In order to pack enough components and space into such a small little thing, Toyota’s new premium small car the Toyota iQ warranted an all-new platform with many newly designed components.
Some packaging innovations used in the new Toyota iQ includes a relocated differential moved to the front side of the engine to allow the front wheels to be moved further forward, a new steering rack that is mounted high on the firewall, a new wiper motor and mechanism to allow for the new steering rack, a book-thin flat fuel tank located under the rear passenger’s feet, a compact yet powerful climate control unit, ultrathin seatbacks to create more space, and repositioned engine ancillaries around the suspension for a turning radius of 3.9 meters. Because the rear passenger is so close to the rear of the car, there are even rear windshield airbags.
The iQ will have a production volume of only 100,000 units a year which is not enough to recover the R&D costs, so a few more cars based on the Toyota iQ platform is expected to arrive soon. One is a small SUV – likely to be a Cross-iQ, and others would include a compact 7-seater as well as a car to replace the Toyota Yaris.
It seems that the Toyota iQ is actually a challenge to Toyota’s R&D team to rethink how they usually design a vehicle platform, and then use the space-maximizing innovations and platform to create more normal sized cars that offer class-leading interior space. Imagine, perhaps two generations from now we will get an iQ-based Toyota Vios B-segment sedan that offers C-segment interior space.
And it will all be because of the Toyota iQ.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
100k units per year is insufficient to cover the R&D cost???????a Spaceship, or wat?
toyota can, other brand maybe not. look at kijang not only ugly but not economical but still praised.
typical marketing….
Kijang as at Toyota Kijang in Indonesia?Unser(Kijang in indo if i were right) were praised for spacious+cheap rite?
looks nice, but i rather have a ford ka, fiat 500..this would be a failure like the smart
Oh come on! This is like trying to ride on Smart’s eco friendliness. It doesn’t really need a lot to make something that’s nicer than a fortwo. As evidenced by the Myviness of this iQ. It would be even more scary to think that Toyota’s design philosophy would evolve around this model. I know they’ve got some EBIT problems, but this is taking it a bit too far.
Arent you think ….look carefully …. this little fellow front look like myvi…
Just let them be. I doubt European is going to buy them…