Toyota Raises Its IQ

by Edward Niedermeyer

May 1st, 2008 1:01 PM

Toyota's iQ city car is coming to Europe next year, competing in the "small but premium" category. (Translation: Toyota's pricing the not-so-mighty midget be priced between Fiat's 500 and BMW's MINI.) But the folks at Autocar UK thought that Toyota was too smart to develop a unique platform for just one car, so they asked "senior sources" if there was more iQ to come. Too right, mate. ToMoCo will also use the iQ platform on a (somewhat) larger car, which will compete with VW's forthcoming up! city car. Meanwhile the iQ will not be offered in hybrid trim; Toyota's boffins reckon a hybrid drivetrain would be too heavy. Thus the Yamaha-sourced one-liter, two-cylinder motorcycle engine (what, no R1 mill?) equipped with start-stop technology, and a diesel. Sometimes the highest IQs favor the simplest solutions. And the worst jokes.

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 8 comments

on May 01, 2008

If the iQ needs to be biggie sized to compete with the Up! from VW, it's also going to be smaller than the Aygo.

Like Reply
Steven Lang on May 01, 2008

Is it my imagination or do Toyota's small cars all look like ugly bugs?

Like Reply
Chanman on May 01, 2008

It reminds me of a Smart Fortwo with a less cartoonish length-to-height ratio, actually

Like Reply
Johnson on May 02, 2008
KatiePuckrik: Something doesn’t make sense here. If Toyota bring the iQ to Europe, what’s going to happen to the Aygo? As far as I know, Toyota can’t make Aygos fast enough, so if the iQ comes along, there’ll be some cannibalisation, surely? Nope. The iQ is a much more premium car than the Aygo. The iQ will be more expensive and will be aimed at a different group of buyers than the Aygo. Steven Lang: Is it my imagination or do Toyota’s small cars all look like ugly bugs? It's just your imagination.

Like Reply