Toyota Iq

[PaulWorthing]

Well if the base model is going to be that expensive then I might have to give it a miss - although I will wait to see what it looks like in the metal (and see what it looks like in a better colour than they keep showing it in) and then decide.

So the brochure, is the the final, production ready look or are there going to be more minor tweeks before it rolls out of the showroom>?

[PaulWorthing]

You know I really hated these at first but its growing on me and that interior is rather funky I have to say!! I think i just dont understand the point of them? Why need something smaller than an Aygo? Note it says its 4 seater but that is only allowed 1 adults and 1 child in the rear

Are these on sale now then? and am probably being dense but I cant find any specs for it?

I wouldnt trade my Aygo tho, am tying to climb up the car ladder not go down it

SJx

The Aygo is designed to be a cheap and cheerful city car - the IQ is designed to be a premium product along the lines of the MINI or SMART.

With regard to its size, it should be remembered that the average number of passangers in a car while it is being driven in and around a town is 1.2 which means that for the majority of the time 2 seats would be more than enough and adding 2 occasional seats to this is going to be a major selling point bearing in mind that the only small alternative is the Smart and that is a strict 2 seater

[Parts-King]

PaulWorthing: The Aygo is designed to be a cheap and cheerful city car - the IQ is designed to be a premium product along the lines of the MINI or SMART

You put it much better than I did Paul, yes a premium product not to replace the Aygo or Yaris but a frugal car aimed at a new conquest customers. Spec is not finalised yet as far as I know

Kingo

[PaulWorthing]

Well I do get the impression that certain people are kind of missing the point with the IQ - although if they just took a few minutes to look at the brochure they can see that the IQ is in a deferent league to the Aygo albeit both cars falling into the same market sector (city car).

[uumode]

I thought the IQ was a 100 MPG mini Prius Hybrid car, electric and combustion engine? - so there is no other small city car like it.

http://www.carpages.co.uk/toyota/toyota-iq-05-03-08.asp

"As short as a Smart, but wider, Formica said iQ was “the world's smallest four-seater passenger car. Its clever seating configuration takes three adults plus a child, in less than 3 metres.”

It will offer customers “a new mode of urban transport”, Formica said. It will meet Euro NCAP's 5-star rating, while CO2 emissions from its 500cc plug-in hybrid powerplant are very low – just 99g per km. Toyota will build iQ in Japan, and expects to make 100,000 cars in 2009, its first full year of production."

[Fujisan]

From the latest info I have read it will have a choice of two petrol engines and a diesel when launched. CO2 emissions from as low as 100g/km are likely.

Any hybrid will happen in the future.....if at all.

[uumode]

Well this news dated 24th July says there is definitely a hybrid (though a 'miniturised' hybrid)

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008/07/24/094338.html

"Fonseca said Toyota was still working on a miniaturised hybrid drivetrain for its new iQ city car, which will go on sale before the end of the year with conventional petrol or diesel engines. “The problem with iQ is it’s so well packaged for its size it’s difficult to accommodate a full hybrid drivetrain,” said Fonseca."

[sullsims]

I like this car.. I'm thinking of trading in the Aygo. Will see how it drives, i think it could be seen as a bit girly tho.

[Fujisan]

Well this news dated 24th July says there is definitely a hybrid (though a 'miniturised' hybrid)

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008/07/24/094338.html

"Fonseca said Toyota was still working on a miniaturised hybrid drivetrain for its new iQ city car, which will go on sale before the end of the year with conventional petrol or diesel engines. “The problem with iQ is it’s so well packaged for its size it’s difficult to accommodate a full hybrid drivetrain,” said Fonseca."

I think the key words are "still working on"!

Still working on is IMHO not the same as definitely.

Hopefully maybe . Definitely, ummm........

[Toyota PR]

No diesel for UK and no hybrid. Not this side of the London Olymipcs anyway.

[PaulWorthing]

Any chance it is going to come in some better colours than the current Toyota range?

[ae102]

I like this car.. I'm thinking of trading in the Aygo. Will see how it drives, i think it could be seen as a bit girly tho.

i drive me misses Smart - i'm 6'2" with a shaved head so i dont have a complex!the looks and waves always have me grinning like a Chesire and they are such a buzz to drive. had a big merc trying to bully me - when i stopped the car in the middle of the road he wasnt expecting me to jump out!! them big mercs certaily wheel spin well ;)

[Fujisan]

First drive report here.

