Industry News
Toyota shows production-ready iQ mini prototype at Geneva
6th March 2008
A finished prototype of Toyota’s iQ concept car first glimpsed at Frankfurt last autumn was unveiled at Geneva this week, and production models be on sale before the end of the year, according to Toyota Motor Europe senior vice-president Andrea Formica, who described it as “the world's smallest four-seater passenger car.” Its seating configuration takes three adults plus a child in a length of less than three metres.
The iQ is expected to meet Euro NCAP's 5-star rating, while CO2 emissions from its 500cc plug-in hybrid powetrain are 99g per km. Toyota will build the iQ in Japan, and expects to build 100,000 units in 2009, its first full year of production.
Toyota is also reported to be working on another concept, the 1/X, which combines plug-in hybrid and flex-fuel technologies, which weighs 420kg, a third of the Prius’ weight, but offers the same interior space, according to Mr. Formica, while achieving up to 140 mpg.
News Headlines
