Besides the fairly obvious trend of being green, another theme of this year’s Frankfurt auto show is downsizing. Earlier this week we saw the unveiling of the rear-engined, rear-wheel drive micro-compact Volkswagen Up!. But the Up! won’t go unchallenged for the most innovative form of city-friendly transportation around, especially not since the unveiling of the Toyota iQ Concept vehicle.
The iQ is a two-door micro-sized hatchback that if produced, would be the smallest vehicle Toyota’s ever made. At less than three metres in length, it’s still bigger than a smart fortwo, but smaller than just about anything else on the road. It’s 700 mm (27.6 in) shorter than a Mini, 750 mm (29.5 in) shorter than a Yaris hatchback, and a full half metre (19.5 in) shorter than the Toyota Aygo, the tiny little sub-B-segment hatchback that Toyota sells in Europe. Nevertheless, the iQ shares the same width and approximately the same height as the Yaris, which gives it a roomy, airy cabin for three passengers. The layout is similar to the Fiat Trepiuno concept shown several years back, which featured space for three adults and one child, or three adults and extra luggage space.
Similar to the latest batch of small cars from Europe, like Fiat’s 500 and the Mini, the iQ is being touted as a premium level vehicle with high-end features and improved quality, but without the retro look and feel. Its simple, white exterior features the brand’s Vibrant Clarity design language, while the miniscule overhangs and large 17-inch wheels give it an unusually aggressive look.
Meanwhile, the interior of the iQ has been styled with freeform shapes, and features a centre console that’s been inspired by a manta ray. The steering wheel is finished in mock snake skin, while the seats and much of the interior trim is purple. To maximize space, much of the vehicle’s instruments are digital and are of head-up display format, while most of the controls have been centralized around the steering wheel. Overhead, the roof is panoramic.
Unlike the Up!, the iQ uses the traditional economy car layout of front engine, front-wheel drive. Toyota didn’t discuss what engines the iQ would be powered by at the car’s launch, but rest assured they’ll be small and efficient. A vehicle as small as this wouldn’t need anything more powerful than a 1.3-litre engine, especially if it were assisted by a turbocharger or hybrid system. Another alternative solution could be that the iQ is a full electric vehicle, which isn’t at all out of the question.
Toyota is fairly serious about the iQ, and according to insiders, hopes to have a vehicle like this in production before the end of the decade.
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