[T V O R]

It's out on New Years Day

I like the fact that it's a 2 seater... No lifts for anyone :D

[Red Yaris 54]

It's out on New Years Day

I like the fact that it's a 2 seater... No lifts for anyone :D

Do you take up TWO seats then TVOR? .......................or is it maybe you have your qualified driving instructor alongside you? ;) :P

[PaulWorthing]

Have seen a few road tests of the IQ now and it is not getting very good reports - my main concern is the starting price (circa £10K) but that it does not have the quality interior feel of the Smart ForTwo. This is a bit of a worry as thats the other car I am considering and as I am going to be sitting in it rather than watching it on the road, I want the interior to be, as advertised, a premium place to be!

[PaulWorthing]

£10,495.00 for the base model (inc the CVT box to make it comparible to its main rival) does seem rather steep as that works out to about £1,000 per additional seat over the Smart and if you have the CVT box (what else would you want for city driving?) then your not going to get £0 Car Tax either!

Beginning to think that while this was a good design idea it is loosing something in becoming a reality.

As someone has put on another web site - who is going to walk into a Toyota Showroom, see the Aygo and say can you make me something smaller and more expensive?

[Parts-King]

I think your missing the point Paul, it is not an Aygo, nor is it intended to be a cheap small car. It is aimed at a completely different conquest customer, people who have not owned Toyota before, but want a car with high levels of spec, low emissions, cheap to run. A much younger clientel altogether who would not choose Aygo or Yaris

Not having seen the production spec I cant comment too much on it, but people I have spoken to who have driven it say its fantastic! It doesnt feel like a small car to drive and it does feel like a premium car. I will pass judgement when I drive it

Kingo

[Parts-King]

IQ Goes on sale in Japan in November

PRESS RELEASE

*1 "i" stands for "individuality", and expresses "innovation" and "intelligence". "Q" stands for "quality", hints at the vehicle's "cubic" form and is a "cue" to move toward new values and lifestyles So the blurb says

Kingo

[PaulWorthing]

Not sure I am missing the point - the natural competition for the IQ is the Smart FotTwo and with the introduction fo the new ForTwo last year the interior quality is vastly improved and a match for any premium city car. This is going to be the IQ's main rival and if its interior is not as quality (Top Gear's review) as it is implied in either the press releases or the photographs then how can the IQ command a significant price premium (over 15% more)?

[Parts-King]

I think the price premium reflects the very latest type of technology used in the iQ, and certainly not in the Smart. Some of the road test reports say the Smart ForTwo has "Ponderous gear change, agricultural engine, poor steering feedback and expensive!" One report I read gave it a two out of five star rating, so while it might be a competitor, I dont think the iQ will be a worse drive? I just cant imagine that. Of course road tests are very subjective and it depends if the Journalist is in with manufacturer ;) It appears to me you have to buy a fairly high spec ForTwo to get anything like an iQ. Interestingly, the iQ goes on sale for just over 8K in Japan, ours will be 10K

Kingo

[PaulWorthing]

I would have to accept that the Smart's gear change is not that good, although the new model is much much better - but then the IQ's CVT does not get gllowing reports either so I guess, as you say, thats going to be down to personal preference. As for spec's - the Passion's list price is £9K and that includes all the goodies you would like on a city car (including the auto box for which you have to pay £1K on the IQ) as well a a nice 84bhp engine to whip you about with all the gusto you could need

[PaulT]

Sounds like we should ask Toyota to hand over a few early examples to TOCers for a road test.

Happy to volunteer :D

Paul.

[PaulWorthing]

Yeah and as a current owner of a Smart Fortwo, albeit it a convertible 2005 Passion, I would like to nominate myself for an extended test in one too to see just how it compares and to fuind out if it is actually worth the extra money for the extra 1 1/2 seats or not!

[nz_aj]

The Aygo is only available in Europe. It's a JV vehicle with Citroen & Pugeot.

For the rest of the world Toyota does not make vehicles in the cheap small car market, they have Daihatsu for that.

The IQ is a world car, so will not compete in the cheap small car market.

Japan sales start on November 20 but I think they're only getting CVT, in which case it's less likely I'll be a future IQ owner. Manual gearbox is a bottom line for me, although if it's proven the CVT uses less petrol I might think about it.

For me, this would be my city car, seldom driving over 50km/hr.

Other things I like about the IQ:

-7.8m turning circle, U turns & parallel parking

-3cyl 1L. Simple, light, should have good fuel consumption

-small external dimensions, parking & driving through narrow gaps between queing traffic