank is shallow and housed under the Aoor, so the wheelbase can be reduced to 200cm.
420
The iQ is super-short but for those in the front seats it doesn't seem so small because it is wider than the average mini car. This gives it a solid stance that aids stability and because there was room to move the body shell's side rails inwards around the engine bay the turning circle is remarkably tight; at 3.9m, better than a Smart or a London cab.
There is not that much room in the back; the space behind a tall driver is really only suitable for a kiddy seat. The rear seats are very close to the tailgate, creating a potentially hazardous situation in a rear end shunt. Toyota has thought about that and provides a curtain air bag behind the rear seats. It brings this little car's air bag count up to 12. No wonder it carries a premium price.
The launch models offer a 1-litre three-cylinder gasoline engine, or a 1.4-litre four-cylinder diesel but a new, lightweight 1.33-litre gasoline four-cylinder arrives in a few months.
It is significant that the concept emerged not from Japan but from ED', its serene European design centre ,in the south of France on a hilltop over¬looking the Mediterranean Sea.
The iQ brings both style and innovation. Its size dictated both: a length of 297cm, 28cm more than a Smart ForTwo, 7lcm shorter than the Mini, but 'with four seats. Its most admirable feature is its packaging the way in which the mechanical parts have been compressed to gain space in the passenger compartment.
The iQ is a conventional transverse engined front-wheel drive car but the gearbox has been arranged so that the differential is just in front rather than behind the engine. The starter motor is incorporated into the compact Aywheel and the steering rack high¬mounted with the column take-off at its centre. Add to that a miniaturised air conditioner that fits into a pod high up at the centre of the dashboard and the front firewall can be moved forward to increase cabin length. The dashboard is asymmetrical, cutaway on the right hand side, so that the passenger can sit further forward than the driver, allowing more legroom for the rear sear passenger. The fuel tank is shallow and housed under the Aoor, so the wheelbase can be reduced to 200cm.
420
The iQ is super-short but for those in the front seats it doesn't seem so small because it is wider than the average mini car. This gives it a solid stance that aids stability and because there was room to move the body shell's side rails inwards around the engine bay the turning circle is remarkably tight; at 3.9m, better than a Smart or a London cab.
There is not that much room in the back; the space behind a tall driver is really only suitable for a kiddy seat. The rear seats are very close to the tailgate, creating a potentially hazardous situation in a rear end shunt. Toyota has thought about that and provides a curtain air bag behind the rear seats. It brings this little car's air bag count up to 12. No wonder it carries a premium price.
The launch models offer a 1-litre three-cylinder gasoline engine, or a 1.4-litre four-cylinder diesel but a new, lightweight 1.33-litre gasoline four-cylinder arrives in a few months.